From the mid-19th century, one textile factory after another opened its doors, and Ronse grew, after Ghent, into the second-largest textile city in East Flanders.

Dyeing

We explored the remains of one of those factories: the "Teintureries Belges" that collapsed in 2000. This dyehouse dates from the early 20th century.

After a decade of abandonment, parts of the dyehouse were demolished and replaced by a new construction, which is now home to the cultural center "De Ververij" and the local art academy.

Skeletal structure

Yet you still come across several remnants of the dyehouse, such as the skeletal structure of the workshops: cast iron columns support the iron trusses on which the shed roofs used to rest.

The engine building and boiler house were the company's signboards. However, the steam engine, as well as the factory chimney, have disappeared.

A handful of basins surround the factory site. Water was indispensable for a dyehouse. That's why the Teintureries Belges was situated on the banks of the Molenbeek.

But the Molenbeek also heralded the end of the dyehouse: after a heavy flood, the factory closed down.