Johann Bretz founded the company in 1895. Since then, every piece of upholstery to leave the workshop in Gensingen, Rhine Hessen, has been a handmade one-of-a-kind. A great deal of passion and courage have been key to ensuring the business’s ability to withstand long-term the challenges of history; from the total destruction of the factory in World War 2, through the economic recession of 1986, to the rescue of the company by the brothers Norbert and Hartmut Bretz in the following year. In 2010, Hartmut’s daughter, Carolin, came on board, initially as a designer. At the time, she didn’t realise that her passion would grow to such an extent that one day she would not only design the product, but also shape the company’s culture and future. Since 2018, she has shared the management of the company with her uncle Norbert.