Karin Altmann and Nana Opoku
In July 2025, we planned to interview women in the Upper Mühlviertel region of Austria who still preserve the knowledge of flax spinning. Here, too, the women I had met three or four years earlier had either passed away, were in nursing homes, or simply too weak for an interview. Finally, through placing an advertisement in the local newspaper, we found 89-year-old Berta Thaller, with whom we had a touching and inspiring interview. She gave us a wonderful and vivid insight into life with flax back then. A big thank you to Berta for her time and for sharing her knowledge and personal story with us, and a heartfelt thank you also to her daughter Andrea Weigl for reaching out to us as well as arranging and supporting the interview with her mother.
Dear Mrs. Altmann,
I read the article in the local newspaper Tips last week with great interest. It was about flax and the search for people who still work with it themselves.
My mother turned 89 last week and would be just such a person, someone who worked with flax (hoar). She is mentally sharp and could certainly tell many stories. I mentioned the article to her and asked if she would like to pass on her knowledge, but she said there were certainly more competent people; I think she doesn’t feel confident enough. It would certainly help her if I were there.
Perhaps you could tell me if you are still looking for someone and how the process would work. My mother lives in Kollerschlag in the Mühlviertel region.
Kind regards,
Andrea Weigl