Textilfabrik Cromford, Industrial museum in Ratingen, Germany
Textilfabrik Cromford is a historic textile factory complex with multiple structures surrounding a five-story main building. The site includes a mansion, workers' housing, administrative offices, and a machine house that together formed a complete production facility.
The factory was founded in 1783 by Johann Gottfried Brügelmann and became the first mechanical cotton spinning mill on the European continent. This marked the beginning of industrial textile production outside England.
The museum exhibits demonstrate the complete cotton processing workflow through reconstructed 18th-century machinery, showing the development of industrial manufacturing methods.
Visitors should plan for time to explore the expansive factory grounds where the museum is located. Sturdy footwear is recommended since many areas have uneven original floors.
The machinery in the factory was reconstructed through wooden and brass replicas that show how the original 18th-century equipment operated. These reconstructions allow visitors to experience firsthand how the earliest European textile machines worked.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
