An zwei aufeinanderfolgenden Sonntagen (19. und 26. März) wird der „freischaffenden Künstlerorganisation Atelier-Ausstellung“ in Krefeld eine öffentliche Plattform – der „A-Gang“ - zur Verfügung gestellt. Eine der Anlaufstationen ist unser Haus der Seidenkultur, wo Arbeiten aus der aktuellen Kollektion „Pinsel trifft Faden“ von Mechtild Runde-Witjes ausgestellt werden. Die Künstlerin verbindet raffiniert und überraschend die Themen Stoffe, Farben und Fäden.
Mechthild Runde-Witjes (unser Foto) wird neben ihren leuchtend farbenfrohen und vielfältigen Bildern, deren Bildaussage sie mit der Kunst verschiedener Nähtechniken vertieft, auch ihre aktuelle Designer-Kollektion „Runde-Art“ präsentieren. Dabei handelt es sich um Wohnaccessoires mit hoher Qualität. Als Grundlage wählt sie Ausschnitte aus ihren Bildern. Diese finden sich, passend arrangiert, auf Kissen – wie hier im Bild) für den Innen- und Außenbereich, auf Liegestühlen und Fußmatten wieder.
Passend zum Ausstellungsort zeigt die Künstlerin auch völlig neue Objekte zum Thema Ecoprint auf Seide. Runde-Witjes kann in ihrer Vita ein abgeschlossenes Studium in der Bekleidungsindustrie und ein berufsbegleitendes Malstudium vorweisen. Schöpferisch tätig ist die Künstlerin in ihrem Atelier „Runde-Art“ in Kerken. Einmal mehr gilt: Kerken sollte man sich merken!
Während der beiden Sonntage am 19. und 26. März hat das Haus der Seidenkultur erweiterte Öffnungszeiten von 11 bis 18 Uhr. Für den Zugang zum Bereich des A-Gangs wird kein Eintritt erhoben.
Über den „denkmalverliebten Christoph Becker“ berichtete jetzt das WDR-Fernsehen in der „Lokalzeit“. „Becker hat das Klärwerk mit zwei Freunden gekauft; und immer, wenn Geld da ist wird es saniert“, begann Autor Helge Drafz seine Fernsehreportage. Im Beitrag mit von der Partie unser Hansgeorg Hauser, „der auch schon mal ein Industriedenkmal gerettet und daraus in Privatinitiative ein Museum gemacht hat“, wie Drafz den Zuschauern vor den Bildschirmen die Gemeinsamkeit der beiden Männer erklärte.
Hauser (links im Bild) zeigte sich dann auch begeistert von den Sanierungsarbeiten seines Kollegen. „Die Krefelder wissen gar nicht wieviel schöne Kleinode sie besitzen“, stellte Hauser mit Blick auf die Industriedenkmäler Klärwerk und Haus der Seidenkultur fest. Beide Einrichtungen planen gemeinsame Aktivitäten zum anstehenden Stadtjubiläum. „Daher müssen sie jetzt im Klärwerk Gas geben, damit im Spätsommer alles fertig ist“, kommentierte Drafz die Reportage über die aktuellen Baufortschritte.
Becker selbst war live im Düsseldorfer Lokalzeit-Studio, wo er nach Ausstrahlung des Filmbeitrags von Moderatorin Laura Rohrbeck interviewt wurde. Insgesamt fast zehn Minuten widmete das WDR-Fernsehen dem Beitrag aus Krefeld, „wo das Klärwerk einst als Symbol für eine moderne Stadt galt“, wie Helge Drafz abschließend feststellte. In unserer eigenen Mediathek haben wir die Sendung bei YouTube für euch eingestellt.
Wir gehen mal wieder auf Sendung: Kommenden Montag (13.02) sind wir um 20 Uhr im Radio zu hören. Unsere Kuratorin Dr. Ulrike Denter (links) spricht über unsere neue (Sonder-)Ausstellung „Im Rausch der Farben“. Im „Krefelder Kulturcocktail“ wird sie von Gabriele Kremer interviewt, die für „radio KuFa“ die monatliche Sendung seit nunmehr 10 Jahren moderiert.
Wie die digitale Zukunft inzwischen bei uns im Museum Einzug gehalten hat, darüber berichtet unser Pressesprecher Dieter Brenner, der den Hörern die elektronische Führung mit einem Avatar schmackhaft macht.
