F. Austin Lace and Bobinet and Curtain Factory

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The factory in 1903, seen from the east
The factory in 1902, seen from the north

The lace and bobbinet and curtain factory F. Austin (later Spitzenindustrie Aktiengesellschaft ( SIAG for short ) and Siag Textil-Industrie Aktiengesellschaft ) was a textile factory in today's St. Pölten district of Viehofen . Frederick Austin acquired the former mirror factory in 1866 and had it converted to produce bobbinet and lace . The factory was closed in 1930 and used as a training factory and for torpedo production during World War II. The Living City senior citizens' housing estate was built here from summer 2011 .

history

Frederick Austin (sometimes called Fred or Friedrich)

Prior use of the site

At the site of the Austin factory there was a mill powered by a Werkbach of the Traisen , called Medlische Mühle or Medle'sche Mühle , since at least 1510 . When Ignaz Benedict Hessel bought it in 1804 for 19,000 guilders , the structural condition was poor. In place of the mill, Hessel built the Viehofen mirror factory until April 1807 . After a few changes of ownership, the plant was shut down in 1858. For a few years Johann Schoder ran a cold water sanatorium in the former factory, in 1866 Frederick Austin bought the site.

Foundation and time until 1914

Austin, who had been running a lace factory in Vienna since 1843 and one in Leobersdorf since 1856 , had the site rebuilt by 1867. He financed the acquisition of the factory and the necessary modifications by selling his factory in Leobersdorf. Austin handed over management to his nephew Charles Godderidge , who lived in the mansion on the factory premises. The factory was initially a branch of the Viennese company, it was not registered as a separate company until May 22, 1876. When Austin died in late 1880, Godderidge inherited the company. Two years later, Godderidge applied for the kk exclusively privileged award , which was awarded to him in early 1891. The work had already received numerous awards, including the Progress Medal at the World Exhibition in Vienna in 1873 and the silver medal at the Exposition Universelle de Paris in 1878 . The factory employed around 170 workers and 35 machines in the early 1890s. It exported a large part of the goods produced, the main buyers were Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and the Ottoman Empire . Until his death in January 1903, Charles Godderidge steadily expanded the company and founded a company fire brigade. His three sons John, Fred and Harry were sole heirs. In 1903 they had an additional director's villa built north of the factory premises, and in 1911 it was refurbished in Art Nouveau style by Hans Ofner .

John Godderidge initially ran the company with Harry, who left in 1906. Fred Godderidge did not come of age until 1909 and joined the company, which now had more than 300 workers, and whose headquarters had meanwhile moved to Vienna. After the brothers founded a branch in Urschendorf , they converted the factory into a stock corporation in 1911 . In addition to the Godderidge family, Creditanstalt and the top wholesaler Ludwig Schöffer from Vienna were particularly involved in the new Spitzenindustrie Aktiengesellschaft . With the newly gained capital of 4 million kroner, expansion work began in Viehofen, including a new curtain weaving mill. In 1914 more than 600 workers were employed in the Viehofner factory; in addition to the knitting , there was a bleaching , finishing and adjustment facility .

From 1914

The beginning of the First World War and its course brought about severe cuts in production. Raw material stocks were confiscated, and important machine components made of brass and copper had to be surrendered. In addition, the processing of cotton yarn was banned because it was needed by the armaments industry. The factory was able to save itself from the war with a small workforce and the production of silk veils. Only after 1918 did the situation improve. By 1925 all products offered before the war could be manufactured again; Nevertheless, the number of employees did not exceed 200. This year some structural changes were decided; In addition to the construction of a machine room and the renewal of the machine park, a work hall for 30 additional employees was built.

The exit of Creditanstalt from the company in the course of the global economic crisis brought it into great distress. The company, called Siag Textil-Industrie Aktiengesellschaft since 1927 , closed its branch in Urschendorf in 1929 and put the sales proceeds into the Viehofen plant. A stake in Maribor was also sold. Despite these measures, operations could no longer be maintained and the Viehofen plant closed its doors on March 31, 1930.

Reuse of the site

Listed first mansion in March 2010
Factory floor in September 2014

The site including the old manor house was sold to the Österreichische Realitäten-Aktiengesellschaft , which received the demolition permit in 1933. With the exception of the manor house, the workers' houses and the relatively new curtain weaving mill, all objects were dragged . In 1934 part of the curtain weaving mill was rented to a laundry. After the annexation of Austria in 1938, it was taken over by the German Labor Front . The DAF set up the "Arbeitsgemeinschaft Eisen und Metall" (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Eisen und Metall), a training factory for the unemployed. This training facility could have been converted into a torpedo production facility after the outbreak of war. After the Second World War, the area was almost not used any more, and some of the city theater's sets were stored.

The first mansion ( list entry ) was placed under monument protection, and the former factory hall has also been protected since 2014 ( list entry ).

