Weisbrod-Zürrer

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Weisbrod-Zürrer, Hausen am Albis, 2010

The Weisbrod-Zürrer was in 1825 in Hausen am Albis in canton Zurich founded and introduced silks ago. When it ceased production in 2011, it was one of the last two silk weaving mills in Switzerland, along with Gessner AG from Zurich.

history

First generation, home industry

Jakob Zürrer 1805–1870

Jakob Zürrer-Ziegler (1805–1870), son of a miller's servant, was orphaned at the age of six. From 1815 to 1817 he attended the Stapfer Institute in Horgen . In 1825 he and his godfather, tailor Mathias Hägi, founded a silk farm that worked for a silk manufacturer in Zurich . In 1834, Hägi handed over the business to Zürrer. At that time, up to 700 home weavers worked in the Knonau office and in the cantons of Zug, Schwyz and Nidwalden for the company. In 1843 a large commercial and residential building was built. Zürrer exhibited his silk fabrics at the world exhibitions in London (1851) and Paris (1855).

Second generation, factory work and export

Factory building Zürrer, Hausen am Albis 1892

Jacob's sons Emil and Theophil Zürrer introduced mechanical silk weaving, which over time replaced home work. Emil and Emilie Zürrer-Schwarzenbach took over their parents' office building "Grandezza" at Zugerstrasse 18 and Theophil and Ida Zürrer-Schwarzenbach took over the commercial building at Zugerstrasse 21 in Hausen. In 1860, Emil Zürrer managed to make mechanical cotton looms usable for silk processing in four years of development work.

Mechanical silk weaving Adliswil MSA 1860–1930

With his brother-in-law Johannes Schwarzenbach-Landis (1804–1861) ( Robert Schwarzenbach & Co ) he founded the “Mechanische Seidenstoffweberei Adliswil” MSA. The Great Depression in the 1930s forced MSA to go out of business and sell the shares at liquidation value. Business could continue in Hausen am Albis. Theophil bought a loom in Lyon that could weave heavy silk fabrics. The Zürrers was the first company in the Zurich silk industry that could produce the heavy faille stitch. In 1875 the first factory building with weaving mill (40 Lyon looms), winding mill and warping mill was built in Hausen. The company exported the majority of its production and became known abroad. At the world exhibition in Vienna in 1873 it received the Austrian Medal of Merit for its silk fabrics and a silver plaque on the one in Paris in 1878 . A specialty was the production of silk flag fabrics . The silk flags of the Swiss Army and almost all of Switzerland's club flags come from Hausen am Albis.

In 1876 the prices for raw silk rose massively because later frost in Italy had destroyed almost the entire silk harvest. Because the wholesalers suspended their orders as a precaution, the Zürrer brothers bought a fabric shop on Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse , from where they shipped their fabrics directly to other European countries. A new fashion wave from Paris propagated clothes made of wool, which collapsed the silk business.

As a way out of this crisis, the property on Bahnhofstrasse was sold to the accountant Emil Spinner, who continued to run it successfully under the name of Seiden-Spinner. In Hausen, the old looms were replaced by modern ones. Theophil Zürrer acquired the Aeugstertal cotton twining mill in 1892, including the water rights to the Reppisch for generating electricity.

Theophil junior, son of Theophil Zürrer-Schwarzenbach, entered the business in 1890 after training in Adliswil, Lyon, London and Northern Italy. In 1895 he married Emmy Syfrig, the only daughter of the silk manufacturer Syfrig from Mettmenstetten . After Syfrig's death, his silk factory came into the possession of the Zürrers in 1900. The joint company was renamed "Theophil Zürrer".

Third generation, Weisbrod-Zürrer

Theophil Zürrer-Schwarzenbach, the last of the second generation, died in 1905. From the third generation, Paul, son of Emil Zürrer-Schwarzenbach, was responsible for the mechanical silk weaving mill in Adliswil. Theophil's children Robert, Theophil junior and Fanny were responsible for the business in Hausen, with Theophil junior on the management board. After his early death, the company was converted into a general partnership in 1912. Robert Zürrer died in 1920.

In 1904, Fanny Zürrer married Gustav Weisbrod, the son of the wine merchant Franz Peter Weisbrod from Affoltern am Albis , who had moved from the Electoral Palatinate to Switzerland in 1873. During the First World War , the import of raw silk and the export of fabrics was hindered by the blockades. From 1918 to 1925 there was a great demand for silk fabrics. Piece-dyed silk and tie fabrics could be exported to England. The crepe fabric, woven on newly developed multi-aisle looms, was in great demand.

Fourth generation, crisis years and diversification

Hans, Richard and Hubert Weisbrod-Zürer, the three sons of Fanny and Gustav, continued the company as the fourth generation. They were with the global economic crisis faced by 1929, by which was the silk business prostrate. The devaluation of the British pound in 1931 made the prices for silk fabrics from Switzerland so high that exports to England threatened to come to a standstill.

Lancashire Silk Mill, Darwen

In order to be able to supply the English market anyway, the 27-year-old Richard was sent to Darwen to set up a silk weaving mill there. The silk weaving mill in Aeugstertal and the facon weaving mill Baer in Ebertswil were closed and their weaving machines were transported to England. Twelve workers had received intensive English lessons and traveled with them to help with the construction. Richard founded the “Lancashire-Silk-Mills” and the “Zurrer-Silks” sales company in England in 1933 with two local partners.

