History

1490 Paper-making in Gengenbach has a century-old tradition that reaches back into the middle ages. In old documents one can find references to a paper-mill that produced paper of the highest quality from 1490 to 1705. It was delivered to print shops in Strasbourg and dealers as far away as northern Germany, Holland, and Belgium.

1858 Albert Köhler, whom his employees will later on respectfully call "the father", is born in Fulda on the 12th July. He is apprenticed to a weaver in his hometown. A young merchant, he moves to Strasbourg.

1889 Albert Köhler, originally from Fulda, and his partner Jakob Marz buy the Gengenbach cardboard factory that was founded by one Wilhelm Rein in 1873. The beginnings, as can be seen from the contract between the partners, are modest. However, in the same year they build a strawboard factory next to the existing mill board factory.

1893 Jakob Marz leaves the company. Albert Köhler, now the sole owner, starts to purposefully extend and modernise the factory.

1904 Albert Köhler starts producing illuminated metal-glass mosaics to be able to make economic use of the winter months, as it is difficult to dry the cardboard during the wet season. Unfortunately, the enterprise does not yield the financial success that Albert Köhler has hoped for, so the production is discontinued.

1920 Albert Köhler dies at the age of 62. At first, his wife Katinka becomes general partner, then his sons Julius and Franz Köhler, both paper-engineers, take over.

1925 Unusually for the time, Köhler builds factory-owned flats for its workers.

1944/45 To begin with, the production continues during World War II . In 1944 and ‘45, however, first the straw- and then the mill board factory have to close due to the lack of coal, raw material and workers. On the 18^th April 1945 the French army occupies Gengenbach.

1946/47 The cardboard production can be taken up again.

1949 Günther Junk, Julius Köhler’s son in law enters the company.

1962/66 After the death of Franz Köhler in 1962 and Julius Köhler in 1966, Günther Junk takes over as sole proprietor and manager.

1969 The straw board fabrication is discontinued. The quality of the straw board does not meet the demands of the customers any more.

1986 Hans-Henning Junk, Günther Junk’s son, enters the company as a partner. When his father retires in 1996, he becomes sole managing partner.

1986 A new, bigger production hall is built around the old automatic hall, before the old building is demolished underneath. This way, the machines are protected from bad weather and the production can continue unhindered.

1995 In the former turbine house of the 19^th century Köhler Electricity Company is turned into a little museum where old documents, photographs and objects are exhibited.

1997 The company supports an arts project by the Association of German Paper Factories in cooperation with the fashion school of the Trier University of Applied Sciences. The clothes made from paper and cardboard materials are presented in Frankfurt in November 1997. The models fashioned from Köhler products, “the warrior” and the “high priest” can be seen in the turbine house museum.

2004/05 The company embarks on a new communications strategy to open up new markets.

2005 In October, Günther Junk dies at the age of 85.

	Home Products Company History Facts Team environment References Virtual Tour Jobs News Markets Contact Imprint		History 1490 Paper-making in Gengenbach has a century-old tradition that reaches back into the middle ages. In old documents one can find references to a paper-mill that produced paper of the highest quality from 1490 to 1705. It was delivered to print shops in Strasbourg and dealers as far away as northern Germany, Holland, and Belgium. 1858 Albert Köhler, whom his employees will later on respectfully call "the father", is born in Fulda on the 12th July. He is apprenticed to a weaver in his hometown. A young merchant, he moves to Strasbourg. 1889 Albert Köhler, originally from Fulda, and his partner Jakob Marz buy the Gengenbach cardboard factory that was founded by one Wilhelm Rein in 1873. The beginnings, as can be seen from the contract between the partners, are modest. However, in the same year they build a strawboard factory next to the existing mill board factory. 1893 Jakob Marz leaves the company. Albert Köhler, now the sole owner, starts to purposefully extend and modernise the factory. 1904 Albert Köhler starts producing illuminated metal-glass mosaics to be able to make economic use of the winter months, as it is difficult to dry the cardboard during the wet season. Unfortunately, the enterprise does not yield the financial success that Albert Köhler has hoped for, so the production is discontinued. 1920 Albert Köhler dies at the age of 62. At first, his wife Katinka becomes general partner, then his sons Julius and Franz Köhler, both paper-engineers, take over. 1925 Unusually for the time, Köhler builds factory-owned flats for its workers. 1944/45 To begin with, the production continues during World War II . In 1944 and ‘45, however, first the straw- and then the mill board factory have to close due to the lack of coal, raw material and workers. On the 18^th April 1945 the French army occupies Gengenbach. 1946/47 The cardboard production can be taken up again. 1949 Günther Junk, Julius Köhler’s son in law enters the company. 1962/66 After the death of Franz Köhler in 1962 and Julius Köhler in 1966, Günther Junk takes over as sole proprietor and manager. 1969 The straw board fabrication is discontinued. The quality of the straw board does not meet the demands of the customers any more. 1986 Hans-Henning Junk, Günther Junk’s son, enters the company as a partner. When his father retires in 1996, he becomes sole managing partner. 1986 A new, bigger production hall is built around the old automatic hall, before the old building is demolished underneath. This way, the machines are protected from bad weather and the production can continue unhindered. 1995 In the former turbine house of the 19^th century Köhler Electricity Company is turned into a little museum where old documents, photographs and objects are exhibited. 1997 The company supports an arts project by the Association of German Paper Factories in cooperation with the fashion school of the Trier University of Applied Sciences. The clothes made from paper and cardboard materials are presented in Frankfurt in November 1997. The models fashioned from Köhler products, “the warrior” and the “high priest” can be seen in the turbine house museum. 2004/05 The company embarks on a new communications strategy to open up new markets. 2005 In October, Günther Junk dies at the age of 85.