Weaver’s house

Weaving textiles and home weavers

Gemert has been a true weaving village for centuries, since the Middle Ages. Today, there is only one textile factory left, but in the mid-19th century, more than 1,200 people, including children, were involved in the weaving industry in Gemert. That was about half of the working population! They worked for both Gemert and Helmond entrepreneurs, from whom the weavers usually received their yarn and orders and who often also owned the loom and accessories. In addition, the weavers were often obliged to spend their wages in the shop of their weaving master.

As time progressed, the industrial revolution began to influence textile production, which led to the establishment of the first textile factories in Gemert. These factories offered more efficient production methods, but the home weavers continued to play an important role in the local economy. The home weavers worked, if there was yarn on the spool (i.e.: sufficient orders), from early morning until early evening. Their earnings depended on the nature of the fabric, fine and complicated fabrics were better paid but of course also took more time and work.

According to the municipal report from 1868, a skilled weaver earned a wage of 40 cents per day, which barely covered ‘the needs of a family of 5 or 6 people’.

These craftsmen worked from their own homes, using simple looms to produce textiles. In the weaver’s house, a weaving room has been decorated with red and blue tiles. The hand loom that can be seen here is a copy of a centuries-old Gemert loom, now in the possession of the Heemkundekring Gemert.