Dufourschloss (Dufour Castle)

History: Originally, silk gauze was used to make filters for sieving fine flours. Before the invention of synthetic fibers, silk was the preferred material due to its fine, long fibers. The industrial pioneer Pierre Antoine Dufour, a native of Lyon, recognized this early on and founded the silk bag cloth weaving mill “Dufour & Co.” in 1833.

Architecture:In 1903, his grandson Anton Dufour converted the old Freibach farm in Thal into a new sophisticated palace in the neo-baroque style. The main building extends over four floors with a striking steep hipped roof and an impressive tower attached. The floor consists of a colorful mosaic of white marble with ornaments in black, red and gold.Current use:The Dufour family castle now serves as the headquarters of the former “Thal silk gauze factory”, now known as Sefar Holding AG. From the former production of fashion fabrics, the company has developed into an innovative, world-leading producer of technical fabrics. The company, which emerged from the silk gauze factory, now employs 3,000 people worldwide - and the administration is still based in Dufour Castle.