Braunsdorf Historical Demonstration Weaving Mill

If you’re out and about on foot or by bike in Braunsdorf in the beautiful Zschopau Valley, you’ll be surprised by the sight of a listed gem of industrial history: the former Kurt Tannenhauer weaving mill. This imposing building looks like an industrial castle set in the countryside, picturesquely situated on the small island between the Zschopau and the Mühlgraben. Today, it houses the ‘Historical Braunsdorf Weaving Mill’ museum.

There, in rooms some of which still feature their original furnishings, visitors gain a comprehensive insight into a chapter of industrial and cultural history. As one of the few surviving production sites of Saxony’s once-thriving textile industry, our museum vividly illustrates just how many steps and how much expertise are required to produce a high-quality upholstery fabric. Here, every visitor can experience just how deafeningly loud the looms of yesteryear are, and how they make the floor of the weaving hall shake!

In the main building, the museum occupies the first to third floors. It houses a wide range of machinery, including not only various looms but also winding machines and carding machines. Here, for example, visitors can appreciate just what a groundbreaking invention the development of the Jacquard machine was as a precursor to modern computer technology.

There is also comprehensive information on the life and work of the Chemnitz-based engineer and entrepreneur Louis Ferdinand Schönherr, from whose Saxon loom factory many of the fully functional looms originate. He is regarded as the inventor of mechanical cloth weaving in Saxony and played a key role in establishing Chemnitz’s reputation as a centre for mechanical engineering.

You can also combine the tour with a quiz! The quiz booklets are available free of charge at the museum ticket office.

We offer:

• Museum
• Temporary exhibitions
• Creative activities
• Coffee and other drinks