Hat off! Memorial ceremony in front of the war memorial © Stadtarchiv Lindenberg im Allgäu

D / BAY: Lindenberg im Allgäu:online

Hats off! In the Western Allgäu, the town of Lindenberg, known as a climatic health resort, has opened its Topotheque. The cover picture not only shows one of the most important tasks of the Topotheque – the documentation of the past, but also an important product of this city: the hat. The production of hats had a centuries-old tradition here. In the first half of the 20th century, a total of eight million hats per year were produced in 34 different companies in Lindenberg, which earned the city the nickname „Hat Capital of Europe“. So it is not surprising that the agendas of the Topotheque are kept by the „German Hat Museum Lindenberg & Stadtarchiv Lindenberg“. The museum has been housed in the building of the former Ottmar Reich hat factory since 2014. But of course the city and its Topotheque have more to offer than just headgear: traditional things, such as the visit of St. Nicholas, scenes from working life or construction activities form the basis of this Topotheque, which is currently under construction. However, the sale of tobacco products in a climatic health resort is somewhat surprising.