A group of eleven silk experts from Uzbekistan visited the “Town like Silk and Velvet” on Monday, 11th March to learn more about the past, present and future of the textile town. “Haus der Seidenkultur (HdS) was of course the right address to have a complete Krefeld Day organised for us”, says Frank Wältring, who was looking after the foreign guests during their tour around Germany lasting several days for the agency “Mesopartner”.

The participants from the organisation “UZBEKIPAKSANOAT” represent the silk producing companies in Uzbekistan and is supported by the government. The aim of the trip was to find out more about Germany, to exchange views with the relevant protagonists from the silk sector, to gain an insight into modern, resource-saving production processes and data processing methods in textile production. 

The future of the textile town was the main focus during the visit to the Verseidag successor “Indutex”. High-tech textiles are now being produced at this textile company which was once the largest textile company in the silk town.  “The roofs of the Olympic Stadium in Berlin and Munich are supported by textile structures which were developed and produced in Krefeld,” explained the Technical Director of the Company, Jürgen Nitsche. The production site is located on Industriestrasse on premises which bear the signature of the German Bauhaus architect Mies van der Rohe.

The guests from Asia asked whether Verseidag could envisage a production site in Uzbekistan. Nitsche replied: „We have not yet considered this possibility but one should never say never ...!“After lunch in the historic “Wienges” brewery a visit to HdS was on the programme. The visitors were very impressed by the only Jacquard hand-loom workshop preserved at its authentic location in Europe. “Here one can really see the roots of  the textile town.”  

Following the visit to the museum, the group went on a town tour “on silk routes”. HdS press-spokesperson Dieter Brenner acted as the town guide and presented live and in colour the very varied aspects of the town. Having experienced a highly contrasting day in the “Town like Silk and Velvet”, the guests remarked that “Krefeld is large and very green”.

The entire visit was accompanied by the GIZ – der Deutschen Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (German Society for International Cooperation).

The delegation from Uzbekistan in the foyer at Verseidag.  Jürgen Nitsche (3rd from right) gave an insight into the company. Also there were two representatives from Haus der Seidenkultur, where the Krefeld Day was planned and carried out for the foreign guests.                                       

Photo: HdS