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German & Austrian Hutmachers

marting81

Familiar Face
Messages
80
Location
Guben, Germany
This is the C. G. Wilke Guben website I came across a few years ago. I can't remember if I posted it here before so here it is again.

https://themator.museum-digital.de/ausgabe/showthema.php?m_tid=567&tid=592&ver=nat

English Translation

https://themator-museum--digital-de..._sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp
There is also a link to museum-digital on it where the museum posts from time to time exponats they have in stock
(https://brandenburg.museum-digital.de/institution/43)
 
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marting81

Familiar Face
Messages
80
Location
Guben, Germany
There were a couple other site(s) that I had links to that were shutdown. I think that was due to a museum closing but it's been a while and I can't remember the details.
Museum closed and now in the Wilke fabric is the town center (service center) but they have in there the Stadt- und Industriemuseum where the part of the hat-museum is in there... You could say they built new museum around the old hat... Because guben also was big in the clothmaking industry. There are exhibitions about the clothmaking in guben too.. (i worked there till end of last year. My boss was last boss of gubener hüte) https://www.museen-guben.de/de/comp...-geschichte-der-gubener-tuchmacher?Itemid=512
 
Messages
17,524
Location
Maryland
Museum closed and now in the Wilke fabric is the town center (service center) but they have in there the Stadt- und Industriemuseum where the part of the hat-museum is in there... You could say they built new museum around the old hat... Because guben also was big in the clothmaking industry. There are exhibitions about the clothmaking in guben too.. (i worked there till end of last year. My boss was last boss of gubener hüte) https://www.museen-guben.de/de/comp...-geschichte-der-gubener-tuchmacher?Itemid=512
Yes, now I remember. Thank you for the link.
 
Messages
17,524
Location
Maryland
I found something interesting. I searched Wilke Hutfabrik GmbH because it's on some of my later Wilke items of mine.

8729851771_95eb62a4ce_o.jpg


I found the following address from 1957 up to 1979. It might be connected to Vereinigte Hutwerke Guben. Will need to look into this.

Wilke Hutfabrik GmbH , Königreichweg 7 , Straubing, West Germany

52711196514_1d95be62d6_o.jpg


Teleurope, Volume 23 1979, Page 359
 

marting81

Familiar Face
Messages
80
Location
Guben, Germany
I found something interesting. I searched Wilke Hutfabrik GmbH because it's on some of my later Wilke items of mine.

8729851771_95eb62a4ce_o.jpg


I found the following address from 1957 up to 1979. It might be connected to Vereinigte Hutwerke Guben. Will need to look into this.

Wilke Hutfabrik GmbH , Königreichweg 7 , Straubing, West Germany

52711196514_1d95be62d6_o.jpg


Teleurope, Volume 23 1979, Page 359
All so strange... Found entry of Geschäftsführer of this gmbh ...
Screenshot_20230226_000442_com.google.android.apps.docs.png

You have some inprint in your card?
Maybe mine helps a bit if i find entry ....
IMG_20230226_000735.jpg
IMG_20230226_000800.jpg
IMG_20230226_000745.jpg
 
Messages
18,476
Location
Nederland
I've been looking for this book for a while now, but can't find it anywhere. It might give some information about the Wilke factory, even if it seems to focus more on the family. Supposedly published in 2006.
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 3935881347
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-3935881340
Paperback: 216 pages
wilke.jpg


Amazon gives this blurb:
The novel focuses on two generations of the Wilke hat maker family from Guben. The story, which spans almost a century, allows the reader to experience the gradual rise of the company. Starting with the master hat maker Carl Gottlob Wilke, through his invention of the waterproof wool felt hat, to the world fame of the factory that has meanwhile been built in the Gasstraße with more than 100 employees under the direction of his son Friedrich.
Family strokes of fate overshadow this success story. Friedrich Wilke loses three children and his wife prematurely and has also been at odds with his younger brother Theodor for decades. However, all this does not make him resigned, but works for the good of the general public, of which the Naemi-Wilke-Stift and the Church of the Good Shepherd bear witness to the present day.
 

marting81

Familiar Face
Messages
80
Location
Guben, Germany
STEINKEHUT
IMG_20230226_184637_edit_38616177646189.jpg

