Textile Street

Textile Machines Through the Ages

Fashion-conscious or not, textiles of all kinds shape the everyday life of modern humans. In the 18th century, English machines revolutionized their production.

They were imported or replicated by Saxon entrepreneurs, making Saxony a center of the textile industry in Europe. Craftsmen and engineers designed increasingly powerful specialized machines, which were in demand worldwide.

Follow in the footsteps of the Industrial Revolution. Many of the textile machines on display here still work as they did on the first day.

Today, Saxony primarily produces technical textiles, valued for their functionality, durability, and light weight. Research institutes test their reliability and develop new applications.

Learn about the applications of modern textiles and gain insight into the circular economy. Using examples, discover the sustainable use of raw materials in the textile industry.

Continue in the permanent exhibition

Blick in die Puppenstube im Ausstellungsbereich 'Innen und Außen'

Inside and Outside

"The difference between existing and living lies in the use of free time." (Proverb)

Industrialization brings technological progress, but also the dissolution of traditional family structures.

Read all details

Blick in den Aussstellungsbereich 'Hell und Dunkel'

Light and Dark

From the Depths

Saxony has been a mining region for 850 years. Saxon mining has sparked technical and organizational innovations that have spread worldwide.

Read all details

Fire and Flame

Around 1900, there were more than 40 iron and steel foundries in Chemnitz. Foundries were also established in other Saxon cities.

Read all details

Today and Tomorrow

In the “Today and Tomorrow” section, current scientific and technological projects and new ideas from Saxon companies are presented.

Read all details

Exhibition Area “Watch and Marvel”: an industrial robot is visible on the left, a bodywork welding system on the right

Look and Wonder

Saxony equips today’s factory

Who else gets the chance to see a modern factory from the inside? Here, you can marvel at machine tools and a body welding line with industrial robots in full operation.

Read all details

Rechts im Bild ein Glasquader, gefüllt mit Smartphones; links im Bild ein Mädchen, was diesen betrachtet

Human and Machine

“We become in thought and action the servants of the machine we have developed to serve us.” (J. K. Galbraith)

Humans have been using tools since the Stone Age to make work easier. With the Industrial Revolution and the development of increasingly powerful machines, their lives changed fundamentally.

Read all details

Various Melitta coffee filters in the exhibition area “Search and Discover”

Searching and Finding

“We Saxons, we are clever, the whole world knows that.” (Folk saying)

Melitta coffee filters, Malimo fabrics, and the Brockhaus encyclopedia – these and many other useful things originated in Saxony.

Read all details

Passion and Reason

Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen and DKW

The ideal type of an entrepreneur is characterized by creativity and passion, combined with economic reason. J. S. Rasmussen (1878–1964), an engineer and entrepreneur,

Read all details

The Silver Line

of Saxony’s Industrial History

A long silver line runs through the exhibition hall. Jagged like a lightning bolt, it draws the visitors’ attention.

Read all details

Come and Go

A Pioneer Region of the Industrial Revolution in Transition

The industrial age began in Saxony as early as 1800. Key factors were its geographical location, well-developed agriculture, and a strong tradition of craftsmanship.

Read all details

Ansicht des Schaukelwagens des Gestalters Hans Brockhage

Beautiful and Practical

Exclusive Design for Everyday Life

What is beautiful and what is practical? Can a product be both aesthetic and functional at the same time?

Read all details

Textile Street

Textile Machines Through the Ages

Fashion-conscious or not, textiles of all kinds shape the everyday life of modern humans. In the 18th century, English machines revolutionized their production.

Read all details