Bremen and cotton – A global and versatile raw material in the Hanseatic city.
This was the title of the invitation and the “Carl Schurz Lecture” on June 1 at the Cotton Exchange.
Mrs. Stephanie Silber, acting president of the Exchange, presented our members interesting facts to the house, the history of the Bremen cotton trade and early contacts of the Exchange with the Carl Schurz Society.
We Bremer must be proud of the fact that Bremen is the world’s headquarters for fiber science and certification of testing methods. The “Cotton Exchange” association is the founder of the “German Fiber Institute”, which operates the world’s leading laboratory in the building.
A tool developed here decades ago and reissued annually since then is the sample box, on the basis of which the current standards of cotton quality are still determined worldwide. These boxes are manufactured and equipped here and sent to retailers and organizations worldwide.
It was amazing hearing of the association’s wide-reaching work in the indurstry, which ranged from tasks and challenges in fashion and the environmental and social aspects from cultivation to processing.
The natural product, whose largest single producer is the USA, employs 140 million people in the tropical belt in cultivation alone.
We are proud that with Mrs. Silber the series of lecturers in this traditional format was continued in a worthy manner.
Finally, we were able to take a look at the book published especially for the 150th anniversary of the Cotton Exchange. Many present decided to purchase one to take home. Thus this Bremensie finds entrance into the book shelves of our members.
