Die Wollwäscherei am Weserbach – Wasser, Arbeit, Wandel
Roetgen
At the idyllic Weserbach, not only did the water rush, but here also began the work on the raw material itself.
As early as 1815, a wool washery was operated in the green valley south of the village, as the water there was considered particularly pure. The sheep were washed in the brook, and the sheared wool was then cleaned in tubs with hot water and soap.
The scent of damp wool and steam hung over the valley, later accompanied by the thumping of the steam engine. Generations lived off this work until larger businesses emerged with industrialization, causing smaller locations to lose their significance. The buildings disappeared, and the land returned to nature.
Those who follow the brook today see hardly any traces left. Only at certain riverbank spots can one guess that there once stood a wool washery that significantly shaped Roetgen’s development.
mehr lesen As early as 1815, a wool washery was operated in the green valley south of the village, as the water there was considered particularly pure. The sheep were washed in the brook, and the sheared wool was then cleaned in tubs with hot water and soap.
The scent of damp wool and steam hung over the valley, later accompanied by the thumping of the steam engine. Generations lived off this work until larger businesses emerged with industrialization, causing smaller locations to lose their significance. The buildings disappeared, and the land returned to nature.
Those who follow the brook today see hardly any traces left. Only at certain riverbank spots can one guess that there once stood a wool washery that significantly shaped Roetgen’s development.
