The Handmade Carpet

Ernst Anton Swietly grew up in a family that had just one single carpet. It was rolled out only once a year, during the Christmas holidays, and on each 7 January, the carpet was rolled up and hidden behind a box until next Christmas. Since then, for Ernst, carpets have been a symbol of peaceful, warm, cosy family get-togethers. Later on, Ernst A. Swietly - a journalist for fifty years - travelled the carpet-producing countries of the world discovering the secrets of handmade weaving and their design principles. This is how he met Fritz Langauer, and they realised it was time to write a book on the carpet world of the 21st century. Only thus could they bring the incredibly diverse artistic, political and economic environment of knotted and woven works of art to a wider audience, with the aim of correcting numerous misunderstandings and reconciling many points of conflict between East and West, North and South, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Judaism, in a peaceful and understanding way.



Fritz Langauer is the son of the businessman Friedrich Langauer who, with his cousin, Adolf Boehm, founded Adil Besim OHG immediately after the Second World. As one of the sons of the two founders, Fritz Langauer joined the company in 1957. With its five branches, a carpet laundry and repair workshop, it developed over the years to become one of the largest department stores in Europe. Through many procurement trips to the countries of origin, and while searching for old and antique carpets and flatweaves in many other countries, he has been able to acquire a comprehensive knowledge of the entire spectrum of the industry, of new and antique carpets, wholesale and retail. In addition to English, he also knows Farsi (Persian) and some Turkish. He is also a court-certified expert on hand-knotted rugs and tapestries.