Pigskin tanning returns to Germany
Nearly a decade on from the closure of Germany’s last pigskin tannery, a new operation has started with the creation of 35 jobs.
Located in the town of Stadtilm in Thuringia, Lewag Lederwerk AG is a DM8.8 million facility aimed at producing 800,000 square metres of pigskin annually. The choice of the Eastern German town Stadtilm is no accident. Until the early 1990s, the east of the country had a long history of pigskin tanning and the new operation is seen as reviving that tradition.
The tannery’s three new processor-type tanning vessels are also significant, having been built in Germany to a unique design that was patented by the makers. Expectations for the new venture are especially high as large quantities of pigskin leather are traded in Germany.
