Abstract: A method and measurement arrangement are disclosed for measuring mechanical stress in ferromagnetic workpieces, in which a ferromagnetic workpiece impresses a magnetic field and a magnetic field value is measured and analyzed with respect to the mechanical stress. The method includes at least two exciters of the magnetic field arranged along a longitudinal extension of the workpiece such that a section of the workpiece is located between the two exciters of the magnetic field. A direction-dependent magnetic field sensor is arranged at a position along the longitudinal extension of the workpiece, which can be at half the distance between the two exciters of the magnetic field. With the direction-dependent magnetic field sensor, the change in position and/or the direction of a dividing line between the north and south poles of the impressed magnetic field is determined and analyzed.