Wiesentäler Textilmuseum, museum
The Wiesentäler Textilmuseum in Zell im Wiesental is a building that displays the history of fabric making in this region. Visitors find old spinning wheels, traditional looms, and modern machinery that together show the shift from handmade production to machine manufacturing over several centuries.
Textile making began in the Wiesental as home work in the 1700s, when Basel merchants supplied raw materials to local farmers who made cloth in their homes. With machines introduced around 1828, production shifted into factories, leading to rapid growth and the industry's dominance until 1991.
The museum is named after the Wiesental valley and reflects the regional textile brands like Irisette that produced fabrics for people worldwide for many decades. The space reveals how cloth making was more than a craft, shaping daily life and community identity across generations of local families.
The museum is easy to reach, located near Zell im Wiesental train station with signs pointing to the building. Visitors should allow time to walk through displays of old machinery, sample collections, and weaving demonstrations, including Jacquard looms that create detailed patterns in fabric.
A special feature is the demonstration of Jacquard looms that control thousands of threads to weave complex images and patterns into fabric. Visitors can see how these technically demanding machines work and understand why the craftsmanship from this area was once known worldwide.
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