IMG_20230226_131636.jpg

Die Hutfabrik wurde 1884 von Gustav Steinke gegründet. Aufgrund der zu
eng gewordenen gemieteten Arbeitsräume in der alten Langner’schen
Hutfabrik wurde 1890 in der Alten Poststraße 31 eine moderne Fabrikanlage
errichtet, die sich auf die Herstellung steifer Wollhüte, den so genannten
Melonen, spezialisierte. 1911 wurde die Firma in eine GmbH, 1922 in
»Vereinigte Hutwerke AG Werk Guben I« umgewandelt. Unter Leitung des
jüdischen Unternehmers Martin Rosenthal wurde der Fabrikkomplex 1927/28
entlang der Bahnhofstraße wesentlich erweitert. Ein späterer Eckanbau
stellte die Verbindung zu den Gebäuden in der Alten Poststraße her, die
allerdings durch ein Großfeuer vom 6. zum 7.6.1938 zerstört wurden. Nach
dem Zweiten Weltkrieg endgültige Stilllegung der Produktion.

Eng:

The hat factory was founded in 1884 by Gustav Steinke. Due to the
rented workrooms in the old Langner'schen, which had become cramped
Hat factory became a modern factory in 1890 at Alte Poststrasse 31
erected, focusing on the manufacture of stiff woolen hats, the so-called
melons, specialized. In 1911 the company became a GmbH, in 1922 in
»Vereinigte Hutwerke AG Werk Guben I«. Under the direction of
Jewish entrepreneur Martin Rosenthal, the factory complex was built in 1927/28
significantly expanded along the Bahnhofstrasse. A later corner extension
established the connection to the buildings in Alte Poststraße
However, it was destroyed by a major fire from June 6th to 7th, 1938. After
production was finally shut down after the Second World War.
 
Last edited:

marting81

Familiar Face
Messages
80
Location
Guben, Germany
I've been looking for this book for a while now, but can't find it anywhere. It might give some information about the Wilke factory, even if it seems to focus more on the family. Supposedly published in 2006.
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 3935881347
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-3935881340
Paperback: 216 pages
View attachment 492892

Amazon gives this blurb:
The novel focuses on two generations of the Wilke hat maker family from Guben. The story, which spans almost a century, allows the reader to experience the gradual rise of the company. Starting with the master hat maker Carl Gottlob Wilke, through his invention of the waterproof wool felt hat, to the world fame of the factory that has meanwhile been built in the Gasstraße with more than 100 employees under the direction of his son Friedrich.
Family strokes of fate overshadow this success story. Friedrich Wilke loses three children and his wife prematurely and has also been at odds with his younger brother Theodor for decades. However, all this does not make him resigned, but works for the good of the general public, of which the Naemi-Wilke-Stift and the Church of the Good Shepherd bear witness to the present day.
Will try get in my hands and maybe can digitalize also
 
Messages
17,524
Location
Maryland
Hi Steve . My name is Martin
I thought this history is easy but now it ends up in work

This Carl Emmel i found still active shop in 2016 but now there isnt anymore... Thought maybe tells some about years
View attachment 492751


View attachment 492752
Martin, Unfortunately too many Hat Shops are closing.

I will see if Bahner has some info. A few years ago Andreas Bahner told me some of the Gubener Hüte GmbH machines ended up in China.
 
Last edited:
Messages
17,524
Location
Maryland
I've been looking for this book for a while now, but can't find it anywhere. It might give some information about the Wilke factory, even if it seems to focus more on the family. Supposedly published in 2006.
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 3935881347
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-3935881340
Paperback: 216 pages
View attachment 492892

Amazon gives this blurb:
The novel focuses on two generations of the Wilke hat maker family from Guben. The story, which spans almost a century, allows the reader to experience the gradual rise of the company. Starting with the master hat maker Carl Gottlob Wilke, through his invention of the waterproof wool felt hat, to the world fame of the factory that has meanwhile been built in the Gasstraße with more than 100 employees under the direction of his son Friedrich.
Family strokes of fate overshadow this success story. Friedrich Wilke loses three children and his wife prematurely and has also been at odds with his younger brother Theodor for decades. However, all this does not make him resigned, but works for the good of the general public, of which the Naemi-Wilke-Stift and the Church of the Good Shepherd bear witness to the present day.
I have a copy of this book. I will take a look at it again.
 
Last edited:

marting81

Familiar Face
Messages
80
Location
Guben, Germany
Last edited:

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