The Czech textile industry

Jeans and brocade for the pope

There are three towns, Rýmařov, Krnov and Bruntál, in the north-east of Bohemia in the Jeseníky foothills, which are important parts of the history of the global textile industry. The area around these towns was actually called the Silesian Manchester. Silk ties were made in Rýmařov and first-class items made from brocade, including church chasubles, are still exported from here today. You can see the quality of these items for yourselves when visiting the Hedva Český Brokát Company’s exhibition. The company even honoured Pope Francis himself by gifting him with a brocade document folder.

Hedva Český Brokát Company’s exhibition in Rýmařov

When visiting Krnov, you mustn’t miss seeing the charming Flemmich Villa, which houses a museum devoted to
textile manufacturing.

Flemmich Villa in Krnov

Today’s regional centre, Bruntál, boasts a first-class rarity. According to some historians, the local textile factory made a plain-weave cloth by mistake, which travelled from an exhibition in Vienna, all the way to California, to the well-known Levi Strauss, who used it to make a global phenomenon - the first jeans!

Bruntál

Indigo dyeing: When cloth requires embellishing

It’s one thing to manufacture cloth, but another to dye and embellish it. A special procedure for dying and embellishing fabrics developed in Europe throughout the ages, the so-called indigo dyeing. This traditional technique has actually been granted UNESCO protection as intangible heritage in several Central European countries, including the Czech Republic. Only six dyeing workshops operate across Europe today! If you would like to see the indigo dyeing process with your own eyes, you can visit two family-owned indigo dyeing workshops - Modrotisk Danzinger in Olešnice or the Arimo workshop in Strážnice in South Moravia. Both workshops offer tours to the public with a demonstration of the process and you will
learn about the oldest method of printing fabrics there.

Modrotisk Danzinger in Olešnice

Brno: Moravian Manchester

Brno, the capital city of Moravia, was an important centre of the textile industry in what was the Austria-Hungarian Empire from the 19^th century. There were textile factories on every corner there and they exported their goods worldwide. The city and its surrounding area were even called the Manchester of Moravia. The textile boom is still commemorated today by luxurious family villas of the Jewish factory owners, which are accessible during special tours, which are open for special tours. One of the best-known of these villas is the famous UNESCO Tugendhat villa, less-well known villas include the Löw-Beer or the Stiassni villas.

Stiassni villa in Brno

Nový Jičín: A hat for Churchill

This town in the north-east of Czechia is world famous for making hats. The local visitor’s centre reveals how the hats are made to visitors. You will learn about the individual stages of the amazing process of making hats from an interesting and entertaining exhibition and after completing the interactive tour, you can go on to view the Hat Exhibition at the local château. This boasts some rare artefacts. As well as a hat worn by the successor to the Austrian throne, Ferdinand, who was assassinated in Sarajevo, you will also see a hat worn by Masaryk, the first Czechoslovakian President. And it’s no secret that a hat for the British Prime Minister Churchill was made in Nový Jičín.

And the hat-making tradition lives on in Nový Jičín! The TONAK Company, which is one of the biggest and best-known hat manufacturers in the world, makes its fashion items here. The Company’s tradition dates back to 1799. This was when Hückel established a hat factory in a small town in the foothills of the Beskid Mountains. The factory grew into a hat-making empire over the centuries. The factory retained the Hückel family name until it was nationalised and renamed TONAK. You can purchase a TONAK hat not only in Nový Jičín, but also in the centre of Prague at the TONAK Flagship Store.

Blanka Matragi: This global fashion icon is exhibiting her work in Prague!

An exhibition by the best-known Czech fashion designer, Blanka Matragi, is open in Prague at Municipal House until the end of January 2024. The combination of the unique appeal of the Art Nouveau space of Municipal House and exclusive haute couture models has given rise to a unique exhibition mapping the career of this fashion icon from Czechia, whose models are worn by the wealthiest women on the planet. If you admire flowing dresses and sparkling crystals, this is the exhibition for you! And if you want to have such a magnificent item in your wardrobe, then visit Blanka Matragi’s boutique in Prague’s Old Town.