U.S. Commerce Report from 1921 (describes the Austrian hat industry post WWI)

[habigman]

U.S. Commerce Report from 1921 describes the state of the Austrian hat industry post WWI.

 

 

[ErWeSa]

Hello Steve,

 

great information! Particularly the reason why many hats were exported to the US. Thanks!

[habigman]

Yes this was a big problem especially after WWI. This is why JHS set up a factory in Ratibor (German Silesia) so they could sell into Germany. JHS main factory location Neutitschein became part of Czecho Slovakia after WWI so they had trouble exporting to Germany which was their largest market.

 

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/6-johann-h%C3%BCckel%C2%B4s-s%C3%B6hne-h%C3%BCckel-hutfabrik-weilheim/page-8&do=findComment&comment=961

 

By the way I think the report is misleading because the largest Austrian hat company (JHS) was in the Czech Republic (although they still had offices in Wien) after WWI.  JHS (the largest hat company in Europe) and Peschel (and others) started exporting Austrian Velours to America prior to WWI.  The style became very popular in America around 1910.



 

[habigman]

Commerce Reports - Volume 2, Issue 150 - Page 1770 (1920)