"Brechelhütte", Baierdorf near Anger

Many farmers in Eastern Styria grew flax to produce their own washing. This shed was still used by five farms in the 1950s. It has a gabled roof with an overhang above the entrance, which offered protection from the rain. The oven is made of rubble, the drying room of logs. Traditional laundry production involved several stages: The flax was first roasted or dipped in water to break down the fibre and then dried in the kiln. Next, the dried flax was crushed and shredded, using a woodshed and scraper to separate the fibres from the woody parts to make cable. The cable was then 'chopped', meaning it was pulled through iron combs, leaving behind the fine fibres that provided the raw material for linen.