The origins of industrial textile production are considered to date back to 1812, when the manufacturing of the world-renowned knitted fezzes began. The very first fez was made in Strakonice in 1807, and in 1812 the Fürth brothers founded a company dedicated to the production of caps and fezzes.
Producing a Muslim head covering from wool was not as demanding as crafting a felt hat, yet adhering to established methods remained essential.
The production flourished, and demand grew steadily. By 1873, Wolf Fürth’s Strakonice factory reported an annual output of 1.2 million fezzes. In 1899, factories across Austria-Hungary merged into the Joint-Stock Company of Austrian Fez Factories, headquartered in Vienna.
After the establishment of Czechoslovakia, the company’s headquarters moved to Strakonice, where fez production continues to this day.
The traditional brand Fezko Strakonice, renowned for its fezzes, knitted berets, and caps, merged with the Nový Jičín factory in 2001. Together, they rank among the world’s largest hat-making companies, exporting 90% of their production worldwide.
Today, Strakonice produces the popular zmijovky (traditional Czech knitted caps), fezzes for the African market, fashionable as well as military berets, and other knitted headwear.