LUXURY LEATHER GOODS SINCE 1776
- Stefani Spangenberg
- Nov 19, 2022
- 3 min read
More than 200 years ago, the princes of Isenburg called a bookbinder monk, who was born in Stuttgart, to the court in Offenbach.
He soon realized that the thriving jewelery industry also needed suitable caskets and cases for its made-to-measure pieces. An auxiliary trade was necessary.
LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION
The bookbindery of Mönch and his son Johann Karl soon produced caskets, cases, portfolios and wallets. In 1776 he founded the first "case and souvenir factory" in Offenbach. In doing so, he laid the foundation for one of the city's best-known and most successful industries: the leather goods industry. The raw materials – leather and skins – were sourced from Frankfurt. A large part of the buyers were also based there. Through the trade fair, they not only opened up national, but also international markets. The manufactory, which soon found imitators, was no longer dependent on the jewelery industry. Son Johann Karl Mönch, who continued the business with the merchant Issak de Jonge after his father's death in 1778, employed around 20 bookbinders, portfolio workers and carpenters with a good order situation. The pieces were made of leather and wood, decorated with saffiano, soft, dyed goatskin, and silk, embroidered, with or without locks - just as current fashion trends and buyers' tastes dictated.
LUXURY LEATHER THROUGH QUALIFICATION
However, the Offenbachers also set their own standards with the combination of skilful craftsmanship and creative talent: Quality came first: one worker was responsible for each piece in each production step, and in the eyes of the entrepreneurs, the division of labor was incompatible with high quality. But the Offenbach manufactories were still open to new working methods and in 1888 were described in a report by the Grand Ducal Chamber of Commerce as a "highly qualified luxury industry".
"Even today we work in our Offenbach leather manufactory according to the principle: Quality comes first. This is the only way to create the technically perfect and exceptionally beautiful traditional bags for the luxury label Dirndlblossom." Thomas Kappes, master bag maker, Offenbach Main
Within the leather goods industry, homework gained special importance with the manufacture of small leather goods. Such wage work, which would have been too expensive in Offenbach itself, provided employment in the rural suburbs and around the city - for example in Mühlheim, Bieber, Obertshausen.
WORLD FAMOUS LEATHER TOWN
The leather goods industry of the 19th century was characterized by an ever-increasing variety of products: purses, wallets and business card cases, women's bags, jewelry boxes, suitcases, toilet bags for home and travel, photo albums and shoe manufacture, to name just a few. Specialized companies developed that pressed, embossed, dyed and gilded leather, for example.
"Each dirndl flower is a masterpiece of craftsmanship, decades of experience and passion for design. The traditional bags are made by master craftsmen in Offenbach exclusively on request. This sets standards in the luxury segment." Dietmar Schröder, master bag maker, Offenbach Main
At the beginning of the 20th century, Offenbach had become a world-famous German leather city. To this day, the city of Offenbach is home to some fine manufactories that produce handbags and belts. The classic handicrafts of the region, which almost disappeared with the closure of big names, are currently experiencing a small renaissance. Businesses in the hands of first-class master bag makers with decades of experience produce the finest leather goods by hand for world-renowned brands as well as for German luxury labels such as "Dirndlblüte".
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