Støberimuseet (Danish Foundry Museum)

Iron, fire and the story of Morsø

Støberimuseet, set in the heart of Nykøbing Mors, tells the story of Morsø Jernstøberi, the iron foundry founded here in 1853 that grew from a small local venture into a name recognised across Denmark. Inside the old factory buildings, the smell of metal, oil and old timber lingers in the air, and the heavy beams and brick walls quietly frame almost 170 years of industrial development. From the first years producing pots, pans and agricultural tools to the later success with elegant cast‑iron stoves and cookers, the museum traces how a single foundry helped heat homes, shape kitchens and provide work for generations on Mors. Panels, photographs and films set the products in context, showing how technology, design and daily life evolved side by side.

Original factory halls frozen in time

One of the museum’s great strengths is its setting. You wander through the iron foundry’s original storage rooms, where towering racks and dim light preserve the feel of an active industrial site. In places, it feels as if the workers have only just stepped out for a break, leaving behind moulds, tools and pallets of heavy castings. The dramatic entrance through a lightwell leads you into a large, almost cave‑like hall lined with decorative oven plates. Many of these would once have been melted down as scrap, but here they form a metal picture book of European history, with scenes from mythology, biblical tales and royal portraits cast in iron. The sheer weight and density of the objects give the museum its reputation as one of Denmark’s “heaviest.”

Showrooms of design, comfort and marketing

A highlight is the reconstructed 1940s showroom, where stoves and fireplaces are displayed almost as they once were for visiting customers. Here you can follow the development of Morsø products from the mid‑19th century to around 1970, noting how ornamented Victorian designs gradually gave way to cleaner lines and more modern silhouettes. Alongside the stoves, historical advertisements, catalogues and posters reveal a carefully crafted brand identity. They show how cast‑iron heating appliances were presented not just as practical necessities but as stylish furnishings promising comfort, efficiency and a touch of modern lifestyle. Design enthusiasts often find themselves lingering here, comparing fonts, colours and product photography across the decades.

Craft, moulding and the people behind the metal

Upstairs, the focus shifts from finished products to the expertise required to make them. Displays on pattern‑making, sand moulding and quality control in the laboratory illuminate how precise and labour‑intensive cast‑iron work really is. Drawings, technical plans and early prototypes offer a glimpse into the foundry’s development office, where new models were tested and refined. Another section is devoted to the working lives of the foundry’s employees. Stories of moulders, smelters, carpenters and unskilled labourers are woven into the exhibits, with tools, work clothes and personal objects hinting at long shifts in heat and noise. It is a reminder that behind every elegant stove stood a team of skilled workers, strong backs and practiced hands.

One of Northern Europe’s largest stove collections

Beyond the technical displays, Støberimuseet holds one of Northern Europe’s most complete collections of cast‑iron stoves and cookers. Room after room of fireplaces, ranges and tiled models map changing tastes in heating and interior design. You can spot ornate parlour stoves with floral details, compact kitchen workhorses and sleek mid‑century pieces. Among the eye‑catching highlights is the colourful COPCO cookware series, whose bright enamel and simple forms brought Morsø designs into stylish kitchens in both Denmark and the United States. The juxtaposition of heavy iron and playful colours underlines how industrial know‑how can be transformed into everyday objects with real aesthetic appeal.

Part of a wider Museum Mors experience

Støberimuseet forms one branch of Museum Mors, alongside Dueholm Monastery, the Fossil and Moler Museum and the historic farm at Skarregaard. A shared ticket gives access to all, making it easy to pair industrial history with monastic heritage or geological discoveries elsewhere on the island. Within Støberimuseet itself, temporary exhibitions occasionally add fresh angles on topics such as design, worker culture or specific product lines. The overall atmosphere remains intimate and tactile: narrow staircases, authentic factory floors and dense rows of iron objects create a sense of stepping into a preserved industrial world rather than a conventional gallery setting.