History of the paper mill in Velké Losiny
In the 1690s, a paper mill in Velké Losiny was founded by Jan Jr. from Žerotín. He was an owner of a corn mill, creator of a sulphur spa and a builder of a Renaissance castle. The paper mill was built on the site where the old corn mill was before, betwen 1591-1596. The oldest evidence of its existence is its first filigran (the thinner part of the paper where there is usually some symbol) from 1596.
In 1778 the paper mill was sold to Matyáš Werner Jr. Under his lead the paper mill had its most successful era. At the beginning of the 19th century, the paper mill got its final look. The building was finished by Philippe Wenzel in 1825.
Currently it’s the oldest paper mill in central Europe. In 2001 the paper mill became a National cultural sight. There has been a museum in the building since 1987.
History of paper
Earlier people wrote on stone slates, palm leaves, pergamens or papyrus. Pergamen is made of leather, people could write on both sides, then wash it and use it again. Papyrus was used in Egypt and they still make it. The first paper was made in China in 105. It was made of remain of textile and plants. About 1000 years later the paper came to Europe. The first paper mill in the Czech Republic was built in 1499 in Zbraslav u Prahy.
Interesting fact
The paper mill co-operates with ZOO Prague and they send them elephant’s excrements and the paper mill mixes it with cotton and makes paper from that.
