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1839 - 1945

The factory was established by Josef Kazimír Gerlich, who built a single-storey building in 1839 into which he installed 10 looms for cloth manufacture. However Josef Gerlich died soon after.
Following the death of the factory's founder it was purchased in 1856 by silk weaver Sebastian Waschka of Vienna, who introduced manufacture of hat felt on 250 looms, situated partially in domestic production in Odry, Vítkov and Potštát.
From 1863 the company operated under the name of "Sebastian Waschka & Söhne". In 1866 the sons of Sebastian Waschka, Andreas and Wilheim sen. took control over management of the company.
In 1880 the factory building was raised by one storey and two years later a manufacturing hall of an area of 500 m² was built in the garden.
In 1901 Wilheim Waschka sen. was awarded the title of Imperial counsellor after the town of Odry and the facotry was visited by the provincial president Thun Hohenstein. On 08/1/1915 Wilheim Waschka died and his son Wilheim Waschka jun. and his nephews Carl and Johann Waschka of Vienna took over management of the factory. However the economic crisis, outdated manufacturing facilities and the impending events of the Second World War are indication of production being stopped in this factory. This occurred at the end of 1938 and all attempts in reviving production were unsuccessful.
During the course of the Second World War the factory building was utilised as a boarding house (lager) for Ukrainian women and girls, who were forced to work in the nearby Optimit factory.
The "Sebastian Waschka & Söhne" company was dissolved in 1946-1948 within the scope of the post-war events (displacement of German and Austrian citizens from the Odra region, establishment of the communist regime an subsequent nationalisation of industry).