Founder of the Diederichs company.
It was in 1855 that Théophile Diederichs (1832-1901), originally from Germany, became director of Louis-Emile Perregaux’s weaving workshop in Jallieu. Trained as a mechanic, he made numerous technical improvements to the looms and, in 1871, independently set up a workshop of 400 looms for silk weaving.
From 1938 onwards, the company expanded and concentrated on loom construction and ironworks. For decades, the Diederichs dominated a flourishing industry, and was the city’s largest company with as many as 1,500 workers. They became the leading loom manufacturers in Europe.
Diederichs finally closed down in 1992, followed by the iron foundry in 2001-2002.