Mülheim an der Ruhr can look back on over 350 years of tradition in leather production. With the Ruhr and its widely branching streams as well as the extensive oak forests as a source of tanning materials, the town became an ideal location for tanneries to settle.
The tanning trade and the later industrial production of leather have been an important economic factor for the city ever since and soon made Mülheim known throughout the world as the city of leather. After the decline of this once flourishing industry from over 50 companies in 1924 to just two factories today, it became increasingly important to document this important aspect of Mülheim's history.