The cloth mill, Brandts Klædefabrik
Sign listing rules for visits to the doctor, Brandt Textile Factory. Free medical help and good retirement homes were provided for workers who served the company through their lifetime. The sign is at Møntergården in Odense. Photo: Jens Gregers Aagaard.
Letter from Oluffa Brandt, 1918 (page 1). When an old weaver celebrated 25 years of service in 1918, he received a gift from the factory owner’s widow. She did not refrain from expressing her opposition to trade unions. Photo: Jens Gregers Aagaard.
Letter from Oluffa Brandt, 1918, (page 2). When an old weaver celebrated 25 years of service in 1918, he received a gift from the factory owner’s widow. She did not refrain from expressing her opposition to trade unions. Photo: Jens Gregers Aagaard.
Intro
The textile factory, Brandts Klædefabrik, is Odense's best known industrial environment. The textile factory sprang from an older dye works and grew, from its establishment in 1869, to becoming the city's biggest textile factory.
When industry came to Funen
People on Funen were really on their toes when industrialisation took off in the course of the 19th century. Prior to this, every product was a piece of craftsmanship, often produced for a familiar customer. With the advent of mass production, however, uniform articles were produced for a much wider market.
The cloth mill, Brandts Klædefabrik
Søren Christian Brandt (1847-1905) helped build up Odense’s largest textile factory, founded in 1869. Brandt was known for his patriarchal style of leadership: The factory owner was the loving, but firm father while the workers were his children. The factory gave relief to the sick and the elderly as long as the workers had nothing to do with trades unions. Union membership was seen as breach of confidence and fiercely resisted.
This location is part of the exhibition 'Funen – at the centre of the universe', at Møntergården in Odense. Read more about the exhibition on our website.