In Gutau, a small town in the lower Mühlviertel region with 2,700 residents, a castle, a dyer’s museum and other local highlights, there’s the relatively new “Zeugfärberei” (Fabric Dyeing Workshop) located in a former school. Entering through an unassuming side door leads you to the “Experimental Workshop for Blue Printing, Screen Printing and Textile Dyeing”, as indicated by the sign above the door.

From the entrance, it’s clear: The fabric dyers are more committed to experimentation than to tradition. This approach stems from conviction but also practical necessity. “When we started, we didn’t have the traditional printing blocks needed for classic blue printing,” recalls Janina Wegscheider, who, alongside Maria Steiner and Martin Lasinger, forms the core of the Zeugfärberei.

So, they experimented with screen printing, old pattern rollers and batik techniques. This led to the creation of distinctive pieces, infused with charm and echoes of the Mühlviertel region’s long tradition of blue printing. Linen weavers and blue printers have always lived in symbiosis here: the farmers cultivated flax, wove linen from its fibres and brought it to the blue printers for dyeing.

The Zeugfärberei team prints and dyes on used fabrics sourced from flea markets, usually cotton or linen, or on new Fairtrade T-shirts. They spent a long time perfecting the mix for the dye vat, the indigo bath that gives blue printing its characteristic colour. Similarly, finding the right formula for the resist paste, which is applied to the fabric before dyeing to create the white in the blue, required extensive experimentation. “After three years, we’re finally getting the sense that it’s working,” Janina says with a smile, as she dips a thick fabric into the vat.

For those with a passion for weaving, linen or textile techniques in general, the Textilen Zentrum Haslach is a must-visit. Here, the long history of Mühlviertel-style linen weaving is being enriched with a new chapter. Housed in the Vonwiller family’s former Jacquard Weaving Mill, you’ll find the Museum of Weaving, the “Manufaktur Haslach” — a socio-economic enterprise processing sheep wool — and the “Weberie”, where high-quality fabrics are produced in small batches. The Textile Kultur Haslach association, also based here, organises workshops, special exhibitions and the highly acclaimed annual Weaver’s Market. The Textile Centre is also a hub for students, thanks to a partnership with the University of Art and Design Linz.

The Mühlviertel region may be picturesque, but it can also be a harsh region with poor soil and heavy rainfall. This made it an ideal place for flax cultivation, a low-maintenance, highly useful plant, cultivated here since the 13th century.

In the winter, women would spin the fibres into yarn, and the men would weave it. Over centuries, this blossomed into a flourishing industry with global trade relationships. However, the rise of cheap cotton imports and mass production in the 20th century led to its decline. After a low in the 1970s, things have been looking up in recent years, with several smaller, sometimes exclusive, weaving companies emerging stronger from the crisis.

Weaving businesses:

• Leitner Leinen, Ulrichsberg
• Luxury Weaving, Oepping
• Leinenweberei Vieböck, Helfenberg
• Naturfabrik Ahorn, Helfenberg

Flax provides more than just fabric material. Its seeds, a by-product of linen production, are used to produce a highly valuable oil. Cold-pressed linseed oil is particularly prized for its rejuvenating properties. The Koblmiller family has mastered this process for over 650 years in their Mühlviertel Oil Mill. Theresa Koblmiller runs the idyllically located business at the Steinere Mühl river. Linseed oil is the mill’s flagship product, but they also press oil from sesame, hemp, poppy, pumpkin seeds and thistle seeds.

The cuisine of the Mühlviertel region has also been influenced by flax: If you’re in the area, you must try the Leinölerdäpfel (flaxseed oil potatoes). A particularly great place to enjoy this dish is at the Kulinarium Vonwiller in Haslach. Elke and Günther Wolfmayr serve this regional speciality with plenty of healthy oil and bold seasoning, accompanied by bread or salad. Definitely worth a try!

For over 160 years, specifically since 1853, the Leitner family in Ulrichsberg has been producing linen of the highest quality and for the most demanding customers. Not just classic bed and table linens, but also fine pyjamas, bathrobes, dresses, curtains, upholstery fabrics and accessories for the home and bath are made here and shipped worldwide. While many weaveries in the Mühlviertel region had to close over the decades, Friedrich Leitner managed to break into big cities and international markets in the 1990s.

Diese Reportage wurde von Silvia Pfaffenwimmer recherchiert und verfasst.