K A Almgren silk weaving mill & museum
Knut August Almgren (1806–1884) founded a silk weaving mill in 1833 on Södermalm in Stockholm, producing scarves, ribbons, furniture, and dress fabrics. Equipped with the latest technology, jacquard looms, a French invention Almgren brought back from his study trip, were used. In jacquard looms, the patterns of the silk fabrics are programmed with punch cards, an early form of computer! Thanks to this invention, weaving patterned silk fabrics became much faster than before.
Almgrens thrived, and the company expanded. In 1862, the factory building on Repslagargatan was erected, and to this day, we continue to weave silk fabrics and ribbons on the original jacquard looms.
In the 1870s, over 280 people worked in the company, and the majority were women employed as weavers, winders, warpers, spoolers, seamstresses, and fringers. The most produced items were silk scarves, which were in high demand during the latter half of the 1800s.
In 2020, Almgrens silk weaving mill and its surrounding courtyard were declared a historic monument.
You are warmly welcome to visit Scandinavia's oldest active industrial environment!