Textile Studies

Welcome to the subject "Textile Studies"!

Textiles, from jeans to "Ötzi's" legwear, are the subject of teaching and research in the textile sciences. Textiles and clothing are decisive parts of material culture. They are scientifically analyzed in terms of their social significance in the areas of cultural history (everyday culture, foreign and own culture), fashion and costume history, production, technical and social history, consumption, design, ecology and design and methodically and didactically prepared for the transfer of knowledge in schools.

The focus of the subject area is on the content of the material world and life design, so that there are many references to interdisciplinary issues, such as intercultural education, the image of man and fashion, health education, equality, globalization or education for Social Equity.

The course is based on a scientific and creative concept that ties in with everyday culture and the world we live in and focuses on the creative examination of material culture. Using textiles as an example, fine motor skills are practised that are in danger of being lost in an increasingly virtualized world.

The particular appeal of the Bachelor's course lies in the tension between individual experiences with textiles and clothing in everyday life on the one hand and scientific analysis and aesthetic-practical design on the other. Questions about the interactions between consumption and production, economy, design and ecology are of interest here.

The aim of the course is to acquire scientific, analytical, creative and technical skills in textiles as a basic requirement for the profession of textile teacher in primary and secondary school (Sek. I).

Subject specifics at Osnabrück University

The workshops at Osnabrück University, which are exceptionally well-equipped by German standards, enable creative, technical-design and experimental work in projects, individually and in groups.

The workshops in the areas of weaving, knitting, sewing, printing and pattern design (PC pool) are equipped for manual and computer-controlled work, so that both traditional craftsmanship and modern industrial processes can be learned in an exemplary manner.

The integration of subject-specific science, design and subject-specific didactics with their respective specific teaching and learning methods is essential for the conception of the textile course.