County Trace - On the Trail of Nordhorn's Textile History

On this route, you will walk through the city center of Nordhorn and gain insight into the local textile history. In 1939, the textile industry began here, with the opening of the first mechanical weaving mill. The city developed into one of the largest textile centers in Germany. The population increased from 2,540 in 1903 to 48,000 in the 1950s and 1970s. In 1956, more than 11,500 people worked in textile companies. However, since the 1970s, the textile industry has suffered from structural changes and the global oil and energy crisis. First, the Nordhorner textile factory Povel declared bankruptcy, followed by NINO, and eventually Rawe. Where the extensive Povel factory site once stood, the new urban district Wasserstadt Povel was created in the mid-1990s. The restoration of this approximately 18-hectare wasteland had kept the city busy for many years. However, the transformation of the heavily contaminated factory site into an urban residential area was successful and became a model for many urban planners. If you want to learn more about Nordhorn's textile history, you can visit the renovated water tower on the old Povel company site. Another highlight is the old NINO high-rise building. Definitely worth a visit!

Note: Follow the signage in red!