We are back in the late 18th century.

Lieven Bauwens, son of a Ghent tanner, leaves for England at a young age to learn the latest tanning techniques. There he is fascinated by inventions in the textile industry. He manages to smuggle the Mule Jenny, a spinning machine, to the continent.

In Ghent, he becomes a powerful textile baron and also gets to tie the first mayor’s sash. Ghent is the Manchester of the mainland. Monasteries and even the Castle of the Counts are set up as factories.

The city is bursting at the seams. Cités are being erected to house the workers.

The gap between rich and poor is widening.