Aš Museum

Ethnography and history of the textile industry

The Ethnographic and Textile Museum of Aš presents the rich history and cultural heritage of the town of Aš. Founded in 1892, the museum boasts diverse collections of folk and textile objects that document the glory of local industry and culture. The museum offers thematic exhibitions, lectures and supports researchers interested in the history of the region.

Aš Museum

The Textile Museum is located in a historic building nicknamed the “mansion” on Mikulášský vrch in Aš. The textile industry in the Aš region flourished in the 18th century and with the onset of the industrial revolution, the volume of production increased many times over. After World War II and the expulsion of Germans, new residents came to the border region. Production continued in the nationalized textile factories until the 1990s. Since the 1970s, the museum has been collecting documents about textile production in the Aš region and, through exhibitions and displays, it brings textile history closer to visitors. In our exhibition, you will see textile machines such as spinning machines, knitting and weaving looms, as well as clothing, lace, sample books, gloves and the process of their production.The most important collection of the Aš Museum is the collection of samples of half pairs of textile gloves, which represents a huge fund with a total number of 26,563 pieces. This collection speaks of the former glory of the textile industry in the Aš region, which was the main source of livelihood for the local population. Gloves have become the great pride of the Aš Museum, where part of the exhibition is dedicated to gloves, including the entire process of their production. In the spring of 2024, this record was entered in the Czech Book of Records!The ethnographic exhibition has found its place in the premises of the former Municipal Library on Poštovní náměstí. Since part of the building also served as a fire station until 2006, the building has become known as the “fire station”.The museum occupies the entire first floor of the fire station. It presents short-term exhibitions, the oldest artifacts of the Aš region (Resting Jesus Christ and the tombstones of Anna of Witzleben and Eustach of Zedtwitz, all artifacts date from the 16th century) and, last but not least, everyday objects, mainly from the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. The museum also has a so-called "Stained Glass Hall", a lecture room with 60 seats.The Aš Museum organizes thematic exhibitions, lectures and supports researchers. It maintains a central register of stone crosses and small monuments of the Czech Republic. It cooperates with the Society for the Research of Stone Crosses and organizes meetings of researchers interested in small monuments.

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