Leopold Krebs’ weaving mill and woollen goods factory

   
In the second half of the 19th century, new factory complexes emerged rapidly, which fundamentally changed the overall appearance of towns. With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, the former royal town of Jihlava also began to change its face. Between 1832 and 1862, four of the five city gates were removed along with the defensive structures in front of the gates. In 1887, the first regulatory plan was drawn up and a north-south axis was created to connect the train station and the city hospital with the inner city. The walls were broken through in several places and the city began to expand. A new network of streets and intersections, new open spaces and parks were created. In 1873, the vast forest park New Heulos (Nový Heulos) was completed. After the city walls were broken through at the site of what is now Palackého Street in 1891, the construction could continue northwards from the inner city to the Špitálské suburb. Thanks to this, the intersection of what is now Legionářů Avenue, Jana Masaryka, Bezručova and Palackého Streets and the intersection of Legionářů Avenue and Tolstého Street leading to Svobody Square (former Josefské Square) were created. The northern slope facing the Jihlava River called for the construction of new residential houses and industrial buildings. A number of factories and establishments emerged in the Špitálské suburb near the city centre, offering new job opportunities to the city residents. In 1870, a new gasworks was opened on what is now Srázná Street, and from the following year, the town was lit by gas street lamps. The Krebs’ factory for woollen goods with a weaving mill was located near the gasworks.

The owner Leopold Krebs learned his trade in Liberec. At that time, Liberec was considered the Central European centre of the textile industry and the local weaving school was the first school of its kind in Central Europe. Students gained skills and knowledge in colour harmony, drawing, and practical hand weaving or took a course in business science. The best ones were able to exhibit their works at world exhibitions. The school was equipped with modern workshops with 27 hand looms and two mechanical ones. After completing his studies, Leopold Krebs set out on a trip to acquire experience. He visited several weaving mills with mechanical looms in Germany and Bohemia. He took a job and gained hands-on experience for his father's hand-weaving factory Augustin Krebs & Sohn. After his return to Jihlava in 1877, he rented the former Wenzelides spinning mill in Dřevěné Mlýny and had the premises extended for the family business. In 1882, his father left him in charge of the entire company. In 1882–1883, Leopold built a multi-storey facility next to the original building with wool processing workshops and other facilities.

In the 1890s, Krebs decided to build a new weaving mill and asked Theodor Lang, a builder from Jihlava, to collaborate on the project. The factory was built from 1893–1894 on Srázná Street. Lang designed a five-storey building with beam ceilings. A chimney with an adjacent boiler house was built on the north side. Later, in 1899, the fulling machine room was extended towards the courtyard. Leopold Krebs wanted the new weaving mill and woollen goods factory to have cutting-edge equipment. There were 12 hand looms for weaving, but the workshops were also equipped with 20 mechanical looms. The spinning mill had 1,200 spindles. Power was provided by a steam boiler in the yard with an output of up to 100 HP. For fabric dyeing, the company used a dye house located on what is now Mostecká Street by the Jihlava River. It was part of the company. Among others, the company was managed by Charles, a Lord of Wiedersperg (1867–1950), who owned an estate in Plandry. The dye house was equipped with a steam boiler room in 1894, and with a spinning mill, a weaving mill, and a roller mill by 1909, which were powered by a turbine. Unfortunately, the dye house gradually disappeared during the 20th century and has not survived to the present day.

The weaving mill on Srázná Street apparently operated until nationalisation in 1948, when the building was taken over by the national enterprise Modeta Jihlava. A year later, a large fire destroyed the premises. The original wooden beams were then replaced with reinforced concrete ceilings and the northern part was rebuilt again. The southern residential wing has retained its appearance. The façade, unfortunately, has recently been thermally insulated and the house has lost its original appearance. The original engine room in the northern part was replaced with a three-storey extension. There is also an extension adjacent to the boiler house and chimney, which serves as a storehouse.

MP
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