ANNE WANNER'S Textiles in History / vocabulary

Meeting in Krefeld: 4/5 August 2006

11 collegues were inscribed for the meeting: from France: Françoise Tétart-Vittu, Paris from Germany Dela von Boeselager, Köln Karen Stolleis, Frankfurt Gudrun Sporbeck Ute-Christiane Bergemann Karin Thoennissen

from Switzerland Anne Wanner, Switzerland Ursula Karbacher Evelin Wetter from the Greece: Youlie Spantidaki, Athens from Portugal: Ana Pires

The programme: We met early on Friday morning between 10 and 11 o'clock in Krefeld in the church of St. Stephan. Here Karin Thoennissen had made it possible for us to see some beautifully embroidered vestments of the end of 19th c. and beginning of 20th c.

In the afternoon the German Textile Museum in Krefeld Linn was on programm. At first we visited the reserve rooms and the archive. It then followed the tour by Ute Christiane Bergemann in the exhibition "Europaeische Stickereien". Here the museums collection of embroideries from 1650 until 1850 was on show. It was most interesting to hear about Bergemann's research and studies regarding the exhibition and the accompanying catalogue.

At 6 pm only little time was left for discussion and unfortunately some of the members had to leave early. It was then main postulation of Youlie Spantidaki that we need a vocabulary to deal with the technique of stitching and the structure of the stitches. Such a vocabulary of course is not to be set up for embroiderers, but to analyse historic embroideries. Very important in this context is also to pay attention to the reverse side of the embroidery.

Refreshments and discussion in the Textile Museum

Mrs Fluegel from University of Cologne

waiting for lunch on Saturday

On Saturday morning we first had some CD and DVD shows in the hotel. Ursula and I had brought our laptops along and it was possible to discuss some problems regarding embroideries. Ana Pires from Protugal had with her a CD with portuguese embroideries. At 10 o'clock Mrs. Fluegel who teaches embroidery at the University of Cologne was talking to us about her experiences in her classes. She is reducing the variety of embroidery stitches in very small but fundamental groups.

In the afternoon Karin Thoennisson had organized a visit at a collector's house in Krefeld. It was most interesting to see all his textiles, most of them in connection with Krefeld's Textile Industry. On Sundayat 2 pm there was the possibility to see the exhibition in the house of silk in the city of Krefeld. Unfortunately it is open to public only on the first and third Sunday every month.

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Last revised August 21, 2006