Textile Technology

In the 18^th century spinning and weaving mills were at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution. In 1728 Jean-Baptiste Falcon developed an improved control mechanism for semi-automated looms, using interchangeable punch cards. Each punch card was literally a unit of “working memory,” as it contained commands for the next step in the work process.

In 1805 Joseph-Marie Jacquard also used punch cards for the first fully automated loom. Thus the binary principle of digital technology was established in the realm of weaving more than 200 years ago: if the governing needle hit a hole, the warp thread was raised; if there was no hole, the thread remained in place. The Jacquard mechanism is the key element in the mechanical loom displayed in the foyer of the Deutsches Technikmuseum.

The exhibition highlights the great versatility of textiles. They don’t have to be soft and beautiful. Indeed, some are firm and extremely robust. Do we need a cuddly wool sweater, or a lifesaving safety belt? The nature of a textile depends on the material used, the way it is processed, and the textile structure. Thus a wool sweater is just as much a textile as a polyester safety belt.

In the exhibition, you'll learn what makes the difference. Knitting, weaving, felting, and braiding are the traditional techniques for giving fabric an interlooped (knitted) or an interlaced (woven) structure. For a safety belt one meter long, 30,000 meters of synthetic thread must be woven together. All kinds of material can be used. Cotton, silk, precious metals, and high-tech materials can all be made into textiles.

he textile industry was not only the birthplace of industrialization. It has also played a leading role in globalization. Using the example of India, the exhibition explains how globalized production began and how it has developed – technological innovation in the north, labor-intensive production in the south. Clothing is one of the most important examples of the fact that manufacturing is no longer linked to need. 

This is only in part due to globalization. Indeed, much more important are patterns of consumption. A sustainable form of recycling used to be the norm. Clothing was handed down and worn until it was worn out. It was darned or patched when necessary. Today we get rid of clothes that have barely been worn once, simply because they have gone out of fashion. We recycle them by sending them by the ton back to the countries they came from. Or worse – we just throw them away. Both issues are central to sustainability. The exhibition features a pair of underwear from the 1920s that has been darned in several places. It symbolizes how our relationship to clothing has changed.

The textile industry has been criticized for years. The participatory exhibition format “Changing Room” picks up on this debate and invites initiatives in the field of textile technology that are committed to sustainability, innovative concepts and social responsibility. The title refers to the need for change in the face of global challenges. Visitors are invited to discuss issues and reflect on consumer behavior. The museum thus becomes a place for exchange, new perspectives and change.

Cooperation partners since 2022:

Bis es mir vom Leibe fällt e.V., Textilhafen, La Blutique - Der Periodenladen