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German & Austrian Hutmachers

Mean Eyed Matt

Mean Eyed Matt

One Too Many
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Germany
mayserwegener said:
Thanks! Altenburg is a really beautiful town. If you have any details regarding the hat industry there it would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

I'll keep my eyes on it...
For the moment just some pages:

The last hatter - you may know
http://www.hut-und-putz.de/

German hatter union - located in Altenburg
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutscher_Hutarbeiter-Verband

And here's a page with some students researches - interesting is the map with every hatter and shop they found
http://hutmacherhandwerk.blogspot.de/
 
mayserwegener

mayserwegener

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17,247
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Maryland
Daniele Tanto said:
What I like in Steve's research is its ability to find hats that make up the historical mosaic of ancient Central Europe production.
None of these hats has a known brand, yet they were the hats of every day for the German men of eighty years ago. They are of average quality hats and affordable for ordinary people.
It is very interesting because it tells us what were the tastes and market proposals at a time when the hat was an essential accessory to dress.
My favorite is the Orion, but all have a subtle charm in telling their story and that of the costume in a vanished era.
Bravo Steve!
Click to expand...
Daniele, Thanks! I agree it's interesting to see mid to lower price point Soft Felt Hats. I am always looking so occasional something like this happens.
 
mayserwegener

mayserwegener

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Location
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Mean Eyed Matt said:
I'll keep my eyes on it...
For the moment just some pages:

The last hatter - you may know
http://www.hut-und-putz.de/

German hatter union - located in Altenburg
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutscher_Hutarbeiter-Verband

And here's a page with some students researches - interesting is the map with every hatter and shop they found
http://hutmacherhandwerk.blogspot.de/
Click to expand...
Thanks too! I found the student web page and saw the hats being made but didn't know about this company. They are making some really interesting hats including Collapsible Silk Top Hats. Looks like they know how to make a correct Stiff Felt and Top Hat brim curl. Also using presses for the Stiff Felts so might be able to get decent results. Definitely will have to check them out when I am in the area.

I went through the Altenburger Hut & Putz – AHP GmbH and it's interesting they go back to 1960. From the videos it looks like they have a lot of interesting hat making tools for making Stiff Felt hats. I am sure they can't match old / antique Stiff Felts but they might be able to come closer than what is common today.

I might actually have one of their Stiff Felts (probably from DDR times). I will have to send them photos.
 
Last edited:
Mean Eyed Matt

Mean Eyed Matt

One Too Many
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You're welcome!

Yes, they go back to 1960, when the PGH Hut und Putz was foundet as a result of the socialization/nationalization in the DDR (like VEB). But they are even older because the PGH Hut und Putz emanated from the Hut Kley (Kurt Kley since 1874!) hat manufacturer (and others like Karl Hollersen (since 1925?)), which was closed in 1948. But they saved the the old tools and logs (is called like this?) - so Hut und Putz do have them today! And I think they are the last Manufacturer of original/old Top Hats and Collapsible Silk Top Hats around (maybe in Germany?), but they produce (Stiff) Felt hats etc., too.

So you have to contact them and visit them when you're around.
And you should contact me, when you're in the area - Now I live in Leipzig (1 h away), but my parents are still there...
 
Last edited:
mayserwegener

mayserwegener

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Thank you for additional information! The old Stiff Felts were usually formed by high pressure mechanical presses. The felt used was specifically made for to Stiff Felts and today this is lost. It appears PGH Hut und Putz can still do the correct brim work. I definitely would like to see what they are up to so I will let you know when I will be traveling to the area. By the way Aleisa (Herbolzheim, Baden) also makes Collapsible Silk Top Hats.

http://www.aleisa.de/index.html
 
C

Celia

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As I was browsing the catalogue of the ÖNB (working, not just looking at hats, honestly), I came across some images which people interested in the Viennese hat industry might like, if they haven't been posted before.

A 1966 calendar of the austrian Hutmacher-, Modisten- und Schirmmacherzeitung, with some adverts for hatters/hat shops around the edges:
16124148.jpg

http://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Pages/ImageDetail.aspx?p_iBildID=16124148

An image of Johann Lechner's hat shop in the Anna-Neumann-Gasse around 1920:
1356698.jpg

http://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Pages/ImageDetail.aspx?p_iBildID=1356698

An (unidentified) hatter at work, photographed by Fritz Zvacek, around 1933:
1261266.jpg

http://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Pages/ImageDetail.aspx?p_iBildID=1261266
 
C

Celia

A-List Customer
Messages
393
Location
Europa
Something I came across online (in German):

http://www.werner-electronic.de/de/werner-gmbh/werner-gmbh-home/firmengeschichte.html?file=tl_files/WernerGmbH/Bildmaterial Website/Historie/Downloads/Geschichte der Kreischaer Hutindustrie V45.pdf

"Ein Kreischaer Strohut Erzählt" by Thomas Werner. I'd translate the title as "Story of a Straw Hat from Kreischa".

