ABSTRACT
One of the major problems facing the heritage movement in Western Europe has been the preservation of, and the finding of new uses for, historic industrial premises following the widespread collapse of traditional industries. Forsvik's Bruk, at Lake Vattem in Sweden, is an industrial locality whose origins lie in the middle ages and whose engineering industry finally closed down in 1977. In many ways it was a typical example of the fate of traditional heavy industrial sites: as an atmosphere of decay and closure hung over the works, heritage interest was awakened by the importance of the surviving features. For Forsvik's development, the building of the Gota Canal was, in many ways, the deciding factor. For the Regional Heritage Administration, Forsvik became a symbol for industrial history when the interest of industrial cultural heritage was awakened during 1970s, at the same time as the works finally closed down.
