Description

This attractive map showing Munich, Bavaria, and embracing the area between Schwabing in the North and Untergiesing-Harlaching in the south, was made by a manufacturer of fabrics and clothing Lodenfrey, based in Munich, and was published for the Arts & Crafts Fair of 1908. The red lines show routes to the fair, Lodenfrey’s department store and the factory, from train stations.  

The back of the map is printed with advertisements of new products, such as male and female fashionable clothing, raincoats, capes, clothing for children, hiking clothing and equipment.

Lodenfrey was one of the best firms to produce sports and hiking clothing from the 19^th century on. Started in 1842 by Johann Georg Frey in Munich, the firm opened its first store in 1850 in the center of the city in a large city house, on the location still occupied today. The store was one of the first such institutions, where products from the factory were exhibited in windows and sold directly to the clients, without tailors or other middlemen.

In 1854 Johann Georg Frey received a gold medal on the Paris World Fair for developing a water-proof “Loden” – a woollen fabric, popular in Alpine countries. This fabric’s name became a part of the firm’s name and the invention was important for the development of sport and outdoor clothing.

The water-proof loden played an important role in alpinism, surveying the Alps and making new routes across the mountains in the next couple of decades.

The factory Lodnefrey was built from 1870 and was situated in the north part of the English Garten (Englischer Garten), which is today located almost in the center of Munich. Here on the map is shown in the upper right part.