Messestand in Paris 1955, Stapelsessel A 364, Entwurf Karl Schwänzer,
1953; Foto: Chevojon Fair booth in Paris 1955, Stacking chair A 364,
design Karl Schwänzer, 1953; photo: Chevojon
cities. 19 Dr. Fritzjakob Thonet died in 1973. In 1975, the two Thonet fa-
milies exchanged their shares, through which Thonet Germany and Thonet
Austria were then separately owned. At the same time, however, they
set up a pool agreement, which ensured mutual exclusivity. Thonet Ger
many was able to deliver to Austria only via Thonet Vienna and Thonet
Vienna could deliver to Germany via Thonet Frankenberg. The children
of the deceased Fritzjakob, Evamaria Schmertzing-Thonet, and Richard
Thonet, took over the management. The Company became known as Ge
brüder Thonet Vienna. 20
From 1976, the designer Ernst W. Beranek taught as a professor for pro-
duct development at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. Beranek,
a Student of Oswald Haerdtl, was recruited as a designer by Thonet
Vienna and in 1979/80 went on to create the multi-functional stacking
chair program THON DO, which became a sales success, especially the
version with Steel feet. The collaboration with Beranek lasted about fifteen
years and determined the appearance of Thonet Vienna for a long time.
Among other things, Beranek created the product lines FINE FORMS
and PLAZA with deliberate references to Viennese Modernism around
1900. 21 Other designs were also very successful on the market, such
as the nostalgic design ART DECO and, for the contract use segment,
the stackable and rowable bentwood product lines MEETING and NEW
MEETING.
The successful expansion efforts in production, program development,
and sales also required corresponding efforts in export. As of 1981, ex-
hibitors were therefore present at the most important international trade
fairs. The global market also demanded genuine bentwood classics from
Thonet Vienna, which is why a re-edition of iconographic chairs from the
company's long history was launched, and of course also the most
well-known chair, model No. 14. However, it was not the execution from
1859-that model still had no leg ring-but the early series version from
19 Karl Mang, Thonet Bugholzmöbel. Von der handwerklichen Fertigung zur industriellen Produktion,
Vienna 1982.
20 Heimo Keindl, “Das Unternehmen Gebrüder Thonet nach 1945“, in: Exhib. Cat. Neuwied 2011:
Möbel Design. Roentgen, Thonet und die Moderne, 223-229: 225.
21 Ch. Pauschitz, Ernst W. Beranek, Vienna 2017, 35ff.
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