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Gebrüder Krafft – Leather, Footwear and Industrial History

The history of Gebrüder Krafft in Fahrnau offers a fascinating insight into the development of leather processing, footwear manufacturing and industrial life in the Wiesental region of southern Germany.
 

The company also forms an important part of Charles Nessler's early life. His father, Bartolomäus Nessler, worked for Gebrüder Krafft after the family moved to Fahrnau following the devastating fire in Todtnau in 1876. Based on historical documents, photographs, factory records and archival research, our illustrated booklets explore the company's development, its products and the everyday lives of its workers.
 

The publications cover the history of the factory and its workforce, as well as the production of wooden shoes and wooden-soled footwear.
 

Explore the publications below and discover a remarkable chapter of regional industrial history.

For a larger view or to download the booklet as a PDF, click here.

International Research Project on the Permanent Wave

This website is part of an ongoing historical research project on the development of the permanent wave and the life of Charles Nessler (1872–1951).

The aim of this digital project is to document the history of the permanent wave in a comprehensive and source-based way.

The research includes:

  • biographical milestones

  • historical documents and press sources

  • patents and technical developments

  • international networks within the hairdressing profession

The archive is continuously expanding and based on ongoing research in European and international archives.


View the German archive (nessler-dauerwelle.de)
View Nestlé-LemurCompany (nestle-lemur.com)

French-language research blog – De la Forêt-Noire au monde

Contact us

This research project is made possible by people who are willing to share their knowledge.

Do you have historical documents, photographs, letters, newspaper articles, family records, or personal memories relating to Charles (Karl Ludwig) Nessler, his family, his companies, or the history of the hairdressing profession?

I would be delighted to hear from you. Every piece of information is carefully reviewed and may help preserve the history of Charles Nessler and the development of the permanent wave for future generations.

All information will, of course, be treated confidentially. If you wish, sources, loaned materials, or contributors will be acknowledged in future publications.

Thank you very much for your support.

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