Forum lebendige Textilgeschichte

The Textilmuseum Groß-Siegharts stands in a former textile factory in the Waldviertel region of Lower Austria. The town grew into a textile centre from the 17th century onwards, when Count Johann Christoph Ferdinand von Mallenthein promoted weaving settlements and exports through the oriental trading company. By the 19th century large factories such as the Bandfabrik Wagner had appeared, and by 1928 the settlement had become a town. The museum shows how the industry developed and declined. Visitors see a reconstructed transmission drive that once powered dozens of looms and machines in the original weaving hall. A Jacquard loom and a band loom operate under this belt-and-pulley system during guided tours. Exhibits also include war-time products like parachute silk and gas-mask tapes, alongside 1970s band-weaving automats. Upstairs the former weaving room still holds its original ceiling beams and large windows. A replica of a prehistoric weighted loom introduces the earliest textile techniques. Downstairs a reconstructed weaver’s cottage illustrates how workers lived and worked under Count Mallenthein. The displays explain the role of travelling peddlers known as Bandlkramer who sold the region’s narrow fabrics across the empire.