Weaving mill

In 19^th century southwest Germany, several small weaving mills handled orders for the population. The mechanical hemp and linen weaving mill from  Elzach in the Black Forest shown at the TECHNOSEUM is one example. Its founder Franz Xaver Störr (1833–1895) came  from a weaving family and, as was usual in rural areas, owned a piece of farmland to secure his family’s livelihood along with his trade.

In 1876, Störr built a house and set up a mechanical weaving mill on the ground floor. The family itself ran the weaving mill, with the assistance of trained workers from the neighbourhood when required. It was only due to the cooperation of family members and the low wages that the small enterprise could survive. The weaving mill went on to secure modest prosperity for the Störr family – and did so down generations until the 1980s.