For a long time already, gemstones have been mined in Rhineland-Palatinate and then processed in partly historical cutting shops. Particularly at the beginning of the 20th century, diamond grinding shops in Western Palatinate offered a lot of jobs.

“Firmly bricked in the earth Stands the mould, fired from clay. Today the bell shall be. Quickly, workers, be at hand…” Visitors of the Bell Foundry in Brockscheid can relate to Schiller’s Song of the Bell. A guided tour of the Sayner Hütte (iron and steel works) in Bendorf am Rhein also offers an impressive insight into the old industrial culture.