German & Austrian Hutmachers

[Daniele Tanto]

Manfred it is a very lovely "bombetta".
Which larger sizes they have available? Could be a good deal.....but Bonn is a bit 'off the beaten track

 

[mayserwegener]

Garrett, Richard, Daniele, Manfred, Thanks! I am not sure if they kept any of the old factory buildings. I will have to check on that.

Manfred, Very nice find! I like the finish and color. Look forward to seeing it in action! I think Rockel Alsfeld made it to the late 90s maybe early 2000s. The trademark expired in 2003.

 

[Chepstow]

Daniele, thanks! There was a lot of larger hat sizes available but only one Melone! And I guess you're right a few Miles away from Italy. Haha!

Steve, thank you my friend. I am sure you are right with the age. I am happy to have one of the last Rockel!



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[mayserwegener]

Not a Austrian company but grew out of that tradition. Janyška was started in the 1920s in Valašské Meziříčí – Krásno about 25 km from Nový Jičín. By the way this is the company that produced the early 1940s film on old methods of felt and hat making. Recently received copies of these photos.

Janyška (1930s)

 

[mayserwegener]

Continued.

 

[Chepstow]

Wonderful Steve, amazing photos!



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[ManofKent]

Wonderful Steve, amazing photos!

+1

 

[mayserwegener]

Manfred, Richard, Thanks!

 

[mayserwegener]

(A rough translation of the article)

The History of the Hat Factory Peschel in Schönau

During the renovation of the Schönau village church in 1995 many historical items were discovered including a manuscript entitled "Sketch of the Origin of the Hat Factory of A. Peschel". The development of Neutitscheinhat industry is mostly attributed to three companies: Hückel , Böhm and Peschel. However, strictly speaking A. Peschel belonged to the neighboring independent community of Schönau. Mr. Ferdinand Seidenberger an officer of A. Peschel wrote the manuscript in 1894 upon the 25th Anniversary the company (see above).

In 1869 began the company's founder , Anton Peschel, built a hat factory in Schönau. He came from the town Kamitz at Odniti and was at that time 46 years old. He had no prior experience in hat making and it was unknown why he decided to invest in the industry. In the early years , Peschel employed 20 to 30 hat industry workers. The beginnings of the company were apparently not promising. Mr. Seidenberger reported that Peschel had to rely on outsiders to run the company. In 1885 Anton Peschel died and left his wife with eleven under aged children and a company on the brink of bankruptcy. Mr. Seidenberger described the business as "rotten". The company main customers were oddly in Romania where the company had lost many thousand Florins (apparently a large sum in those times) due to a tariff war. In this almost hopeless situation, the new proprietor , the wife of the late founder, Luise Peschel was tasked with rescuing the company. This energetic and business-minded woman, actually managed to reorganize the operation and was able to build a major customer base in Germany. According to Mr. Seidenberg " the company was established for the second time". She invested in production facilities and the renovation of machinery which further improved the economic well being of the company.

Mr Seidenberger also gives us an insight into the existential situation of the 230 workers at the end of the 19th century : The average wage at that time was 5 to 10 guilders per week with a work schedule of 14 hours a day. All workers were insured against accidents and illness , which probably was not self-evident at the time. As a raw material for production for soft and stiff felt hats and served exclusively hare and rabbit that were taken from the home and abroad . The markets for A. Peschel hats included before the first World War, Austria - Hungary, Germany , Russia, Greece and almost all other countries in Europe. Also just prior to WWI North America, South America and India.

The disintegration of the Habsburg monarchy and the establishment of the successor states severely impacted the hat industry for a a couple years after WWI. 800 workers were employed prior to WWI but after the war only 400 were employed. In 1920 Luise Peschel, who had built the company to great success died. The municipality of Schönau, for which she had done much, made ​​her an honorary citizen. The company would remain family ownened until 1945. Gradually, the company built a world market in the twenties and thirties. It survived the Great Depression of the thirties and at the beginning of the second world war employed, housed and feed nearly a thousand workers. The working week at that time was 48 hours, every day approximately 3000 hats and felt hoods were produced. A. Peschel was world renowned for their Velour finishes. This specialization secured regular customers and a permanent place on the world market. In addition to the production facilities in Schönau the company added subcontractors in Romania and Yugoslavia during the 1930s.

