Ryssby garveri

The tannery, located next to the Ryssbyån in Ryssby, tanned hides and manufactured footwear from 1861 to 1984. The actual tanning operations ceased in 1941. Most of the equipment remains in the heritage-listed building.

The tanning business was established in 1861 by tanner Nils Magnus Folin from Långhult. Using second-hand building materials, he constructed his timber building by the river in Ryssby. The tannery changed owners several times. In 1875, the business was taken over by David de Verdier and his wife. They later sold the business for 3,000 riksdaler to Johan August Kindstrand from Östanåkra, who began producing sole leather for the local shoemakers and saddlers.

When they also needed to produce upper leather, more staff was required, and three brothers from the neighboring village of Nästgård were hired. Two of them soon left, leaving only one brother, Alfred Angel, in Ryssby. In 1897, he married the tanner Kindstrand’s daughter Emma, and soon their son Jacob was born.

The tannery was rebuilt, and in 1906 they began producing clogs, shoes, and boots. The business expanded to include a saddlery and a leather shop. In 1910, Alfred took over the tannery from his father-in-law and ran it until his death in 1926. His son Jacob Angel bought out his siblings from the estate in 1933. He modernized the company and acquired equipment for labor-intensive processes, including a leather press for dewatering the leather, which had previously been done by hand using a scraping stone.

The tannery ceased operations in 1941 due to World War II, and tanning never resumed. After the war, however, the preparation of furs and the production and sale of slippers, harnesses, etc., resumed. Operations continued until 1984 when all activities were shut down.

This translation is AI-generated.