Freiburg/Fribourg

The Canton of Freiburg (Fribourg in French) is in the west of Switzerland adjoining the western border of the canton of Bern.

We do not know when the straw industry came to the canton of Freiburg but by the 1800s, it was sufficiently developed to cause great changes and development in the canton. Unfortunately as quickly as the industry came it disappeared, to be replaced by the now world famous Gruyere region industry of milk products.

In the 1800s the Gruyere produced approximately 50% and the Sensler and Saanebezirk areas 20% of the total straw products produced in the canton of Freiburg. At the forefront of the production was the straw plait, which was of the highest quality. This was possible because of the wheat straw grown in the region.