Until the 19th century rags were used as fibre raw material for paper production. Friedrich Gottlob Keller (1816-1895), while observing wasps during nest building and through childhood memories of grinding cherry stones for jewellery chains, came up with the idea of developing a paper raw material by defibrating wood, which from then on became very important as wood pulp. With this invention, Keller revolutionised paper production fundamentally and is therefore one of the co-founders of the modern paper industry. As a result of the long period of time from the idea (1843) to its large-scale use (1867), Friedrich Gottlob Keller's important invention unfortunately fell into the shadow of other top achievements of the 19th century.
Keller lived in Krippen near Bad Schandau from 1853 until his death in 1895. Here, after initial difficulties in getting started, he fulfilled his long-cherished wish to work as a self-employed mechanic.
Since 1972, Keller's house in Krippen has housed the Keller Museum. In front of the museum, an industrial press grinder made by the Voith company from Heidenheim has been erected as a technical monument.
(source: sachsens-museen-entdecken.de)
