The Chronology of LICHTSCHATZ PROJECTS
| Since its foundation in 1990, LICHTSCHATZ PROJECTS has played a major role in the field of organically grown and processed textile fibres. The innovative company grew its roots in the boutique chain "ODDS AND ENDS", founded in 1970 in Hamburg, Germany. This included 3 retail outlets and the direct import of textiles. In 1978, the "LIVING COMPANY", which contained it’s own herbal dyeing facility, evolved from "ODDS AND ENDS". In 1981, "LIVING CRAFTS" (Naturtextilienherstellungs- und Vertriebs GmbH) was founded and handed over to successors in 1988. A few years later in 1986, enquiries were made about the organic cultivation of fibres. From 1990 onwards, LICHTSCHATZ PROJECTS implemented new cultivation projects in Turkey, in participaton with the German company Rapunzel. Together they developed the organic cultivation of cotton in this country. After six years of participation in the Rapunzel projects, LICHTSCHATZ PROJECTS started up its own institution called "WOVEN WIND ORGANIC PROJECTS" on the Aegean coast near Izmir, Turkey. In 1993, LICHTSCHATZ PROJECTS began a cooperation with the Australian Demeter association. Since 1994 the company has successfully marketed Australian Pure New Wool. The marketing of Naturally Coloured Cotton from a Peruvian production project was taken over by LICHTSCHATZ PROJECTS in 1997. Since 1997 LICHTSCHATZ PROJECTS has developed into one of the most significant suppliers of organic cotton yarns in the central European textile industry. With the yarns coming mainly from the Turkish "Woven Wind Cotton Project". In March 2003, LICHTSCHATZ PROJECTS took over the marketing of the Ökolin Organic Linen Project in the Swabian Alb, where flax is cultivated in order to extract organic firbres for the subsequent processing of linen yarns and fabrics. This project has meanwhile shifted to north of france and belgium where on a high farming level organic flax is grown to establish a sustainable linen production in the middle of europe. With this project we demonstrate that an european tradition in linen textiles can still exist under economically conditions. |
