They were called “thread traders”. As early as the 17th century, a Leuze family in Württemberg traded in linen. Cotton came into fashion in the 19th century. They wanted to be part of the business. In the Lenninger Valley in 1861, two Leuze brothers first built a mechanical weaving mill and later a spinning mill. Textile production boomed for a long time, but in the second half of the 20th century there was increasing competition from abroad. In 2001 the plant in Unterlenningen had to close.
This could be the end of this story – one of many about the decline of the domestic textile industry.
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