Even before the Communist takeover (1948) in post-war Czechoslovakia, the three companies Hückel, Peschel Boehm and were liquidated. However, the history of the company A. Peschel was not complete. Just two years after the war ended one of the company owners, Anton Peschel under primitive conditions established a hat factory in Dinkelsbühl, Germany. His entrepreneurial courage was rewarded: in 1950 the first Peschel hats came to market. In the fifties, the company had 200 workers and employees, including 30 skilled workers from the old country. Unfortunately, this company did not meet with lasting success. The old advertising slogan prewar "No Man Without A Hat" no longer applied and fashion had changed over time. Exactly 100 years after its creation Peschel hat company came to a end in 1969.

Günther Schalich

This article appeared in the May / June 2001 edition of "Geschichte und Kultur" (a periodical dedicated to the displaced people of Neutitschein / Novy Jicin Czechoslovakia, before WWI Austria).

 

[Daniele Tanto]

The history of most European hatters after the II WW are quite sad.
A rebirth after the catastrophe and then what was not destroyed by the war was subverted by fashion.
Thank again Steve for your untiring perseverance.

 

[ManofKent]

The history of most European hatters after the II WW are quite sad.
A rebirth after the catastrophe and then what was not destroyed by the war was subverted by fashion.
Thank again Steve for your untiring perseverance.

+1

 

[mayserwegener]

The history of most European hatters after the II WW are quite sad.
A rebirth after the catastrophe and then what was not destroyed by the war was subverted by fashion.
Thank again Steve for your untiring perseverance.

Yes the 1960s and onward were not kind to hat companies in Europe and US. What is interesting is TONAK (consolidation of all Czech hat companies after WWII) definitely benefited by being in East Europe. There is no way such a large factory (originally JHS up to WWII) survives in the West. When I visited back in 2011 they were probably going at 20% capacity. It will be interesting to see what happens to them in the next few years.

 

[mayserwegener]

Villa Peschel (1922)

Villa Peschel, Interior, about 1922

Oil painting of the main hallway in the house of hat manufacturers Peschel, about 1922. It was painted by Mr. Egon Jünger* at the request of the above-mentioned Hat manufacturers Peschel. The painting was originally displayed in the Villa.

*Egon Jünger 1888, + 1972, Shortly after WWI Professor at Real Gymnasium in Neusitschein (where he lived until 1926). His parents were both from Neutitschein, his mother (Reb. Emma Berger married to Franz Josef Jünger). Source photograph obtained from the daughter of the painter Dr. Elfi Frasl / Vienna.

"Geschichte und Kultur" (a periodical dedicated to the displaced people of Neutitschein / Novy Jicin Czechoslovakia, before WWI Austria).

 

[mayserwegener]

Carl Zeumer Magazin Zum PFAU Kreissäge, measures ~ 59cm. I am not sure who made it (afraid to disturb the sweat) but I like the rustic look of the weave and the bow design / execution. Probably pre WWII.

 

[ManofKent]

Nice boater Steve.

 

[mayserwegener]

Richard, Thanks!

 

[alanfgag]

Very nice straw, Steve. It's great to see the design forward maker's mark and that beautiful ribbon/bow. The weave is interesting too.

 

[carouselvic]

I don't think I've seen a sweatband joined with a blind seam like that.

 

[mayserwegener]

Alan, Thanks! It's also lighter weight for this style.

 

[mayserwegener]

I don't think I've seen a sweatband joined with a blind seam like that.

I think might have been made by Ottmar Reich or M. E. Glunz & Cie (the founders moved to OR after WWI) which used a similar technique.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/18-ottmar-reich-hutfabrik/#entry335

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/53-m-e-g-cie/#entry275