MOLLER, HANS

MOLLER, HANS (1896–1962) and his cousin ERICH (1895– ), textile industrialists in Ereẓ Israel. Born in Vienna and Ostrava, respectively, Hans and Erich were the fourth generation of textile industrialists. The Moller family owned the cotton-spinning mill, founded in 1865 by their great-grandfather,   Simon Katzau in Babi (Bohemia). They both went to Palestine in 1933 and in 1934 founded Ata Textile Company at Kefar Ata. They finally settled in Palestine in 1938. This was the first integrated cotton, spinning, weaving, dyeing, and finishing plant in the country, manufacturing and retailing ready-to-wear clothing and supplying the Allied forces in the Middle East during World War II. Originally a family business, Ata became a public company. In 1967 it had 1,861 employees. In 1948 a subsidiary company, Kurdaneh Textile Works Ltd., was founded. Erich left Ata in 1949 to build Moller Textile Ltd., a spinning, twisting, and dyeing plant in Nahariyyah. Both plants made major contributions to Israel export. (Kurt Gruenberger)