In 1937 the "Mechanische Seidenstoffweberei AG Adliswil" MSA moved its headquarters to Oberarth and continued to operate the Oberarth silk factory , which was opened by Stehli Seiden in 1891 and closed in 1933, under the name "Emar Seidenstoffweberei AG" until 1991.

The Second World War was devastating for the export-oriented silk business. The tie business with England came to a standstill. Raw silk cost 40 times as much. Employment in Hausen and Mettmenstetten could be maintained by using cellulose fabrics as substitutes. Even after the Second World War, contrary to expectations, a major upswing set in. The branch in England gave the company access to the new synthetic fibers such as nylon , Orlon and "Terylene". A new weaving mill with 26 modern weaving machines was built in Hausen in 1951. Local representatives have been hired for the most important sales areas. With modern marketing, new product names (“Lascara”, “Saronga Silk”, “Verlasca” etc.) were created.

In order to be able to counter the unpredictability of fashion, the fluctuating exchange rates and the unstable economic situation in the customer countries, Hans and Hubert Weisbrod began to diversify into less fluctuating branches of business. 1957 "Loring AG" in Würenlos (manufacture of articles for feminine hygiene) was taken over. The branch in Darwen managed by Richard diversified (“Speedo” hangers for drying shirts).

Fifth generation, creativity

Ronald Weisbrod-Aebli (* 1942), Richard's son, who was born in England, joined Hausen in 1967 as a junior partner. In 1984, after the death of Hans Weisbrod, Ronald took over the management of the company. Instead of the plain fabrics previously produced, over 1000 new fabric samples (1992 brand "e-motion") have now been created in their own studios. Ronald Weisbrod personally monitored the numerous new developments with his artistic flair.

90% of the production (mainly women’s clothing fabrics, as well as decoration, tie, flag and costume fabrics) were exported to Germany, Japan, USA, France, Italy and England. Half of the turnover was produced in Hausen, the rest at partner companies around the world.

Through takeovers (1983 H. Gut & Co., 1994 Gasser & Co. Olten) know-how could be gained and the offer expanded. In order to concentrate the activities in Hausen, parts of the company were sold (1990 Lancashire Silk Mills in Darwen, 1994 Loring AG, weaving operations in Mettmenstetten rented out). In 1985 the jacquard weaving mill was merged in a new building in Hausen . In 1992 a new office building (sales and development departments, factory shop) was built.

In the year 2000 around 140 employees from over 10 nations worked in the company, who celebrated the 175th anniversary of the company with Ronald Weisbrod.

Sixth generation, end of tradition

In 2001, Ronald Weisbrod's son Oliver and his wife Sabine joined the family business as representatives of the sixth generation. The two biologists received further training in management and business administration and at the textile college. They introduced the new own brand “Weisbrod” in the accessories sector (ties and scarves made in Switzerland) directly on the market because the traditional fashion houses in Europe disappeared. The first new products to be launched were the “cocoontec” dirt-repellent finish, fabrics made with plasma technology with a pure gold coating, interior decoration fabrics with interwoven light-conducting fibers (for glass facades) and GOTS- certified organic silk fabric collection. The interior decoration fabric department developed high-quality, creative fabrics for well-known fashion brands.

The production part (machines and articles) was taken over from the weaving mill Boller-Winkler, Turbenthal in 2007. This created one of the largest wide jacquard weaving mills in Europe in a new hall in Hausen with 18 machines over 3.5 m wide.

The global economic crisis from 2007 brought the end of the tradition in Hausen, business collapsed abruptly in 2009. In 2011 production had to be stopped. The large fabric shop and the “Weisbrod” own brand will continue to operate. The ties are made by the “Lernwerk Turgi ”. The silk fabrics are woven in a partner company in Como . The subsidiary J. Gasser & Co in Däniken trades in fabrics. Rooms in the old factory in the Weisbrod area were rented out.

Swiss silk

The Swiss Silk association has succeeded in re-establishing sericulture in Switzerland. Oliver Weisbrod is on the board of the association. Weisbrod is the first brand partner of Swiss-Silk and has been offering products made from silk grown in Switzerland since 2014.

literature

Web links

Commons : Weisbrod-Zürrer AG  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Richard M. Weisbrod 1906-1991
  2. ↑ DHJ Weis Marketers Ltd, Anchor Mill: History
  3. ↑ Kulturspur: Emar AG, Oberarth
  4. ^ History of Weisbrod-Zürrer AG
  5. ↑ Seniorenflash Ronald Weisbrod  ( 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.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.svtf.ch  
  6. ↑ Association of Swiss Silk Producers Swiss Silk
  7. ^ E-periodica: A. Bodmer: Book review: Die Seidenwaage. Journal: Der Schweizer Familienforscher = Le généalogiste suisse, Volume 32, 1965, Issue 1–2.

Coordinates: 47 ° 14 '32.8 "  N , 8 ° 31' 51.7"  E ; CH1903:  682707  /  232966