Last tower standing

In the region of Twente, The Netherlands, many farmers used to have a loom, to supplement their income. Traders collected and sold their products, mainly linnen, in the West of The Netherlands.

From the early 1800s onwards the production was industrialised and large textile factories popped up everywhere, killing off all home industry but employing a great many people. Demand was so great, that workers were attracted from neighbouring provinces and bordering parts of Germany, all mainly agricultural areas.

Cities like my home town of Enschede, a tiny little town of 1835 inhabitants in 1801, exploded in size, and the horizon became dominated by chimneys.

The first housing projects were built outside the centre of town, to house the workers. The houses were tiny and overcrowded and the housing projects turned into slums within years.

In the 1960s, the textile industry collapsed, leading to huge unemployment from which the region still hasn't fully recovered. Most factories were demolished, some were converted into appartments. This is a photo I took of the last big textile factory in Almelo, about 30km from Enschede, going down. They decided to leave one of the towers, because it is a piece of history, and decorative. It doesn't, however, employ anyone.

Olympus XZ-1, 60mm, ISO100, f2, 1/800s

Again, much text triggered by one photo I took. Thanks for reading.

As far as I know, the first two images are copyright-free. The third is mine.