Das Kulturmagazin wird im Bürgerfunk bei „Welle Niederrhein ausgestrahlt.“ Der „Krefelder Kulturcocktail“ berichtet über Themen und Veranstaltungen rund um die Kulturszene in Krefeld. Die Live-Sendung wird auch später auf der Internetplattform von Radio KuFa eingestellt.
Sie haben bei der Vernissage unserer jüngsten Ausstellung „Im Rausch der Farben“ keinen „Logenplatz“ bekommen, weil wir „ausverkauft“ waren? Kein Problem: In unserem eigenen YouTube-Kanal ist die Aufzeichnung der illustren Veranstaltung jetzt zu sehen. Folgenden Link anklicken und der Vorhang öffnet sich https://youtu.be/j-0Rgi6zvXM
Hier im Bild sehen wir Claire Neidhardt, die Leiterin des Krefelder Stadtmarketing. Im Interview mit unserem Pressesprecher Dieter Brenner verrät Sie, was uns zum 650jährigen Jubiläum der Samt- und Seidenstadt erwartet.
Bekanntlich mischen wir vom Haus der Seidenkultur zusammen mit dem Klärwerk in Uerdingen auch mächtig im Festtagsgeschehen mit. Und wenn Wasser und Stoff sich verbinden, entwickelt sich daraus ein ganz besonderer Jubiläums-Wasserstoff“.
Jetzt aber wollen wir uns erst einmal auf unsere aktuelle Sonder-Ausstellung über die Textilkultur der Miao-Völker einstimmen. Beim „Rausch der Farben“, geben sich (auch) die Promis gegenseitig die Klinke in die Hand.
So stattete uns die Direktorin des Deutschen Textilmuseums, Dr. Annette Schieck (rechts im Bild) einen Besuch ab. Mit dabei war Walter Bruno Brix, Sachverständiger für Ostasiatische Textilien und Gewerbeanalysen. Als Experte für die Jacquard-Technik zeigte er sich beeindruckt von unserem nostalgischen Websaal, der in Europa einzigartig ist.
Der Delegation gehörte ferner Ricarda Stamms von der Wirtschafts-Förderungsgesellschaft Krefeld (WFG) an. Die drei hochkarätigen Besucher waren sozusagen auf einem „Katzensprung“ vom Textilmuseum zu uns unterwegs. „Katzensprung“ lautet die derzeitige Ausstellung in Linn, wo bis zum 23. April eine Sammlung präkolumbischer Textilien zu sehen sind.
Von Peru führte die textile Länderreise dann sozusagen bis in den Südwesten Chinas zu den farbenprächtigen Trachten der Miao-Kulturen, die wir gegenwärtig im Haus der Seidenkultur zeigen. Hier bot Kuratorin Dr. Ulrike Denter (links) unseren Gästen eine exklusive Führung durch den „Rausch der Farben“ an.
Fotos: HdS
New exhibition shows traditional costumes from Southwest China
The new (special) exhibition in the House of Silk Culture (HdS) is dedicated to traditional costumes from Southwest China. Unique exhibits are on display, which Ien Rappoldt once again tracked down on her research trips through the "Middle Kingdom".
Ien Rappoldt tracked down these colorful exhibits on her travels through the "Middle Kingdom". HdS photo (2): Brenner
The clothing made by Miao women, which is colorfully embroidered and richly decorated with appliqués, fascinates primarily with its visual appeal. The HdS curators, Dr. Ulrike Denter and Ilka Neumann speak of a "rush of colors" and an "explosion of patterns". It is about the high-contrast interplay of materials and techniques, colors and shapes, which is communicated by the (textile) culture of the Miao women.
The exhibition shows a large number of exhibits from the culture of the Miao, who mainly settle in the province of Guizhou in southern China. Secluded in their mountain villages, the Miao live largely self-sufficient and are deeply rooted in their traditions.
The Haus der Seidenkultur in the "Rush of Colors" of the Chinese Miao Culture.
The clothing is mainly made by the Miao women themselves and artistically decorated with symbolic patterns. These are different depending on the settlement area and each speak their own language. During her travels through Guizhou Province, Ien Rappoldt acquired a wealth of the magnificent textiles and learned from the Miao women the traditional techniques used to create the costumes on display.
