Preservation and conservation of the Pausa collection

Formerly known around the world for its patterns and prints, the Württemberg-based textile printing company Pausa was forced to stop production in 2004. That same year the industrial complex was officially recognized as a cultural historic landmark and was purchased by the city of Mössingen in 2006. The Pausa factory buildings, equipment, collections of fabrics, designs and much more, are extremely rare and worthy of preservation.
When the company closed down, its collections were neglected and suffered severe damage, in particular, from moisture, mildew and pest infestation. Large parts of the collection - the pattern collection, the film foil archive, the fabric designs, portfolios of samples, machines and instruments – were threatened by improper storage conditions. The KUR project safeguarded the collection from further decay. The extraordinary size of the collection made the conservation efforts extremely challenging. The main goal of this project was to establish a “Pausa Museum” to make the collection accessible to researchers and the public.

Project administrator:
City of Mössingen

Cooperative partners:
State Academy of Art and Design, Stuttgart
University of Applied Sciences, Cologne, Institute of Conservation Sciences
Technische Universität, Munich