Complete History

Reutlingen

1921
Foundation of the German Research Institute for the Textile Industry, Reutlingen-Stuttgart, on January 10, Director: Prof. Dr.-Ing. e.h. Otto Johannsen, also head of the Technical Center for the Textile Industry and the State Testing Office for Textile Fabrics.

1936
Establishment of the Department of Textile Chemistry under the direction of Dr. Hermann Rath.

1941
Otto Johannsen resigns as Head of the Research Institute; Prof. Dr.-Ing. Fritz Walz becomes Head of the Technical Center and the Research Institute

1952
New construction of the institute in Burgstrasse

1955
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Erwin Schenkel becomes Director of the Technical Center and the Research Institute

1970
The Institute of Textile Technology, Reutlingen (ITR) is separated from the Technical Center; Institute Director: Prof. Dr.-Ing Joachim Lünenschloß

1971
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Egbers becomes Director of the ITR and is simultaneously appointed to the University of Stuttgart

Stuttgart

1961
Relocation of the Institute of Textile Chemistry to Stuttgart-Wangen

1962
Chair of Textile Chemistry at the TH Stuttgart for Prof. Dr. Hermann Rath

1962
Foundation of the Department of Man-Made Fibers under the direction of Prof. Dr. Paul Schlack

1968
Institute for Man-Made Fibers in Stuttgart-Wangen, headed by Prof. Dr. Heinz Herlinger

1972
Institutes for Man-Made Fibers and Textile Chemistry are headed by Prof. Dr. Heinz Herlinger, Chair of Textile and Fiber Chemistry at the University of Stuttgart

Denkendorf

1937
Foundation of the Zellwolle Lehrspinnerei Denkendorf and construction of the new building in Körschtal

1955
Renaming to Denkendorf Research Society for Chemical Fiber Processing

1961
Extension building (central laboratory/administration)

1979
Fusion of ICF Institute for Man-Made Fibers, ITC Institute for Textile Chemistry, ITV Institute for Textile and Process Engineering to form the research center for joint industrial research DITF German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research, Stuttgart, under the supervision of the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs

1981
Completion and opening of the new buildings in Körschtal

Chair of Textile Technology at the University of Stuttgart for Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Egbers


1993
Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Oppermann takes over the directorship of the Institute of Chemical Fibers (ICF) and the Institute of Textile Chemistry (ITC) Denkendorf and the Chair of Textile and Fiber Chemistry at the University of Stuttgart


1998
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Heinrich Planck takes over the directorship of the Institute of Textile and Process Engineering (ITV) Denkendorf and the Chair of Textile Technology/Textile Machinery Engineering at the University of Stuttgart.


2003
Fusion of ICF and ITC to form the Institute of Textile Chemistry and Chemical Fibers (ITCF) Denkendorf


2007
Fusion of the Institute of Textile and Fiber Chemistry with the Institute of Applied Macromolecular Chemistry to form the Institute of Polymer Chemistry[ (at the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Stuttgart) with the establishment of the Chair of Macromolecular Materials and Fiber Chemistry and the Chair of Macromolecular Chemistry.


2009
Prof. Dr. Michael R. Buchmeiser takes over the directorship of the Institute of Textile Chemistry and Chemical Fibers Denkendorf  (ITCF) and the Chair of Macromolecular Fabrics and Fiber Chemistry at the Institute of Polymer Chemistry at the University of Stuttgart.


2013
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Götz T. Gresser takes over the directorship of the Institute of Textile and Process Engineering (ITV) Denkendorf.

Project Infratech: Under the motto "one location for everything", the technical centers in Körschtal are being concentrated and will be modernized and expanded in the coming years. This includes the modern central testing laboratory, a larger lighting laboratory and new machinery for the prototype construction workshop.

2014
The High-Performance Fiber Center (HPFC), the first public research and high-performance fiber center in Germany, is opened at the DITF. It has around 1000 m² of the world's most modern facilities for the efficient development of high-performance fibers. Research focuses on carbon fibers made from natural raw materials and ceramic fibers.

2015
In May 2015, the DITF officially becomes the third organizer of the international textile conference hosted by the DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Aachen and the Institute of Textile Machinery and High Performance Materials Technology ITM, Dresden. In future, Stuttgart will be the venue for the Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference every three years.

2017
New marketing concept: Three research units - one brand! The new DITF logo stands for the entire research center and represents all institutes to the outside world.

2020
Strategy 2021 brings the research areas of chemistry, process engineering and management even closer together: Six Competence Centers for areas with thematic overlaps, five Technology Centers for specialized areas and a service center for testing services create new synergy effects.

2021
100 years of DITF: An internationally recognized research center has developed from the first beginnings in Reutlingen. More than 250 people work in all areas of textile and fiber research. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the celebrations will not take place until February 2022 at the Haus der Wirtschaft in Stuttgart.

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