In 2015, the first exhibition on the culture of the Miao found a wide response in the House of Silk Culture. "Now the impressive show is being continued, so to speak," says Denter, who became aware of the new collection with the HdS team in the "Museum de Kantfabriek" in Horst, the Netherlands. It quickly became clear: "We also have to show these great exhibits in Krefeld!" Thanks to the support of Tineke Geurts, who is responsible for temporary exhibitions in Horst, the "Rush of Colors" now reaches the Krefeld Museum at Luisenstraße 15, just a few minutes' walk from the main train station.
The HdS also expects guests from the German-Chinese Community (GDCF) to the vernissage. The cello duo, Heimo Wang and Pauline Krull from the music school in Krefeld, could be won for the musical supporting program.
The exhibition can be viewed from January 8th, 2023 to July 23rd, 2023 during the opening hours of the museum – Wed to Fri from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Sun from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; and by appointment – can be visited.
Young and old are equally proud to wear their traditional costumes in southwest China. Photo: HdS
Handwerkskammer honored hand weaver for his life's workrong>
"I was allowed to turn my hobby into a profession," says hand weaver Günter Oehms, who - as museum director Hansgeorg Hauser put it - "is one of the "figureheads of the House of Silk Culture (HdS)". Now the 87-year-old has been awarded the diamond for his life's work Master's certificate from the Chamber of Crafts "for 60 years of active, successful professional life as a master of the weaving trade, which has become rare". The presentation of the rare document took place with Dr. Axel Fuhrmann, the general manager of the Düsseldorf Chamber, visited the former Hubert Gotzes parament weaving mill at Luisenstraße 15 in Krefeld.
"Günter Oehms is a textile specialist who is second to none," said Fuhrmann in his laudatory speech. And: "He is a technical expert on everything to do with the mechanical engineering of the handloom of European standing." Against this background, our Günter was able to significantly increase the level of awareness of our museum far beyond the borders of the velvet and silk city," Hauser took up the words of the previous speaker.
Günter Oehms – born on May 22, 1935 in Trier – as the eldest of three children, began an apprenticeship as a businessman in Manderscheid (Eifel) in 1949, which he passed with flying colors three years later.
Oehms: "The office chair wasn't for me!"
But young Oehms soon realized that he didn't want to grow old on an office chair. Rather, he was fascinated by the craft and especially the guild of weavers. Even as a child he had come into contact with a loom on a nearby farm. In 1953 he then put his dream job into practice and began an apprenticeship as a hand weaver at Arras Castle in Alf on the Moselle.
With his journeyman’s certificate in hand, he came to the velvet and silk city in 1956, where he found a job as a young journeyman in the tie and hand weaving workshop “Sugora”.
With talent and diligence, he was already working his way up the company to become a master craftsman, even before he was officially awarded this title in 1962. He had previously attended the master school in Krefeld and passed the master craftsman's examination at the Düsseldorf Chamber of Crafts.
Other stations in his professional career included the companies "Kleinod" and "Meister-Krawatten", where he worked as a cutter and team leader.
As a master craftsman, he was also in great demand at the Werkkunstschule in Krefeld, where he taught parallel to his professional activity as a lecturer in hand weaving from 1965 to 1971.
"I then retired in 1994," says Günter Oehms, explaining that he too was not spared from the slump in the textile industry. But the loom - one of them was and still is at home - was to continue to be a significant part of his life in the future.
Dipl. text engineer Walter Tillmann, whom Oehms met at the 100th anniversary of the Girmes in the Oedter Albert Mooren Halle, was not entirely innocent in this development. The motto after a first meeting was published quite quickly: "We absolutely have to do something together!"
This intention resulted in the founding of the small textile museum “Die Scheune” in Hinsbeck in 1983. There he finally came into (first) contact with members of the Krefeld "House of Silk Culture", where Günter Oehms has been letting the old Jacquard looms "clatter" again since the turn of the millennium.
Oh yes: In between there was also a little time for (purely) private things: Günter Oehms married Susanne Leßmann in 1960; this marriage produced three children. The family showed great understanding that the head of the family was always “married” to the loom.
Looking at the eventful (professional) life of the awardee, Dr. Fuhrmann summarized at the impressive ceremony: "Krefeld and the entire trade on the Lower Rhine and beyond owe a lot to Günter Oehms and his work!"
Biography of a man who doesn't want to "brag".
