The spinning school in Køng

Facts

A charitable enterprise

By Frank Allan Rasmussen , Cand.phil. i historie fra København Universitet. (10 stories)

The spinning school in Køng was established in 1778 by Niels Ryberg. It taught young girls aged four to ten to spin flax for the factory looms and had classrooms and housing. The Ryberg family lost a lot of money during the national bankruptcy in 1813, and the factory was taken over by the state. In 1836, it once again passed into private hands, but in 1852 the entire business moved to Vintersbølle. In 1787, the Køng Factory became purveyor to the royal Danish court. It supplied bridal wear for King Christian IX's daughters, princesses Dagmar (Maria Feodorovna), Alexandra and Thyra, who married the Russian Tsar, the British king and a duke, respectively. The factory closed in 1906.

Public place

Listen to the story
Share

Contribute to The spinning school in Køng

Have you visited / Want to visit? Contribute to this place Add to route

Selected entry

Skills, discipline and cleanliness

Story written by Frank Allan Rasmussen

Time / Periode 1780 1906

0 comments 0 recommendations

Niels Ryberg lived from 1725 to 1804 and was very interested in combating poverty and helping the poor, ill and weak. He employed many foreign specialists while carrying out his most ambitious project, the spinning schools. The schools were both charitable and good business. The rural population was brought up on a diet of practical skills, discipline and cleanliness according to Ryberg's principles. Local flax growing was promoted with incentives, and a system was introduced for processing flax. In 1785, 485 people were employed hackling, spinning and weaving flax for the spinning mill. A thriving factory community grew up around the enterprise in Køng with weaving workshops, a drying house, food shop, school for peasant children, spinning school, housing and a hospital.