In 1810, the young journeyman weaver Franz Backhausen leaves his native Germany to move to Vienna, where he soon passes his master craftsman examination.
Founded in 1849 in Vienna On 30 January, 1849, Franz Backhausen's sons Karl and Johann establish a company named "Karl Backhausen & Co.", thereby laying the cornerstone for one of the most successful Austrian enterprises in the textile industry.
Gold Medal award won in London At the World's Fair held in London in 1851, Backhausen is awarded a Gold Medal. In 1860, the company id given its current name "Johann Backhausen & Söhne".
In 1864, the company moves into a new sales centre (in the "Heinrichshof" building) opposite the Vienna State Opera house; a new factory is established in the Lower Austrian Waldviertel region (1870).
Appointment to the Imperial and Royal Court After 1869, Backhausen provides decorative fabrics for many public representative buildings, e.g. the Vienna State Opera and City Hall, the Parliament building in Vienna and the city's famous Burgtheater. Due to these extraordinary achievements, the Backhausen family are appointed "suppliers to the Imperial and Royal Court" in 1888 and was a pioneer of "Viennese Jugendstil"
The Backhausen family demonstrated courage in the early 20th century: embarking on a new course, it writes a chapter of company history as a supplier of "Wiener Werkstätte".
In 1895, Backhausen joins the progressive artistic trends of the fin de siecle: as a supplier of "Wiener Werkstätte" (1903), the company realizes almost all designs for fabrics and carpets of such celebrated artists as: Otto Wagner, Kolo Moser, Josef Hoffmann, Otto Prutscher, Dagobert Peche and others
Foto: Karolinsky-Archive