In many places, the hand weaver's advice and action was and is very much in demand. Only reluctantly - because he "doesn't want to brag" (show off) - Günter Oehms lists some stations of his voluntary work here and names institutions and places where he staged the old weaving trade.
- Wegberg Flax Museum in Beeck
- Weberhaus St. Hubert (here he set up looms)
- Museum Horst (NL)
- Hansenhof local history museum in Velden (NL)
- Schlesierhaus Heisterbacher Rott in Bad Godesberg
- Flax market in Krefeld-Linn
- Heimendahl estate in Kempen (including participation in the "Day of the Court")
- Himmerrod Monastery (participation in the "Klostermarkt", one of the oldest craft markets in the Eifel)
- Home club Viersen
- Manderscheid fair
- Alexius Hospital Neuss (where he led a therapy group for almost 1 year).
- Participation in various village festivals in the Eifel, such as the Obergöttlinger 1,200 year celebration or the festival in Pantenburg.
Textile and silk museum invited to Krefeld
"Recreating antique silk luster" was the goal and at the same time the title of a very special weaving course that was now offered jointly by the German Textile Museum and the Haus der Seidenkultur (HdS) - the former parament weaving workshop of Hubert Gotzes. Specialists from the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic and the rest of Germany met in the oldest jacquard hand-weaving room in Europe on Luisenstrasse to learn more about antique silk fabrics and their weaving methods in Krefeld.
For a week, the antique fabrics were analyzed together, patterns designed, looms prepared and examples woven. Dipl. Engineer Dieter Blatt and his HdS team of volunteers created the framework for the course, which was led by textile archaeologist Barbara Thomas, in the former parament weaving workshop Hubert Gotzes.
The course was initiated by Dr. Annette Paetz called Schieck, Director of the German Textile Museum in Krefeld. The project and course would not have been possible without the fascinating ancient examples that lie dormant in the museum's archive. The foundations for the current course were laid back in 2019, where the patterns of antique fabrics were translated to modern looms and brought back to life through their detailed reweaving. The project was made possible by funding from the Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Krefeld.
The course was aimed at experts from museums and collections with textiles that are more than a thousand years old, as well as at experienced weavers. The specialists came to Krefeld from Amsterdam, Brussels, Prague, Lake Constance and Cologne to find out more about antique silk fabrics and their weaving methods and to learn how to reweave them on modern handlooms.
Samit and taqueté are the names of the techniques used for the multicolored fabrics. Not only one batch of warp threads is stretched for the fabric, but two. Textiles with woven meanders, medallions and entire picture stories were created with an ingenious system of weave and pattern. “It was incredibly complex to produce these fabrics. Not only the materials are very fine, but also the weaving technique requires a lot of attention. At that time, the looms were specially equipped for such patterned fabrics, but you still only managed a few centimeters a day,” explains course instructor Barbara Thomas.
A weaving loom was specially converted for the course in the House of Silk Culture: the participants were able to create their own designs using a very special facility between the comparatively young jacquard machines of the 19th century. For this purpose, so-called nail shafts were built into a simple loom: They make it possible to control each individual thread for a pattern. A fabric is currently being created that shows the word “silk culture” in large letters. This is time-consuming and it quickly becomes clear why the invention of the jacquard machine at the beginning of the 19th century triggered such a revolution. "Unfortunately, we do not know exactly what the looms for the patterned fabrics looked like 1,500 years ago, as no looms or drawings of them have survived. That's why we approach the technology with modern but simple weaving equipment." explains the textile archaeologist.
Unbelievable how people did that back then!
During the practical part, Dieter Blatt and Ina Matoni from the HdS are on hand with help and advice. And there was a lot of weaving: In the House of Silk Culture, the participants were able to try out different techniques on five modern hand looms. Sometimes there are detailed antique patterns in fine yarns, sometimes there was the opportunity to realize your own designs in shiny silk. There was a lot of talk shop about the ancient techniques and some tricks from everyday work in modern hand weaving were exchanged. "It's incredible how people did it back then. If you try it yourself, you get an understanding of the treasures of such fabrics.” adds one participant.
A visit to the textile museum increases respect for the originals: “Now that you have understood the technical side of the textiles, they are even greater!” confirms the weaver from Cologne. director dr Annette Paetz took extra time to discuss the special features of the fabrics with the participants and to show the tradition of reconstruction.