Although this document deals with ladies' straw hats, it may still be of interest to people who want to know more about the history of the German hat industry in general. The author lists several (straw) hat factories in the area and documents their history, together with interesting photos of the factories, hatters' tools etc.
 
mayserwegener

mayserwegener

Messages
17,247
Location
Maryland
Celia said:
As I was browsing the catalogue of the ÖNB (working, not just looking at hats, honestly), I came across some images which people interested in the Viennese hat industry might like, if they haven't been posted before.

A 1966 calendar of the austrian Hutmacher-, Modisten- und Schirmmacherzeitung, with some adverts for hatters/hat shops around the edges:
16124148.jpg

http://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Pages/ImageDetail.aspx?p_iBildID=16124148

An image of Johann Lechner's hat shop in the Anna-Neumann-Gasse around 1920:
1356698.jpg

http://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Pages/ImageDetail.aspx?p_iBildID=1356698

An (unidentified) hatter at work, photographed by Fritz Zvacek, around 1933:
1261266.jpg

http://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Pages/ImageDetail.aspx?p_iBildID=1261266
Click to expand...
Thanks! I found Johann Lechner in the 1926 Austrian Hat Industry guide. He was located in Marau (Anna-Neumann-Gasse) which is west of Graz.
 
C

Celia

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mayserwegener said:
Thanks! I found Johann Lechner in the 1926 Austrian Hat Industry guide. He was located in Marau (Anna-Neumann-Gasse) which is west of Graz.
Click to expand...
Thank you, I'd just realised my mistake linking the shop to the Viennese hat industry, I meant Austrian of course :)

mayserwegener said:
Thanks again! This is Johann Heinrich ITA/JTA. They were a great Austrian / Vienna hat company.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/11-j-heinr-heinrich-ita-hutfabrik/
Click to expand...
Thank you for the link to your website, very interesting to see some close up photos of actual hats from the company as well as all the additional materials you've gathered.
 
mayserwegener

mayserwegener

Messages
17,247
Location
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Celia said:
Something I came across online (in German):

http://www.werner-electronic.de/de/werner-gmbh/werner-gmbh-home/firmengeschichte.html?file=tl_files/WernerGmbH/Bildmaterial Website/Historie/Downloads/Geschichte der Kreischaer Hutindustrie V45.pdf

"Ein Kreischaer Strohut Erzählt" by Thomas Werner. I'd translate the title as "Story of a Straw Hat from Kreischa".

Although this document deals with ladies' straw hats, it may still be of interest to people who want to know more about the history of the German hat industry in general. The author lists several (straw) hat factories in the area and documents their history, together with interesting photos of the factories, hatters' tools etc.
Click to expand...
Great research document! Yes I came across this place before or maybe it was Manferd. I think there might be something posted here. This was another Straw making center like Lindenberg / Allgäu which was in the south.
 
Mean Eyed Matt

Mean Eyed Matt

One Too Many
Messages
1,105
Location
Germany
mayserwegener said:
Thank you for additional information! The old Stiff Felts were usually formed by high pressure mechanical presses. The felt used was specifically made for to Stiff Felts and today this is lost. It appears PGH Hut und Putz can still do the correct brim work. I definitely would like to see what they are up to so I will let you know when I will be traveling to the area. By the way Aleisa (Herbolzheim, Baden) also makes Collapsible Silk Top Hats.

http://www.aleisa.de/index.html
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link: never heard of Aleisa before...
If you're interested I think you may contact PGH per mail and ask them for Material like Fotos. I know the manager is very proud of the tradition and would help you.
 
mayserwegener

mayserwegener

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Location
Maryland
Thanks! I will definitely contact them. I probably have some old hats from this area but I can't identify them because there are no company marks. This is also the case for the large hat companies east (Guben) and south (Luckenwald, ect) of Berlin.
 
mayserwegener

mayserwegener

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17,247
Location
Maryland
Celia said:
Thank you, I'd just realised my mistake linking the shop to the Viennese hat industry, I meant Austrian of course :)

Thank you for the link to your website, very interesting to see some close up photos of actual hats from the company as well as all the additional materials you've gathered.
Click to expand...

There were many of these small hat makers in Austria that mostly made Tracthen hats. Zapf and Bittner (and others) are examples that still survive.

J. Heinr. ITA/JTA was a high end hat company. I wish I could find more of their early 1940s and earlier Soft Felts. I only have two or three but no Velours.
 
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