The History of Textile, Clothing, Leather and Footwear Industry

This chapter briefly presents the main stages of the evolution of the textile, clothing, leather and footwear industry in Romania, being structured in four parts. The first part is concerned with the evolution of specific techniques from their origins. In the fields of weaving and clothing manufacturing, two important inventions are notable in the so-called “Neolithic revolution”: the twisting of threads with the help of the spindle, followed by weaving them into the loom. In our traditional crafting, the spinning process has been carried out through three basic tools, authentic relics of a millenary technology: the awl, the rod and the spindle. In the field of weaving, there is a very large typological variety that reflects the entire evolution of tools. The crafts, among which the textile production stands out, marked the first “technical revolution” in the history of mankind, the “Neolithic revolution”, which led to the emergence of the social category of craftsmen. In the 14th–16th centuries, in the field of weaving which had become one of the most widespread medieval crafts, a wide use of hydraulic power is recorded. In the second half of the 19th century, during the expansion of capitalist relations in the villages, the textile craft knows a new phase of development—the manufacturing phase, which corresponds to a new historical stage, defined by the concept of “domestic textile industry”. At the beginning of the 20th century, with the transition to factory production, new professions emerged in Romania. The second part of the chapter focuses on some particular traits that marked the period between the two world wars. The entire industry develops at a higher rate than the other manufacturing branches in the country, a fact mainly determined by: the existing textile equipment; the increase in domestic consumption; industrial policy based on protectionist tariffs, laws to protect the textile industry, and encouraging the valorisation of indigenous raw materials. After the First World War, textile higher education appeared and developed in Romania. Between the years 1930–1940, the textile industry experienced the greatest development since its emergence. Economic growth ended in 1939 when World War II began and Romania's trade was severely affected. The third part marks the main aspects of textile industry development after the Second World War until the fall of communism. There was a transitional period until 1948, during which the difficult economic situation and the uncertain political climate did not lead to special achievements. In the period 1950–1982, the production of textiles increased 21 times, of clothing 26 times, and of fur and footwear 16 times; thus, the clothing and footwear sectors represented, in 1982, 13.1% of the whole Romanian industry. After 1960, special attention was paid to the introduction of modern techniques by equipping with high-productivity machines, reusing and modernizing existing enterprises, introducing new technologies to give textile products superior characteristics and to ensure the processing of new chemical raw materials. The textile industry, until 1989, held an important place in the national economy, both as a branch producing consumer goods and as an activity generating national income and jobs, especially for women. Until 1989, there were numerous state-owned production capacities in Romania, which positioned the country as an important supplier of textile and clothing products, especially in relation to the countries of the former Eastern European bloc. In the fourth part, the main transformations of the industry after 1990, its decline, but also the opportunities and future perspectives are presented.