Imagine stepping back to 1614. That’s when the story of LVR-Industriemuseum Papiermühle Alte Dombach truly begins. Though the original document granting permission to operate a paper mill is lost to time.
This wasn’t just any mill. It was the third paper mill along the Strunde. This river’s consistent water flow was vital for papermaking in Bergisch Gladbach. Wilhelm Kessel owned the mill initially. He entrusted its operation to Hendrich Fues a papermaker from Hessen. Around 1618 construction started according to dendrochronological research.
By 1685 Cornelius Fues, Hendrich’s son, bought the mill. Around 1720 two families likely lived and worked here. In 1764 Johann Christian Müller married into the Fues family. His son Gustav took over in 1802. Gustav transformed it into the area’s leading paper producer for some decades. He modernized the equipment and built a second mill upstream. This provided space for expansion.
In 1817 Müller employed 80 people. The Fuesschen Mill employed 20. Despite his efforts Müller faced financial difficulties. By 1827 he had to cede the business to his main creditor Jakob Maurenbrecher from Düsseldorf. After Wilhelm Aurelius Fues died Maurenbrecher acquired the other part of the Dombach in 1833. Jakob Maurenbrecher and his son Wilhelm expanded the new mill. It became the Dombacher Papierfabrik Neue Dombach. In 1843 they were the first in Bergisch Gladbach to operate a paper machine.
The 1860s and 1870s brought increasing economic challenges. In 1869 the company became an Aktiengesellschaft. It was led by the Schaaffhausenschen Bankverein in Cologne. Wilhelm Maurenbrecher managed the business. They hoped to solve problems through large investments. In the early 1870s the factory expanded. It gained a new building complex with another paper machine.
These efforts failed to save the company. In 1875 the Schaffhausensche Bankverein decided to liquidate. Maria Zanders, owner of Papierfabrik Zanders, became the new owner in 1876. Zanders was already the largest paper producer in the area. At the time of the sale Dombach employed 160 workers. Papierfabrik Zanders employed 380.
Until World War I the Dombach facilities expanded repeatedly. Around 1900 both paper machines were replaced or modernized. Production in the old mill stopped around 1900. The former factory apartments became company housing. The production rooms remained empty. In 1952 they were converted into apartments too.
In 1930 the Dombacher Papierfabrik Neue Dombach also closed. Since then various businesses have occupied the site.
In December 1987 Zanders Feinpapiere AG and J.W. Zanders AG transferred the Alte Dombach buildings and properties to the Landschaftsverband Rheinland. The goal was integration into the LVR-Industriemuseum. The museum opened in 1999. It explores paper production and use from around 1750 to today.
Today at the LVR-Industriemuseum Papiermühle Alte Dombach you can see the reconstructed mill wheel. It powers a rag stamping system. Inside the mill you can watch paper being made by hand. You can even try it yourself. The drying house contains the museum shop and special exhibits. The papermaker family’s former residence houses a café. In a hall of the former Papierfabrik Neue Dombach stands the paper machine 4 from 1889. It was in use until 1991. The outdoor area displays various old machines. These include a Kollergang for pulping waste paper and a Hollander for breaking down raw materials. There is also a Kugelkocher for cooking rags and a Holzschleifer for grinding wood. The entire complex is a protected monument. It is a reminder of Bergisch Gladbach’s rich paper-making history. The history of the LVR-Industriemuseum Papiermühle Alte Dombach is really fascinating.