History

Stable in the traditional upholstery trade, mental in the future

125 years - that is an absolute rarity in the furniture industry. There are perhaps only a handful of brands that are this old and have been family-run throughout. And probably none has undergone such a radical transformation as Bretz:

From mass furniture manufacturer to small, fine manufactory, from solid standard to elegant and at the same time unmistakable upholstered furniture. They are as expansive as they are comfortable, often unorthodox in shape, always upholstered in velvet and as colorful as birds of paradise - “True Characters”. And so are the people behind them: individualists full of energy, ambition and stubbornness. This is the only reason why Bretz has been able to constantly change and yet remain true to itself.

The

Bretz

history

Johann Bretz founded the company in 1895. Since then, every upholstered piece of furniture that leaves our manufactory in Gensingen is a handmade original. It took passion and a lot of courage to keep the family business running over the years. From total destruction in World War II, to the recession in 1986, to being saved by the Bretz brothers, Norbert and Hartmut, in the following year. In 2009, Hartmut’s daughter, Carolin Kutzera, initially joined the company as a designer, and since 2018 she has shared the management with her uncle Norbert Bretz.

History

1895
Foundation

Johann Bretz starts his own business as a mattress manufacturer and founds his first factory in Gensingen, Rhine-Hesse. His son Alexander expanded the range to include upholstered furniture. After the Second World War, he had to rebuild the completely destroyed factory from scratch.

1957
Down to earth

The company served the mainstream with furniture ranging from the kidney-shaped table style to Gelsenkirchen Baroque and grew continuously.

1973
Golden age & downfall

Karl-Fritz Bretz, Alexander's son, experienced the company's heyday in the mid-1970s with 1,600 employees and its demise a few years later in 1986 due to the economic crisis.

1987
Resurrection

Karl-Fritz Bretz founds the company with 5 employees. Shortly afterwards, he asked his sons Hartmut and Norbert to join the company, ushering in a new era.

1992
The transformation

“It was actually totally crazy,” says Norbert Bretz about the decision to save the company together with his brother Hartmut in 1992. Norbert and Hartmut Bretz were the fourth generation to take over. They focused on soft contours and strong shapes and turned the company into what it is today: a luxury brand that consistently cultivates exaggeration - extra-large, extra-colored, extravagant and therefore successful and unmistakable worldwide.

1995
Wild Thing

Bretz takes off with zebra and leopard patterns on the PopEi model and wins not customers, but real fans.

2011
Manufacturer and retailer

Bretz opens its first own mono-brand store in Cologne. To date, Bretz has 7 of its own brand stores in Hamburg, Berlin, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Frankfurt and Stuttgart. There are also partner-operated Bretz stores and multi-brand retailers. Click here for our store finder.

2015
Let's Celebrate

Bretz celebrates its 120th anniversary. The year before, a new Bretz classic joins the collection. Ohlinda combines playful, lively design and practical modular versatility.

2017
German Brand Award 2017 Gold Interior & Living

Bretz was awarded the German Brand Award Gold in the “Industry Excellence in Branding” category in Berlin at the end of June, the highest prize for successful brand launches in Germany.

2018
5th generation

Carolin Kutzera, daughter of Hartmut Bretz, replaces her father on the management board. After completing her MBA, the qualified designer, who has been working as a creative director at the company since 2009, joins the fifth generation of the family to manage the company together with Norbert Bretz.

2020
Let's Celebrate again

During the imm cologne, Bretz celebrates its 125th anniversary in the Brand Store Cologne. In addition to business partners, fans and regular customers, some German celebrities were also among our guests. Anniversary armchair Johann is launched in a limited edition of 125 pieces.

2024
New Horizons

Conversion and modernization of production with additional integration of a photovoltaic system, which generates more energy at the company site than is needed.

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