Brothers Näf

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Silk weaving mill Gebrüder Näf, Affoltern am Albis, before 1922
Silk weaving mill Gebrüder Näf in Hedingen, photo 1921

Gebrüder Näf & Co. was founded in 1846 as a silk weaving mill in Kappel am Albis in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland . Operations ceased in 1978.

history

Johann Rudolf Näf-Gallmann (1788–1865), farmer and liquor dealer, founded the company "Johann Rudolf Näf, Manufacture of silk and semi-woolen fabrics" in 1846 in Kappel am Albis. The "Hauptme-Schüür" in the hamlet of Näfenhäusern became the first production site. His sons Johannes Näf-Enz (1826–1886) and Rudolf Näf-Gallmann (1829–1883) became partners in the company "Johann Rudolf Näf & Sons for silk fabrics" in 1851. The son Gottlieb Näf (1833-1884) was an employee. The production took place as homework in the region.

In 1865, the sons Johannes and Rudolf took over the company and relocated the business premises to a small factory building ("industrial building" with winding and warping) in Affoltern am Albis , which was connected to the Gotthard Railway's first Zurich feeder route in 1864 . The home work with Ferggereien could be extended to Central Switzerland with the lower wages, where the light Zurich taffeta were made. The business boom made it possible to move to a new commercial and residential building on Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich in 1872.

In 1883 the brothers split up the business:

"Silk fabric weaving mills formerly Gebrüder Näf AG"

Johannes Näf took over the business in Affoltern and the home weaving mill in the canton of Zug. His sons Hans Näf-Escher (1857–1901) and August Näf-Escher (1865–1912) continued to run the company under the name “Gebrüder Näf” (from 1899 “Seidenstoffwebereien formerly Gebrüder Näf AG”) and expanded the parent company in Affoltern . At peak times, up to 400 guest workers, mostly from Italy, worked in Affoltern.

"Seidenweberei Gebrüder Näf AG", Laufenburg, (corner building, photo 1925)

The Näf brothers set up factories in the United States ( Paterson (New Jersey) 1886–1910), Lion Silk Company, ( New York City , 1886 together with Bodmer and Hürlimann ), in Germany ( Laufenburg (Baden) 1893, 1933 = 350 employees ), France ( Saillans (Drôme) 1889), Switzerland ( Küttigen 1899) and Poland ( Warsaw 1929).

In Affoltern, the “commercial building” from 1865 was demolished in 1941 and a new three-story factory building (extension, architect Hannibal Näf (1902–1979)) was built

After the Second World War , August's son Hans Rudolf Näf-Meyer (1891–1963) saw a brief upswing, which was followed by the gradual decline of the silk business. In 1972 a windowless extension was built in Affoltern for the large jacquard looms. The last factory to be closed was the one in Affoltern in 1978 due to the dollar crisis.

In 1980 the “Seidenweberei Näf AG” presented the large-scale project “3 Öpfel” (with the demolition of the factory), which was fought by the “Thank you for fruit” association. After the major fire in 1993 that destroyed the factory halls, the entire factory complex with the residential buildings was demolished. From 1994 the "Oberdorf" center development was realized.

"Silk goods factory formerly Edwin Näf AG"

After the separation, Rudolf took over the silk weaving mill in Bad Säckingen (founded in 1881, 1933 = 500 employees), the factory in Linden (New Jersey) , (1882) and the fergery in Buochs . His son Edwin (1854–1913) was his successor, who in 1884 also took over the silk weaving mill in Hedingen (1883). In 1896 the name was changed to "Seidenwarenfabrik vormals Edwin Naef AG". In 1934 the silk weaving mills in Bregenz and in 1939 in Panissières were acquired. The company was dissolved in 1954. The factory in Hedingen was bought by Ernst Schweizer Metallbau .

literature

  • Emil Usteri: The weaving mills of the Näf family from Kappel and Zurich (1846–1946). 1946.
  • Emil Usteri: Kappel and the Näf family. 1951.
  • Hans Rudolf Schmid: Johannes Näf-Enz. Swiss pioneers in business and technology, 11th Association for Economic History Studies, Zurich 1960.
  • Emil Usteri: Naefsche silk companies in the USA. Zurich paperback 1965.
  • Memory, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences: Näf brothers

Web links

Commons : Gebrüder Näf  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bahnhofstrasse No. 77/79, architect Heinrich Honegger (1843–1907). Replaced in 1932 by the “Näfenhaus” at Bahnhofstrasse 79, architect Otto Honegger (1876–1934).
  2. ^ Resin center design in Affoltern am Albis. In: NZZ of July 2, 2005.
  3. ↑ Zürcher Denkmalpflege 13th report 1991–1994, pages 7–11: Former silk weaving mill Näf, Vers.Nrn.541, 542, 547, 432
  4. ^ University of Basel: Edwin Naef company archive, silk goods factory
  5. ↑ Swiss Economic Archives : Edwin Naef, silk goods manufacturing business

Coordinates: 47 ° 16 '41 "  N , 8 ° 27' 13.5"  E ; CH1903:  six hundred and seventy-six thousand eight hundred and five  /  236846