The Walloons in Sweden

In 1614, the Walloon entrepreneur Louis de Geer set up shop in Sweden and undertook the development of the iron ore mining and foundries in northern Sweden. For some time already, Walloon craftsmen from the Hainaut, Brabant and Luxemburg regions had been fleeing unemployment and immigrated to Sweden. The influx of master metal workers and ore refiners vitalized the industry and led to a massive improvement in steel quality - a major advantage in weapons manufacture. In a few decades, Sweden became a major exporter of steel and cannon as well as copper and iron.