Krefelder tissue collection
Already in the earliest beginnings of the Krefeld fabric collection under the then director Paul Schulze, reproductions of the fascinating antique silks were made. “The Krefeld tissue collection was created at the end of the 19th century for the purpose of training the trainees of the tissue school, allowing them to analyze techniques and inspiring them. Perhaps the reweaving that we have from that time is also one of the tasks that the students had to master at the time," explains the director.
At the end of the course, all participants proudly hold their self-woven samples in their hands. A little exhaustion can be felt after the intensive week, but the joy on the faces clearly outweighs it. The sample pieces are by far not the only thing that the participants from Krefeld take with them: “The small practice pieces are something very special for me. Design a pattern, see how laboriously it grows and how the draft can be transferred from paper to textile,” summarizes one participant.
And: “It fills me with great awe to think of the originals with what I have now experienced. Knowing that they were created without box paper, microscope, daylight lamps and corrective lenses. I take with me so much knowledge about the complex weaving techniques, great contacts and even more enthusiasm for what I do every day.”
Conclusion of the course graduates: “We have seen, experienced and learned so much. It was a very unusual course that will certainly have an impact for a long time to come.”
According to the participants, the course not only shone with textiles, but also with the unique combination of specialist knowledge and practical work, which is only possible in Krefeld. Will there be a continuation of the courses? When it comes to the participants: “Absolutely! Krefeld still has a lot of textile history(s) to offer!”
The Bauhaus student, textile designer, graphic designer, artist and university teacher Prof. Annette Pöllmann died on October 16 at the age of 96 . This sad news reached the public these days from our House of Silk Culture (HdS), where the Bauhaus icon enriched the museum's advisory board with her diverse artistic skills.
For many, Annette Pöllmann was the Bauhaus student who had studied with Georg Muche and Elisabeth Kadow and was a professor at the Krefeld Textile Engineering school (later Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences) demanded the highest quality from its classes. For others, she was the pioneer of silk painting, the tirelessly creative person who, when invited, asked her guests to draw the radishes at the buffet before they were eaten because they glowed so appetizingly red.
Annette Pöllmann (right) opened in 2017 together with curator Ulrike Denter the exhibition "When the patterns learned to walk".
"Everyone will remember her warmth of heart, her incorruptible judgment and her fine sense of humour," writes Petra Diederichs in an obituary in the Rheinische Post. And: "Annette Pöllmann, who has made a name for herself beyond the borders of Europe, was always creative - almost until her last days." She was constantly looking ahead and looking for something new.
The advice she gave, especially to young people: "People, never give up, even if you have to face defeats !“ And she knew what she was talking about: as a university graduate she had to deal with 113 rejection letters when she was looking for a job because, as a “wild Picasso”, she was once again a step ahead of her contemporaries with her ideas.
Since her retirement, she has increasingly used the Haus der Seidenkultur as a platform for her textile art over the past decade. "When the patterns learned to walk" was one of her last major exhibitions in 2017, which she organized together with Dr. Ulrike Denter curated. This collaboration grew into a great friendship between the two textile workers.
"With Annette Pöllmann, a large chapter of Krefeld's textile culture is being buried," says our museum director Hansgeorg Hauser, who in May of this year together with Pöllmann opened the current exhibition "Iridescent pearls hanging by a thread". The exhibits came from her sister Margarete Schumacher.
The "Queen-Mum" of silk culture, as Pöllmann was dignified in our museum circles, spent the last few weeks at the "Bonhoeffer -A house". The funeral will take place in the middle of next week with your family in your birthplace in Iserlohn.
"But her path in life led Pöllmann to Krefeld early on," says Christian Oscar Gazsi Laki, Head of Culture at WZ, leafing through the artist's biography Among other things, she studied free graphics at the Düsseldorf Academy, until she became a professor at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences in Mönchengladbach in 1972, where she taught textile and clothing technology with a focus on textile design.
"The life's work of the multi-talented artist will always live on in the House of Silk Culture," says the obituary of the museum's mourners.< /span>
Annette Pöllmann stood in front of the television camera several times in the House of Silk Culture . Here in conversation with WDR author Helge Drafz.
HdS photos: Brenner
Haus der Seidenkultur is right up to the minute when it comes to things digital. Virtual museum guides, treasure hunts and the nine-Euro public transport ticket attract more and more visitors.
