Past and future – in perfect harmony
Foundation charter Zeidler & Wimmel
On 11th March 1776, in the time of King Frederick The Great, the “grand old master“ Johann Heinrich Wimmel lay the foundations for a stone mason‘s business which eventually was to become today’s company Zeidler & Wimmel. At that time, the workshop was situated on Lustgarten park grounds, close to the former Pomeranzen bridge in Berlin.
Lustgarten Park, Berlin
Johann Heinrich Wimmel gained the confidence of architects and sculptors of his time, among them Karl von Gontard, Carl Gotthard Langhans, both Gillys (father and son) and Johann Gottfried Schadow. One of his patrons and a personal friend was Karl Friedrich Schinkel.
Johann Heinrich Wimmel
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Karl Friedrich Schinkel |
Johann Gottfried Schadow |
He worked on many magnificent buildings such as the Königskolonnaden (King’s Colonnades) and the Brandenburg Gate.
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Koenigskolonaden (King’s Colonnades) |
Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) |
After Johann Heinrich Wimmel’s death in 1818, his eldest son Phillipp Heinrich Wimmel took over the prosperous company. Sandstone from Saxony and the surroundings of Madgeburg was used in Berlin for the Castle, the Zeughaus (arsenal) and the Neue Wache (new guard-house). Philipp Heinrich Wimmel proved to be very competent at finishing granite which, since the beginning of the 19th century, had often been used for buildings. Even Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the grand poet, thought this worth mentioning. On 8th July 1829 the then Oberlandesbaumeister (Senior Master-Builder) Karl Friedrich Schinkel reported in a letter to King Friedrich Wilhelm III that Wimmel succeeded to manufacture “not only one, but all four columns“ for the porch of the mausoleum in Charlottenburg in a notably skillful way. In recognition of his merits the King awarded Philip Heinrich Wimmel the Royal Medal for Arts and Craftsmanship. |
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Philipp Heinrich Wimmel died in 1831 and was succeeded in business by his son Adolf Heinrich Wimmel. He was on best terms with renowned architects and artists like Schinkel, Carl Ferdinand Langhans, August Stüler, Albrecht Dieter Schadow, Ludwig Persius, Johann Heinrich Strack, Christian Daniel Rauch and Friedrich Drake. |
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In 1853 Adolf Heinrich Wimmel became Stonemason by Royal Appointment. After his death in 1859 his widow continued the business until their son, Paul Wimmel, took over in 1868.
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 Otto Zeidler |
 Carl Zeidler |
Siegessäule Berlin
The friendship between the companies Zeidler and Wimmel deepened even more through their joint work to the Siegessäule (victory column) in Berlin.
Factory in Bunzlau (now Bolesławiec)
In 1872 both companies started a joint venture by founding a state-of-the-art workshop including sawing facilities and a studio for stonemasonry and sculpture. They named the new company Zeidler & Wimmel.
It served both parent companies in Berlin who were still operating independently.
Gebrueder Zeidler extended their business to foreign countries as well. Among others they were entrusted with the natural stone works to buildings in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Vienna, Copenhagen, Prague and Buenos Aires.
In 1910 they acquired Muschelkalk quarries in Kleinrinderfeld and Gaubüttelbrunn and erected a factory with diamond saws and a sculpture studio in Kirchheim, near Würzburg.
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Muschelkalk quarries Gaubüttelbrunn and Kirchheim (Bavaria, Germany)
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Reichstag in Berlin
The building of the Reichtstag required about 13500 m³ (475000 ft3) of natural stone per year of construction.
In 1905 Dr. Adalbert Metzing became manager and co-owner of Gebrüder Zeidler. In 1907 he acquired the company Wimmel, and after Paul Wimmel’s death he was the sole owner of both companies.
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Olympic Stadium in Berlin
In 1939 Zeidler & Wimmel was one of the biggest stonemasonry factories ever in existence. During its peak period the company ran 7 factories and 21 quarries, employing 1600 workers. The chalkstone factory delivered huge quantities for the construction of the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.
But then the worst chapter of European history began, and at the end of the second world war 80% of Zeidler & Wimmel was lost.
Yet, already in 1945 Zeidler & Wimmel was reestablished in Kirchheim.
After Dr. Adalbert Metzing’s death, his son Hellmut Metzing took over the company’s management, and then became the sole owner. |
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A new chapter begins
A new generation of architects, like Mies van der Rohe, Philip Johnson, Helmut Hentrich, Hans Scharoun, Hanns Dustmann, Rudolf Schwarz, Hugh Stubbins and Kaspar Kraemer, set out with innovative designs. Instead of the solid construction of exterior walls steel and concrete structures became more prevalent. Yet, these modern designers still incorporated timeless natural stone into their schemes.
In close co-operation with architects, Zeidler & Wimmel carried out the natural stone works to buildings such as the Congress Hall in Berlin, the Liederhalle in Stuttgart, the Hall of Arts in Bielefeld and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Berlin.
Beside these commitments Zeidler & Wimmel maintains its tradition of stonemasonry. Restoration and sculpture remain an important part of its business. Zeidler & Wimmel is involved in restoring the Dome of Cologne, the Stephansdom in Vienna and the “Römer“ in Frankfurt.
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Dome of Cologne |
Römer, Frankfurt |
Stephansdom, Vienna |
At all times, the sculpture studio has been frequented by renowned artists. Professor Karl Hartung created his sculpture for the World Exhibition in Brusselles, and the large relief wall to the WDR-building in Cologne at the studio in Kirchheim. And here, throughout many decades, Paul Brandenburg produced his religious monuments and sculptures.
1981 marked an important transition. Philipp Holzmann AG took over 50% of Zeidler & Wimmel. Three years later the company passed into the ownership of the Philipp Holzmann corporation completely. The former owner, Consul Hellmut Metzing, left the company on 2nd January 1984. His successor, Roland Koster, ran it until mid-year 1989, when Joachim Grüter and Rolf Zubeil became joint managing directors. In October 1993 Joachim Grüter was appointed CEO. In 2000 he was elected President of the DNV (Deutscher Naturswerkstein-Verband, German Stone Association). Anton Gerstner was appointed Deputy and Production Manager.
Zeidler & Wimmel continues its prolific work on many renowned building projects designed by well-known architects, among them Hans Hollein, Christoph Mäckler, Josef Paul and Jan Kleihues, Meinhard von Gerkan, Gesine Weinmiller, Michael Großmann, Thomas Müller, Ivan Reimann and Michael Laird Architects.
The year 2004 marked a significant change in Zeidler & Wimmel’s history.H. Geiger GmbH Stein- und Schotterwerke, also a company with a sound tradition, owned by Herbert Geiger, took over
Zeidler & Wimmel.
Know-how acquired in more than 230 years of
existence allied to innovative technologies of
our time – what could be more convincing!
