Bernheimer Fine Old Masters was a German art gallery and dealership in
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
, owned by
Konrad Bernheimer.
History
In 1887,
Lehmann Bernheimer
Lehmann Bernheimer (27 December 1841 – 29 May 1918) was a German Antique, antique dealer, who built the Bernheimer-Haus in Munich.
He was born on 27 December 1841 in Buttenhausen near Münsingen, the third child of Meier Bernheimer (1801–1 ...
bought a small coffee house and beer garden (owned and run by an Englishman) called the ''English Café''. In its place was built the
Bernheimer-Haus
The Bernheimer-Haus, also known as the Bernheimer Palace, is a residential and commercial building located on Lenbachplatz 3 in Munich. The building was built in 1888/89 by architect Friedrich von Thiersch with a Baroque Revival architecture, neo-b ...
, which was officially opened in December 1889 by
Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria
Luitpold Karl Joseph Wilhelm Ludwig, Prince Regent of Bavaria (12 March 1821 – 12 December 1912), was the ''de facto'' ruler of Kingdom of Bavaria, Bavaria from 1886 to 1912, as regent for his nephews, Ludwig II of Bavaria, King Ludwig II and O ...
.
Initially, the focus was on high-quality textiles, with the manufacture of luxury goods being slowly added. After a fire in 1897, the building was extended and antiques, tapestries and carpets were added.
In 1918, his son
Otto Bernheimer took over the business. In the late 1930s, he and his family were sent by the Nazis to
Dachau concentration camp
Dachau (, ; , ; ) was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany and the longest-running one, opening on 22 March 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents, which consisted of communists, s ...
, but they were eventually allowed to emigrate to Venezuela. After the war, Otto Bernheimer returned, and in 1948, he moved into the art trade.
Otto's grandson
Konrad Bernheimer took over in 1977 and renamed the business as ''Bernheimer Fine Old Masters'', since the company was specializing in
paintings from the 16th to 19th centuries. In 1987, the Bernheimer-Haus was sold by Konrad Bernheimer to pay his co-heirs.
In 2002, he bought
Colnaghi Colnaghi is a last name. Notable people with this last name include:
* Ignazio Colnaghi (1924–2017), Italian actor
* Luca Colnaghi (born 1999), Italian racing cyclist
* Martin Henry Colnaghi (1821–1908), British art dealer
* Mattia Colnaghi (bor ...
of London, the oldest existing art dealer in the world. In 2016, he shut down his business in Munich and concentrated on Colnaghi in London.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernheimer Fine Old Masters
German art dealers