In July 2010, the plan was announced to build a senior citizens' housing estate with a nursing home on the site, including the existing buildings . The entire complex called Living City was realized in several construction stages from 2011, the first apartments were occupied in 2016.

Name and owner

The F. Austin lace and bobbinet and curtain factory has had several owners in its 64-year existence. Simply called the Austin Factory or Austin Factory in the population , the official name has changed several times over the years. The following table lists the owners or major shareholders and names.

Name and owner
Period Surname owner
1866-1888 F. Austin Lace and Bobinet and Curtain Factory Frederick Austin
1888-1903 F. Austin Lace and Bobinet and Curtain Factory Charles Godderidge
1903-1911 F. Austin Lace and Bobinet and Curtain Factory John Godderidge, Fred Godderidge, Harry Godderidge (until 1906)
1911-1927 Top Industry Public Company (SIAG) John Godderidge, Fred Godderidge, Ludwig Schöffer
1927-1930 Siag Textil-Industrie Aktiengesellschaft John Godderidge, Fred Godderidge, Ludwig Schöffer

literature

  • Thomas Karl , Theodor Brückler: The art monuments of the city of St. Pölten and its incorporated localities . Berger, Horn 1999, ISBN 3-85028-310-0 . (Chapter Former lace factory , p. 544 f.).
  • Manfred Wieninger : Telling St. Pöltner street names . Loewenzahn, Innsbruck 2002, ISBN 3-7066-2208-4 .
  • Gerhard Stadler : The industrial heritage of Lower Austria. History - technology - architecture . Böhlau, Vienna (among others) 2006, ISBN 3-205-77460-4 . (Entry Bobinet and lace factory , p. 654 ff.).

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Wieninger: Tell St. Pöltner street names . (Entry Austinstrasse , p. 29).
  2. ^ Anton Scheiblin : From medieval handicraft businesses to modern industrial plants on the Traisen streams . In: Der Traisengau , 3rd year, issue 1/1937, ZDB -ID 580333-0 , chapter Der Hammer zu Viehofen , pp. 148-149
  3. ^ Anton Scheiblin: From medieval handicraft businesses to modern industrial plants on the Traisen streams . In: Der Traisengau , 3rd year, issue 1/1937, ZDB-ID 580333-0, chapter Die kk privilegierte Spiegelfabrik zu Viehofen , pp. 133-139
  4. ^ Wieninger: Tell St. Pöltner street names . (Entry Spiegelgasse , p. 356).
  5. ^ F. Austin. In:  Wiener Zeitung , Official Journal, May 31, 1876, p. 1108 (online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / Maintenance / wrz
  6. ^ Company minutes. In:  Wiener Zeitung , Official Gazette, December 13, 1888, p. 840 (online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / Maintenance / wrz
  7. a b Charles Godderidge (obituary). In:  Neue Freie Presse , Abendblatt, January 30, 1903, p. 4 (online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / Maintenance / nfp
  8. a b Magistrate of the state capital St. Pölten, 1990: Aktivwochen Viehofen - On the history of the districts Viehofen, Ragelsdorf and wider , chapter Die "Spitzendindustrie AG" in Viehofen , pp. 27-29
  9. F. Austin Lace, Bobbinnet, and Curtain Factory. In:  Anniversary number of the Kaiserliche Wiener Zeitung , year 1903, commercial part, August 8, 1903, p. 50. (Online at ANNO ). Template: ANNO / Maintenance / wzj.
  10. ^ Wieninger: Tell St. Pöltner street names . (Entry Godderidgegasse , p. 132).
  11. ^ Karl: The art monuments of the city of St. Pölten . (Chapter Villa Godderidge , p. 546).
  12. Hans Ofner on art-port.cc
  13. ^ Rudolf Büttner : St. Pölten as a location for industrial and large-scale production since 1850 . Publications of the cultural office of the city of St. Pölten, Volume 5, ZDB -ID 2003182-8 . Cultural Office of the City of St. Pölten, St. Pölten 1972. (Chapter St. Pölten's early days (1901–1914) - textile companies , p. 36 f.).
  14. (Top Industry - Stocks - Society.). In:  Wiener Zeitung , July 22, 1911, p. 9 (online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / Maintenance / wrz
  15. ^ Company protocols - Spitzen-Industrie-AG. In:  Wiener Zeitung , Official Journal, August 17, 1911, p. 177 (online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / Maintenance / wrz
  16. St. Pölten - Torpedo production ( Memento of the original from March 25, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on secretprojects.at @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.geheimprojekte.at
  17. Living City on st-poelten.gv.at
  18. Living City St. Pölten. Retrieved November 22, 2017 .

Coordinates: 48 ° 13 ′ 55.5 ″  N , 15 ° 38 ′ 53.2 ″  E