Paula Trock (1889–1979) was a Danish weaver who began producing her own fabrics at the Troba workshop in
Sønderborg
(; ) is a Denmark, Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Sønderborg Municipality (Kommune). The town has a population of 28,333 (1 January 2025),Vejen
Vejen with a population of 10,416 (1 January 2025) is the main town in Vejen Municipality, Denmark.
Geography
The town is situated in the Danish region of Region of Southern Denmark, Syddanmark between the cities of Kolding and Esbjerg. It is a ...
in the south of
Jutland
Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...
which she headed until 1969. There she developed innovative processes, producing a wide range of textiles, especially for use in the home. Trock's curtains were commissioned for the
United Nations Headquarters
The headquarters of the United Nations (UN) is on of grounds in the Turtle Bay, Manhattan, Turtle Bay neighborhood of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It borders First Avenue (Manhattan), First Avenue to the west, 42nd Street (Manhattan), 42nd ...
in New York, for
Marselisborg Palace
Marselisborg Palace (, ) is a royal residence of the Danish royal family in Aarhus. It has been the summer residence of Queen Margrethe II since 1967.
There is a Palace Park in connection to the palace itself and outside the grounds, stretching ...
in
Aarhus
Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...
Holbæk
Holbæk () is a town in Denmark and the County seat, seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 30,903 (1 January 2025).Inner Mission and a father who gained a reputation for his cheeses.
In 1925, she entered
Askov Højskole
Askov Højskole is a Danish folk high school, that is located in the village of Askov, Denmark, Askov in southern Jutland between Kolding and Esbjerg. It was founded in 1865 as an extension of Denmark's first folk high school, which had been est ...
, a
folk high school
Folk high schools (also ''adult education center'') are institutions for adult education that generally do not grant academic degrees, though certain courses might exist leading to that goal. They are most commonly found in Nordic countries and i ...
, where she established friendships with the principals, Karen and Jens Therkelsen Arnfred, and with Jenny la Cour, who introduced her to weaving. Hoping to make a career in weaving, in 1926 she made study trips to Sätergläntan in
Dalarna
Dalarna (; ), also referred to by the English exonyms Dalecarlia and the Dales, is a (historical province) in central Sweden.
Dalarna adjoins Härjedalen, Hälsingland, Gästrikland, Västmanland and Värmland. It is also bordered by Nor ...
Dartington Hall
Dartington Hall in Dartington, near Totnes, Devon, England, is an historic house and country estate of dating from medieval times. The group of late 14th century buildings are Grade I listed; described in Pevsner's Buildings of England as ...
in Devon, England.
In 1928, supported by the weaver Else Kock and the housekeeping teacher Rigmore Seidelin-Larsen and in conjunction with Askov Højskole, she established a weaving school in
Poul la Cour
Poul la Cour (13 April 1846 – 24 April 1908) was a Denmark, Danish scientist, inventor and educationalist. Today la Cour is especially recognized for his early work on wind power, both experimental work on aerodynamics and practical implementat ...
's former home. The curriculum consisted of a six-month course in practical weaving and three months' theory. Among the experts she brought in were Paulli Andersen (1906–1990) and Frances van Hall from the Netherlands. In 1934, the school moved to Sønderborghus on the island of
Als
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, terminal neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive loss of both upper and low ...
, where the Troba weaving workshop was also established. Despite considerable success, in 1943 the Germans took the school over during
the occupation
''The Occupation'' is a single-player adventure video game developed by White Paper Games and released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows on 5 March 2019. The game takes place in a single government building, in real-time over f ...
.
In 1948, Trock opened the Spindegården production facility immediately adjacent to Askov High School. The textile artist Inge Bjørn became closely associated with the new establishment. It proved to be a pioneering development centre for experimentation with the use of new weaving materials, spinning techniques, and dying. She also worked with
cellophane
Cellophane is a thin, transparent sheet made of regenerated cellulose. Its low permeability to air, oils, greases, bacteria, and liquid water makes it useful for food packaging. Cellophane is highly permeable to water vapour, but may be coate ...
, creating curtains for the 1960 Milan Triennal. In 1970, she transferred the management of Spindegården to Hanne Vedel who had worked with her for many years. Vedel moved the production facility to
Aabenraa
Aabenraa (; , ; South Jutlandic: ''Affenråe'', also known as Åbenrå) is a town in Southern Denmark, at the head of the Aabenraa Fjord, an arm of the Little Belt, north of the Denmark–Germany border and north of German town of Flensburg. It ...
, preserving Trock's designs and manufacturing processes. Trock's curtains were commissioned for the
United Nations Headquarters
The headquarters of the United Nations (UN) is on of grounds in the Turtle Bay, Manhattan, Turtle Bay neighborhood of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It borders First Avenue (Manhattan), First Avenue to the west, 42nd Street (Manhattan), 42nd ...
in New York, for
Marselisborg Palace
Marselisborg Palace (, ) is a royal residence of the Danish royal family in Aarhus. It has been the summer residence of Queen Margrethe II since 1967.
There is a Palace Park in connection to the palace itself and outside the grounds, stretching ...
in
Aarhus
Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...
, and for the Royal Yacht ''Dannebrog''.
For her outstanding work, Paula Trock received wide recognition including the Grand Prix for the 1935 and 1937 world exhibitions and gold medals for the Milan Triennials in 1954, 1957 and 1960. In 1959, she was honoured as a
Knight of the Dannebrog
The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known as ''White Knights'' t ...