The C. H. Pürschel textile factory was founded in the early 20th century by Carl Heinrich Pürschel, a member of a well-known textile family in Forst (Lausitz), Germany. At that time, Forst was often called the “Manchester of Lausitz” because of its thriving wool and cloth industry.

In 1924, Pürschel built a modern factory complex along the Mühlgraben canal. The site included large weaving halls, dyeing and finishing departments, its own power plant, and a railway connection  all typical of large-scale textile operations of the era. The factory grew rapidly, employing hundreds of workers and producing high-quality woolen cloth (Tuche) used for coats, uniforms, and fashionable outerwear.

After World War II, the company was nationalized by the East German government and renamed VEB Modetuch Forst (“People-Owned Fashion Cloth Factory”). In the 1960s, it became part of a larger conglomerate known as VEB Tuchfabriken Forst, which united all local textile producers. During the GDR period, the factory remained an important center for wool production, with some of its fabrics exported abroad.

Following German reunification (1990), the factory could no longer compete in the free market. Production ceased, and the company went bankrupt around 1992. The site has since fallen into disuse, though there have been efforts to preserve or repurpose it as part of Forst’s industrial heritage.

Today, the former VEB C. H. Pürschel stands as a monument to industrial history, recalling the time when Forst was one of Germany’s most important textile towns.