The mill in the Ostrava city center was founded in 1828 already by archduke Rudolf von Habsburg and named “Rudolfshütte” after him. First coke fired blast furnace was built in 1836.
In 1843 the works were bought by banker Salomon Mayer Rothschild and the first bessemer converter was installed. In 1874 the Witkowitzer Bergbau- und Hüttengewerkschaft was founded.

In 1909 new open-hearth steel making shop was put into operation and Vitkovice ironworks became one of the most progressive producer of construction steel and heavy machinery in Europe. During the second world war the works were part of “Reichswerke Hermann Göring” and after nationalization in 1945 named to “Vitkovicke zelezarny Klementa Gottwalda”.

Outdated Talbot furnaces were decommissioned in 1967 and replaced by tandem furnaces. In 1972 3,5m quarto plate rolling mill was put into operation. First (72t) oxygen converter was launched in 1982 and the second one in 1991. Tandem steel plant was cooled down soon after. Last active blast furnace (no.1) was shutdown in 1998.

Since 2005 the converter steel making shop was taken over by Evraz group and since 2014 by Vitkovice Steel joing stock company.

The blast furnace department is listed as national cultural monument. Exhausting convertion and reconstruction started in 2008 and was finished in 2013.

Blast furnace no.1 is known as the “Bolt Tower” since 2015.