Abstract

A Microhistory of Dams. Local Cooperatives and Small-Scale Hydro Projects during the Dam Boom in Western Germany around 1900 Before the First World War, the dam architect Otto Intze flooded extensive valleys in western Germany’s low mountain ranges in order to provide the neighboring Ruhr district with water and electricity. Intze’s biography and his giant dams are wellrepresented in historical research.However, very little is known about the early phases of the dam-building boom before 1900. Taking a microhistorical approach, this article reconstructs the roots of one of the earliest dam projects: the Fuelbecke dam at Altena (1894 –1896). This construction was of comparatively small dimensions, served local purposes, and was instigated by a cooperative formed by small iron producers in the local upland region. I argue that local dam-building initiatives of this kind were decisive for the boom in Western German dam construction after 1900.