At the Schindlers’, he keeps on meddling

When you drive through or walk through the Šluknov region, you inevitably notice that there were many factories and small factories, but also just small manufactories that were stuck to almost every house, and if you then read a book or brochure that deals with the history of this area, historians will agree with you. Everyone produced something or at least tried to do it – someone succeeded, someone had to try it differently.

Krásná Lípa was a town of textile workers. Knitting, weaving, spinning mills, and perhaps buttons were also made here. Some prospered, others went bankrupt.

When you arrive in Krásná Lípa from Krásný Buk, you can’t help but notice a building that stands out from its surroundings. The building’s shell is fitted with glass panels (like the Prague department store Bílá Labuť). However, this building is not (yet) in the same shape as a Prague mall; however, for a few months now it has been equipped with a huge billboard on which you can read that it is Schindler’s Knitting Factory, which has been operating since 1854, i.e. more than one hundred and seventy years!

And that’s not enough.

I met with the owner and boss of the knitting factory, Martin Veselík, and we recorded our conversation from the fall of 2025. I have to say that it was a fascinating half hour, because this guy from East Bohemia not only has big plans and the energy to make them happen, but also a clear idea of ​​how to do it all.

Of course, it would be best to listen to the entire interview, but for the impatient, I can mention that production has never been interrupted here and one production has actually been added (Elite brand tights are knitted here).

Throughout the summer season (April to October), you can book a guided tour every Saturday. Every other year, you can participate in the knitting and textile symposium – if you register in time, of course – and this biennial awaits us again in 2026.

And if you’re feeling cold, you can buy a warm, woolen and very comfortable scarf at Schindler’s Knitting Factory, or even – don’t forget, the nights are cold! – warm underwear.

Another activity of Martin Veselík connected with the company Vitapur is also worth mentioning, and that is the fight against bedsores, or pressure ulcers. The goal and purpose of our daily work, they write on their website, is to eliminate bedsores-decubitus from the Czech Republic. Anyone who has encountered this problem must be rooting for this.