Tannereien

Tannereien, in German, are industrial facilities where hides and skins are transformed into leather. They process raw hides from livestock such as cattle, sheep, and goats into a durable material used in clothing, footwear, furniture, and automotive interiors. The production involves several stages, including cleaning and fleshing, dehairing or deslivering, bating, and pickling, followed by tanning, retanning, dyeing, fatliquoring, and finishing. The tanning step converts collagen in hides into a stable material that resists decomposition and accepts dyes and finishes.

There are several tanning methods. Vegetable tanning uses tannins from plant materials and produces a stiff, long-lasting leather used in saddlery and bridlework. Mineral or chromium tanning, using chromium salts, is faster and yields softer leathers suitable for fashion and upholstery; synthetic and aldehyde-based methods exist as alternatives. Each method has characteristic properties, costs, and environmental considerations.

Historically, tanning is an ancient craft that evolved from rudimentary processing to organized industrial production in the 19th and 20th centuries. The term tannery is associated with both small workshops and large-scale facilities, and modern tanneries often operate with complex wastewater treatment, recycling, and emissions controls to meet environmental regulations.

Economic and geographic distribution varies; major production regions include traditional leather-producing areas in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Tannereien are integrated into global supply chains that supply leather to footwear, fashion, upholstery, and industrial sectors. Environmental management, traceability, and animal welfare considerations are central to contemporary tanning practices.