Where it all began
It is no mere coincidence that Leitner Leinen was established in Austria’s Mühlviertel region, where, since the Middle Ages, flax has been cultivated out of the necessity of making a virtue out of the unfavourable soil conditions. In fact, flowering flax fields have dominated the landscape of the Mühlviertel for centuries. Out of what initially began as a cottage industry for local farmers, emerged as a specialist trade in the main towns in the 18th century that was engaged in weaving canvas and linen textiles, and in bleaching, dying and the associated retail business. During the Renaissance, the linen from the area between the Großer Mühl and the Danube was a sought-after quality product that equalled the standards of its competitors in France and Belgium. This is still true today.