Creation of the Laboratory of Archaeology of Metals
Creation of the Laboratory of Archaeology of Metals 1950 (≈ 1950)
Founded by Édouard Salin and Albert France-Lanord.
1955
Colloquium *The Iron through the Ages*
Colloquium *The Iron through the Ages* 1955 (≈ 1955)
Origin of the museum project.
14 octobre 1966
Opening of the museum
Opening of the museum 14 octobre 1966 (≈ 1966)
Official opening to the public.
1969
Price of silver square
Price of silver square 1969 (≈ 1969)
Architectural award for the building.
2015
Label *Twentieth Century Heritage*
Label *Twentieth Century Heritage* 2015 (≈ 2015)
Recognition by DRAC Grand Est.
2022
New orientation of the Féru des Sciences
New orientation of the Féru des Sciences 2022 (≈ 2022)
Museum and scientific recast.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Édouard Salin - Archaeologist and steelmaker
Founder of the museum and the LAM.
Albert France-Lanord - Conservator and archaeologist
First scientific director of the museum.
Bertrand Gille - History
Co-author of the museum programme.
Georges Henri Rivière - Museologue
Contribute to the design of the museum.
Jacques et Michel André - Architects
Designers of the modernist building.
Ignace-François Bonhommé - Industrial painter
Author of *Tôrie des Forges d'Abainville*.
Origin and history
The Féru des Sciences, formerly Museum of Iron History, is a cultural institution dedicated to the history of iron and its derivatives, from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Located in Jarville-la-Malgrange in Montaigu Park, it is managed by the Greater Nancy metropolis. The museum preserves various collections: tools, machines, finished products, models, photographs, and works of art related to the steel industry, reflecting both the technical and human and social aspects of this industry.
The museum's project was born in 1955 at the international conference "The Iron through the Ages", held in Nancy under the chairmanship of Édouard Salin. The latter, an archaeologist and steelmaker, founded with Albert France-Lanord the Centre de Recherches de l'Histoire de la Sidérurgie (1957) and the Laboratoire d'Archéologie des Métaux (1950). The museum was inaugurated in 1966 in a modernist building designed by Jacques and Michel André, characterized by a steel and glass frame, integrated into the Montaigu estate.
The collections, established in 1965, come from acquisitions, donations (such as the boot, steam locomotive of the Neuve-Maisons factories) and deposits of institutions such as the Museum of Arts and Crafts or the Lorraine Museum. In 2019, the museum inventory 13,243 objects, covering various fields: archaeology, ethnography, fine arts, photographs, and technical models. The iconic pieces include a section of the Eiffel Tower stairway, works by Ignace-François Bonhommé, and outdoor industrial installations such as an 18th century hydraulic martinet.
The Féru des Sciences highlights the social history of the steel industry, notably through temporary exhibitions such as Human Machine (2022-2023) or Eiffel Tower, made in Lorraine (2018-2019). It also houses a Laboratory of Archaeology of Metals, approved by the French Museum Service, and a documentation centre with 8,000 books and 450 journals. The museum, labeled Heritage of the 20th century in 2015, combines conservation, research and mediation to enhance the Lorraine industrial heritage.
The founders, including Bertrand Gille, Édouard Salin and Georges Henri Rivière, insisted on a multidisciplinary approach, combining technology, economy and culture. The building, awarded by the Silver Square in 1969, symbolizes this ambition by its industrial architecture. Today, the museum continues to explore the links between innovation, worker work and collective memory, while sancing in the cultural landscape of the Great East.
