Surrounded by high green hills near a small village, I was searching for the remains of an abandoned textile factory. Once found, the outside gave no indication of the surprising beauty inside. With my face pressed up against the broken glass, I took a look inside. This old, family-owned factory had a very ancient, authentic atmosphere. Its charm lay frozen in time, from the fibers still threaded in abandoned looms to the old business documents spread around the office area and the dust-covered machinery. Around the old wooden worktables, rusty tools hang from the cupboards. Much to my delight, the history was totally intact with no signs of graffiti, theft or trashing. A true time warp!

After many hours of exploring I went out unseen, respectfully leaving everything untouched, with a beautiful reminder in my heart and in my camera. Hopefully the plans for transforming this into a museum will be implemented soon, so that more interested people will be able to enjoy the forgotten history of textile fabrication.

“After a few years had passed, I returned to this very charming factory and was relieved to find it in almost the same authentic condition as before. It’s clear that time has not stood still, because there’s more decline and vegetation has started growing inside through the broken windows. While I was in my element photographing this site, every now and then a passersby would try to look inside. From the outside, however, it looks very dark and it’s difficult to see the beauty inside. Thus, while time has marched on, the factory was left in peace and silence. There are still rumors about a reconstruction of this intriguing location. We’ll see …”