VON PETRA DIEDERICHS
Wolsig 52 had never been to the centre of Krefeld before. “During our walk we discovered that there are also quite interesting spots here” according to the post which arrived at Haus der Seidenkultur (HdS). Just one of numerous feedbacks which the team at “the oldest weaving workshop for ecclesiastical textiles in Europe” as the HdS spokesperson Dieter Brenner likes to emphasize, received. For the past two years the Silk Museum has also been offering its town tour “Walk along silk routes” as a geocaching option. This digital tour of discovery has made such an impact that the two sections will be supplemented with a third section in the autumn. Together with curator Ulrike Denter, Volker Vander, himself a passionate geocacher, is currently developing this third tour which will lead around the Hüls district.
Over the past two years 365 starters have undertaken the Krefeld geocache-tour, 350 of them have followed both routes right to the end. “As most people pursue geocaching in groups, one could say that more than 1000 persons have walked in Krefeld”, says Vander who runs a market garden professionally.
Actually the idea was a make-shift solution brought about by Corona. “At the time we said, if the people are not able to come to us then we must reach them in another way”, says Brenner. And therefore the popular walking tour about the textile history of the town was converted to a digital paper-chase and was exceptionally well received. The nine-Euro public transport ticket has led to another boom. “We reach people in completely different places who have never been to Krefeld”, says Brenner. “And some then also go shopping here”.
Geocaching was introduced into the internet from the USA on May 30th 2000. “Worldwide seven million people take part in the game“, says Vander. The idea is much older: “In the 18th century there were already small boxes at summit crosses where people could leave their name to prove that they had been there,” relates Vander. Geocaching functions basically in the same way but it involves tasks and rewards. Along a secret route, the course of which one has to work out by solving riddles, one arrives at a treasure in a cache. It is hidden in a box together with the so-called logbook in which the successful geocachers sign their name. “As a bonus there is a cocoon at Haus der Seidenkultur from which one can reel silk“, says Brenner.
At each location of the silk rally the cacher finds a video. “I was very lucky to be able to use films from Haus der Seidenkultur for this“, says Vander. Naturally he doesn’t want give away what the questions cover nor which path has to be taken. Strict geocacher law. A little hint: A sentence written in red is involved.
Those who visit Haus der Seidenkultur personally in future can hope for a digital escort – an avatar explains the history and the craft and everything concerning silk from the silkworm to fine fabric. Ten tablets are now available for individual visitors who do not have the opportunity to experience a guided tour. Now they can just click on all the information in pictures, sound and text depending where their interest lies. “The tablets are also suitable for the hearing impaired”, says Brenner.
The information programme lasts for two hours and visitors can choose which information they would like. The digital upgrading at Haus der Seidenkultur was possible thanks to EU-sponsorship relating to digitalisation of former crafts.
Important visitor at Haus der Seidenkultur: the president of the Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR), Ulrike Lubek, paid a visit to HdS accompanied by her Personal Assistant, Carmen Heyner. Actually just a short visit was planned but the LVR director was very impressed by our museum. In particular the nostalgic weaving hall where master weaver Manfred Weisters enticed a skilful “click-clack” from the old looms awakened her interest.
Lubek also described our establishment as a “gem in Krefeld“, when signing the visitors’ book expressing her “sincere appreciation” for the exclusive guided tour. The head of the museum Hansgeorg Hauser, who was awarded the much treasured “Rheinlandtaler” by the LVR a few weeks previously, was naturally very pleased about that.
As a communal organisation, the LVR performs services in connection with youth welfare, support for the handicapped, in the field of psychiatry and in the field of culture throughout the Rhineland. It is the largest key player for persons with a handicap in Germany and it runs 41 schools, ten clinics, 20 museums and cultural establishments, four youth welfare facilities, the state youth welfare service and the remedial support network. More information about the LVR can be found here: https://www.lvr.de
Our head of the museum, Hansgeorg Hauser, was awarded the Rheinlandtaler “as a patron of Krefeld culture” at an impressively festive event. “Hansgeorg Hauser is a doer with moderator qualities,” headlines the Westdeutsche Zeitung (WZ) and writes: “Hauser is a team player who can forge networks; earlier in my job and to this day for art. In addition, the head of the House of Silk Culture likes private initiatives that preserve valuables. That's why he wanted the Uerdinger sewage treatment plant as the venue for his honor."
