Blaudruckerei Wagner

About the museum

The Blaudruckerei Wagner in Bad Leonfelden is one of the last two workshops in Austria that still produce blueprint (indigo resist printing), and the only one in the Mühlviertel. As late as the first half of the 19th century there were around seventeen dye works in this region alone, some of which also printed fabrics.

The foundation was laid in 1878 by Karl Wagner, who returned to his home region after years of travelling through Europe, bought a house in Leonfelden and set up a dye works there. His successors led the business through times when blueprint was hardly in demand: they switched to dyeing wool, linen and clothing and later built up a laundry and dry-cleaning business, but kept the printing craft alive on a small scale. Only the fourth generation researched the family history, restored the old printing blocks and gave the craft a new boost. Today Maria Wagner and her son Felix work in the workshop, supported by the senior boss Karl Wagner.

On guided tours, visitors learn how the fabrics are prepared, hand-printed with blocks and then dyed with indigo, and what products are made from them. The collection comprises around 300 printing blocks, some of them very old, as well as numerous patterns and borders. The sales room offers table linen, cushions, aprons and fabric by the metre.

Highlights

• Craft in its fifth generation since 1878
• Around 300 historical printing blocks
• Indigo dyeing with hand-printed linen
• Large collection of patterns and borders

Operated by

Familie Wagner

Director

Maria Wagner (Geschäftsführerin)

Admission & discounts

Price per person for the guided tour; payment in cash or with a Bankomat card.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The workshop is not wheelchair accessible.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The workshop is located below the Bründlkirche.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Sale of blueprint goods and made-to-order items in the workshop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit