Logo Musée du Patrimoine

All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

Textile Museum of Haute-Alsace in Husseren-Wesserling dans le Haut-Rhin

Musée
Musée des arts textiles et de la tapisserie

Textile Museum of Haute-Alsace in Husseren-Wesserling

    Rue du Parc
    68470 Husseren-Wesserling

Timeline

Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1800
1900
2000
1762
Manufacturing Foundation
XIXe siècle
Industrial modernization
1945-1971
Decline and closure
Années 1990
Opening of the museum
1993
Historical Monument
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Key figures

Jean-Henri Dollfus - Founder of the factory Industrial pioneer of Indians in Alsace.
Famille Dollfus - Industrial dynamics Directs the manufacture over several generations.
Ouvriers et artisans - Local knowledge Actors of traditional printing techniques.

Origin and history

The Musée textile de la Haute-Alsace is housed in the former royal factory of Wesserling fabrics, founded in 1762 by Jean-Henri Dollfus, a visionary industrialist. This site, one of the oldest and largest in Europe in its field, illustrates the golden age of the Alsatian textile industry, marked by innovative techniques and exceptional craftsmanship. The factory is part of the flourishing economic context of the 18th century, when Alsace, then French province, became a major centre of textile production.

The Indian – these printed cotton fabrics – have a tremendous success in Europe, competing only with imports from the Indian companies. Wesserling benefits from its proximity to Mulhouse, the industrial capital, and a skilled workforce. In the 19th century, the site modernized with the arrival of the industrial revolution: mechanization of the trades, use of steam and development of chemical dyes.

The buildings are expanding, from modest workshops to a multi-hectare complex, including employers' homes, workshops and even a school for workers. These changes reflect the adaptation to growing market demands. Manufacturing plays a key role during world wars, producing fabrics for uniforms or technical canvases.

After 1945, in the face of international competition, activity gradually declined until the definitive closure in 1971. This decline marks the end of an industrial era, but preserves a unique architectural and technical heritage. Since the 1990s, the site has been rehabilitated as a museum and cultural park, classifying some buildings as Historic Monuments (1993).

Today, it combines heritage conservation – with still functional time machines – and contemporary creation, welcoming exhibitions, artist residences and educational workshops. The museum highlights the Alsatian textile heritage, from handicrafts to current fashion. Wesserling Park, labeled Remarkable Garden, completes the tour with its French-style gardens and landscaped spaces inspired by textile motifs.

This hybrid place, between industrial memory and cultural dynamism, attracts researchers, tourists and history enthusiasts. It also bears witness to the challenges of converting brownfields into living spaces. Finally, the museum participates in national heritage networks, such as the European Textile Heritage Route, and collaborates with institutions such as the Musées de France.

Its collections, rich in thousands of samples and archives, make it a reference centre for studying printing techniques and dress trends from the 18th to the 20th centuries.

External links