And there came with LVR director Ulrike Lubek and deputy chairwoman Karin Schmitt-Promny (photo) the head of the regional association Rhineland highest self. Around 130 guests celebrated the festive event with Hauser, which was accompanied by music from Stephan Langenberg and his bandoneon. "A Krefeld instrument that became known worldwide - not least because of the tango in Argentina," as Krefeld Mayor Frank Meyer stated in his welcoming speech.
The graduates of the nutrition department of the Vera Beckers vocational college took care of the epicurean part. In this all-round successful event, Hauser (83) also said: "I am very happy about the award, which I accept on behalf of everyone!" If you want to listen to this top-class event in the truest sense of the word, in our podcast - here under the News/Podcast section – is that possible.
More photos of this festive event are available at the following Internet address https://eventfotos.lvr.de/rheinlandtaler_Hauser
Wie angekündigt ist sie jetzt da: Die überarbeitete Aufzeichnung der Live-Übertragung unserer Vernissage „Schillernde Perlen am seidenen Faden“. Zu den schönen Bildern liefern wir jetzt auch einen guten Ton. Ein Klick auf den Button und schon sind Sie im lebendigen Ausstellungs-Geschehen mit dabei. Viel Spaß und gute Unterhaltung wünscht das Team vom Haus der Seidenkultur.
Bereits 2020 bekamen wir vom Haus der Seidenkultur den Heimatpreis der Stadt Krefeld zugesprochen. Jetzt fand die festliche Preisverleihung im historischen Ratssaal des einstigen Stadtschlosses statt. Oberbürgermister Frank Meyer sprach von „der Stunde null der städtischen Ehrungen“, die corona-bedingt lange Zeit nicht stattfinden konnten. So wurden dann insgesamt sechs Initiativen mit dem begehrten Preis – der vom Land NRW ins Leben gerufen wurde - ausgezeichnet. Darunter auch die Preisträger des Jahres 2021. In seiner Laudatio sprach der OB mit Blick auf unser Museum davon, dass es kaum einen anderen Ort gebe, an dem sich die „Vergangenheit und Zukunft der Textilstadt so mit allen Sinnen nachempfinden lässt, wie in dem kleinen aber ausgesprochen feinen Museum an der Luisenstraße.“
Unser Museumschef Hansgeorg Hauser (rechts neben dem OB) stellte in einer launigen Rede die Einrichtung vor, die aus der früheren Paramentenweberei Hubert Gotzes hervorging. Hauser griff aus der Rede des OB den Passus „unser Haus der Seidenkultur“ auf. Im Gebrauch des Pronomens „unser“ zeige sich am deutlichsten der Bezug zur Heimat.
Ausführlich berichtete die Tagespresse über die Verleihung des Heimatpreises. Hier ein Link zum Beitrag der WZ "Sechs Auszeichnungen für heimatliches Engagement"
Ausschnitte aus dieser Veranstaltung werden in der ersten Aprilwoche in unserem neu eingerichteten Podcast unter folgender Internetadresse zu hören sein https://seidenkultur.de/aktuelles/podcast
"An avatar will soon guide you through the "Silk Museum" is the title of the WZ in its March 16, 2022 issue on the "Culture in Krefeld" page. Head of Culture Christian Oscar Gazsi Laki states: "The House of Silk Culture is getting fit for the digital future". The positive echo of the contribution, which deals with the "Mingei" EU project, also comes from abroad, where the people involved in the project are looking attentively to Krefeld, where the finale of the measure mentioned is due soon. The half-page article brings the reader up to date; one more reason to publish the article here in unabridged form:
from Christian Oscar Gazsi Laki
It might come as a bit of a surprise – or maybe not – that a relatively small, privately run museum in Krefeld is one of the busiest digitally in the city. And that doesn't just mean the already attractive website of the House of Silk Culture Krefeld in the former Hubert Gotzes parament weaving mill. A professional-looking and informative website is actually a minimum for a museum today, no matter what kind. Although there may still be room for improvement in one place or another in other museums, but that is another long story in a very broad field. It is also still quite “normal” that despite the likeable “handmade” atmosphere in the building itself and also on the videos, exhibition openings are regularly streamed (also available on YouTube afterwards).
