"Henni Jaensch-Zeymer" hand weaving mill
The "Henni Jaensch-Zeymer" hand weaving mill in Geltow is the largest existing hand weaving mill in Germany and is an active weaving museum. There are 16 hand looms of various sizes that are still functional and ready for use.
museum
The museum was founded in 1992 by master hand weaver Ulla Schünemann . The addition active means that in the rooms of the weaving yard , the original hand looms are pre-woven. Due to the 70-year history of the company and the experience gained, the large number of looms can be used in a variety of ways.
This hand weaving is particularly important because of the processing of linen . Weaving will be demonstrated using traditional techniques. The processing from fiber to thread in the spinning process for various types of natural fibers, such as wool , linen and silk , is also demonstrated. The history of the Geltow hand weaving mill is presented in the book of the house . In connection with the area around Geltower, the museum is practiced economic history.
Henni Jaensch-Zeymer
Henni Jaensch (1904–1998) had finished school at the end of the war in 1918 and devoted himself to artistic training at various drawing schools during the inflationary years. She got to know artistic hand weaving in the Rhön . In 1926 she found contact with the community of artisans and access to new ideas in the Gildenhall artists' colony . She developed her own style with the teacher Else Mögelin , influenced by the contemporary Bauhaus concept . “The art of leaving things out” became her artistic motto from now on. After the artists' colony was dissolved, she moved to Rangsdorf . Soon there was not enough space here: “Successful trade fair participation like in Leipzig brought her full order books”. In order to meet the increasing demand, she needed a new, larger place of work. She found the rooms she needed not far from Rangsdorf in Geltow .
In 1932 she set up her weaving yard in the Gasthaus von Geltow, which had been vacant since the height of inflation in 1923. The stage of the ballroom was converted into an apartment and the ballroom served as a workshop. In different regions of Germany she looked for looms from Saxony, southern Germany and Silesia. In total, she procured ten looms that were 150-200 years old. The former taproom of the inn is an exhibition space and is used as a concert hall.
In the village of Geltow, Zeymer was initially seen as the “spinner”, but the high-quality products brought her economic success and understanding to the Geltowers. The old dance hall of the inn became a workshop in which the handlooms are still being worked on in the “weaving room”, which is what the name “Active Museum” stands for.
Economic upheavals
For the establishment of her weaving yard , Henni Jaensch-Zeymer managed to procure means of production from companies in different parts of Germany. Their shutdowns were the result of the Great Depression of 1929.
She was able to implement her artistic standards in her own workshop. But the war economy in World War II made it difficult to procure materials. Now the demand was more directed towards useful articles. Accordingly, the production on several hand looms was switched to consumer fabrics. In the immediate post-war period, weaving was important for the manufacture of clothing and items of equipment. But as early as 1949 Jaensch was recognized with her weaving mill as an "artist of the craft", which created some favorable conditions.
During the period of the GDR economy, weaving was able to evade the planned economy . The number of employees was fixed, but exhibitions in Eastern Europe ensured “artistic production” in the Bauhaus tradition. As a member of the " Association of Fine Artists ", your private company was spared the VEB education in 1970. The commissioned production for the DEFA film company based in neighboring Babelsberg was beneficial . The products of the hand-weaving mill had become " Bückware " in the arts and crafts shops and state galleries, which guaranteed full order books. Bückware were called goods in the GDR, which did not go openly over the counter, but which the seller had to bend over under the counter.
With the turnaround and monetary union in 1990, there was a change in demand. For a short time, the conversion of the currency from the GDR mark to the D-mark made production impossible, as the employees could no longer be paid. While looking for a solution, the idea of creating an active museum arose . With the use of the federal and state economic support , production became possible and hand-weaving was able to be active again. The intact old looms and the business process are the sights of the museum. The oldest hand looms date from the 18th century and are still operational. However, the oldest loom, which is 300 years old, is only available for viewing in the exhibition room; all the others are used to produce fabrics by the meter, curtains and tablecloths made of linen, and blankets (depending on the material used) made of wool. Special accessories , pillow cases and scarves are made on request . A special offer are the barley-grain towels, which are a special feature of the Havelland tradition thanks to their regional pattern. The three-dimensional weaving result of this technique improves the product properties.
The tablecloths that are still produced go back to designs by Henni Jaensch, who used the special properties of linen for the decorative effect and received an award for “Good Form” in 1964.
Current museum activity
The handicrafts in linen weaving have been run as a family business for 70 years . In the “active” museum you can see how the weave is made from spun linen yarn or other natural fibers such as cotton, wool and silk on the old looms using traditional handicraft. The product range extends from items such as furniture fabrics, table linen, household linen and curtains to scarves and tailor-made clothing made from natural fibers. The history of weaving, especially linen, is presented in the weaving room. The production in the museum's master workshop offers an insight into the handicrafts. Courses in hand weaving are carried out. "Linen fashion shows" take place every year at the end of May. The museum also offers events in the village of Geltow, and concerts are held in the exhibition hall in winter.
literature
- Kristina Bake: The Gildenhall open-air settlement. Crafts, life reform, social utopia . Lang, Frankfurt am Main 2001, ISBN 3-631-37820-3 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Radio Berlin-Brandenburg 2006
- ^ Potsdam Latest News
- ↑ Märkische Allgemeine , 2006
- ↑ Elde tablecloth
- ↑ RBB broadcast ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ The looms rattle in the old dance hall . In: Berliner Zeitung , August 10, 1999
- ↑ Heimatjournal: Winter in Geltow . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. rbb-online; Retrieved April 12, 2011
Coordinates: 52 ° 21 ′ 59 ″ N , 12 ° 57 ′ 21 ″ E