Occupied!

Just across the border near Enschede you can still find rich textile industry. Still is, because much is now being demolished and renovated.

Around 1900, 7 families ruled the textile industry, namely; Van Heek, Ledeboer (partners of Van Heek & Co.), Jannink, Ter Kuile, Blijdenstein, Scholten and Menko. In Gronau and Glanerbrug there are several textile factories, such as the firm Matthieu van Delden & Co., Baumwollspinnerei "Eilermark", Baumwollspinnerei "Deutschland", where a large number of workers from Enschede are employed.

When the textile industry collapsed in the 1960s, most of the factories in Enschede were also lost. The Netherlands is a 'tidy' country in that respect, few buildings were spared in Enschede and most were demolished, rebuilt & renewed. How different it is in Germany or Belgium, where these old buildings remain (empty) for decades.

Sometimes the building does fall into disrepair and now, after ten years of vacancy, it comes to an end, and we urbexers must be quick to take pictures.

This artwork is offered by SchippersFotografie

Hi, I am Jan Willem Schippers. Photography is my passion. I specialize in portrait, party and wedding photography. I also love black and white photography and you will find my work mainly in black and white. I'm also experimenting a lot with other forms of photography, like abstract, landscape and macro, so maybe you'll find these works in my shop as well.

See you soon, here or on my own website.

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