It gets spectacular when you hear terms like avatar, digitization and the like from Dieter Brenner. Incidentally, the lively good spirit in the house likes to jokingly refer to himself as a "swashbuckler" in reference to the craft of the "patroneur", who made templates for fabrics. And the charisma of this elderly gentleman, who passionately guides you through the secrets of the Silk Museum and inspires people for the traditional craftsmanship of silk weaving, can also be experienced digitally in the future. This is possible through an EU project called "Mingei", in which the House of Silk Culture is allowed to participate and which aims to "digitize both the material and immaterial aspects of ancient crafts and to transfer the corresponding knowledge. This relates to the presentation, preservation and accessibility of the craft as a cultural heritage” – as can be read on the project website.
"Our museum should also be fun to discover in the future," affirms Brenner, who will be available as an "avatar" with his voice. For individual visitors there will soon be (around April) 20 tablets, with the help of which “the avatar” will guide you through the museum with Brenner's voice. At individual info points there is more information worth knowing in words and pictures. "We want to be attractive for the individual visitor" - says Brenner. The usual way to visit the house so far is in the form of booked groups that are guided through the rooms of the museum. Individual museum guests should "not be left out in the rain."
An avatar with Dieter Brenner's voice will soon guide individual visitors through the House of Silk Culture. Photo: Mingei-Projekt
An important step is the Mingei project as part of "Horizon 2020", which goes far beyond the avatar museum guide. Paraments, priestly robes, which were made in the weaving mill at Luisenstraße 15 at the time, are digitized, and the "history of silk" but also the "craft" are digitally documented. For example, the craft of patron Dieter Blatt was recorded for eternity by means of a "motion capture process" - i.e. a digitized recording of movements, as is otherwise used in Hollywood films to fill computer-generated figures with "life". The entire project is estimated at 102,000 euros, 85,000 euros have already been approved, reports Brenner. There are still a number of things that are on the museum's wish list, she admits - and that with voluntary museums, such as the House of Silk Culture, it is by no means trivial to fit into the EU's funding structures.
Museum also has many "analogue" plans for the future
But the House of Silk Culture also has numerous "analogue" plans. So one is in good spirits that there will be participation in the flax market again at Pentecost. With a plan A and a plan B, because if the presentation at the market cannot be successful due to corona reasons, at least a small version should be possible in-house. But Dieter Brenner also likes to talk about the house's plans for the city's anniversary in 2023. After all, it takes time to prepare - the city, by the way, is currently keeping a low profile, but promises to inform the public soon. "We have found a very interesting cooperation partner for the city's anniversary," enthuses Brenner. The old sewage treatment plant and the really hard-working monument protectors from the association for the preservation of the historic sewage treatment plant in Krefeld Uerdingen. Several projects are planned with the association. A large exhibition, for example, with the artist Sonja Weber, who will show large-format works with a textile reference. Smaller exhibits are to be shown in parallel in the Silk Museum. A fashion show is also being planned to take place at the sewage treatment plant - but that is still in preparation.
At the beginning of the year Haus der Seidenkultur (HdS) was accepted as the most recent member of the “European Route of Industrial Heritage” (ERIH). This is confirmed in a decorative certificate which now hangs in the museum in Luisenstrasse 15 for all to see.
The ERIH is an important tourism network with 1850 sites in 47 countries. The aim of the organisation is to link industrial heritage sites and visitor attractions. “The objective is to allow a more in-depth discovery of the industrial landscapes of the respective regions,” says Hansgeorg Hauser, head of the HdS museum. And: “Through our membership we can also include the left-bank region of the Rhine in the overall concept.”
For those who in future want to discover and see for themselves more about the common roots of European industrial history along one of the topic routes offered by ERIH, Luisenstrasse 15 in the “Town like Silk and Velvet“ offers a new link.
The location near to the railway station, a gas works and electric power station in the immediate vicinity provided ideal general conditions in the Wilhelmine period for the development of an industrial landscape in the once noble Krefeld Crown Prince District of Krefeld. It was against this background that the Hubert Gotzes Paramentenweberei – the present HdS – was established.
ERIH-President Dr. Maria Grewing therefore considers the membership of Haus der Seidenkultur to be an “additional asset within the options offered by the tourism network.” And: “Each industrial monument, each town, each workers’ estate forms part of this initially European and later world-wide development”. However, visitors seldom learn anything or only very little about this. At HdS this connection will be emphasised more clearly during guided tours in future.
This certificate indicates that Haus der Seidenkultur is now on the European Route of Industrial Heritage.