Erfurt & Sohn

Erfurt & Sohn KG is a German paper factory and wallpaper manufacturer based in the Wupper valley, on the border between Wuppertal and Schwelm in North Rhine-Westphalia. Founded in 1827 by Friedrich Erfurt, who received the concession to build a paper mill, the company is one of Germany's oldest continuously family-owned industrial businesses and is today led by the eighth generation of the Erfurt family. Its best-known product, Rauhfaser (also spelled Raufaser), is a paintable embossed wood-chip wallpaper that became a standard wall covering in German homes and is widely recognized through stadium advertising at football matches. The company's product range today includes Rauhfaser and non-woven Rauhfaser, textured and non-woven wallpapers, smooth non-woven wallpapers, digital photo wallpapers, interior insulation products, and accessories such as adhesives and repair fillers. Erfurt markets its products as environmentally friendly and healthy for living spaces: PVC-free and plasticizer-free, breathable, moisture-regulating, suitable for allergy sufferers, and repeatedly overpaintable. The company has also pursued sustainability credentials, including Cradle to Cradle certification for selected products and the use of recycled paper as a raw material for over 50 years. Erfurt & Sohn operates as a family business with a long-term perspective, emphasizing quality, environmental responsibility, and innovation in wall coverings. Its products are sold to DIY customers, professional painters, and specialist paper markets. The brand is particularly associated with the invention of Rauhfaser by Hugo Erfurt in 1864, originally developed as a paper for shop-window decoration and as a base paper for glue-printed wallpapers, which later spread worldwide.

Erfurt & Sohn traces its origins to 1827, when Friedrich Erfurt received the concession to establish a paper factory. He founded a paper mill in the Wupper valley, using the river's water to power the mill and to bleach paper products. The business remained in the family: his grandson Hugo Erfurt, a trained pharmacist, inherited the factory from his father Heinrich Erfurt. In 1864, Hugo Erfurt developed a "paper for shop-window decoration" and a "base paper for glue-printed wallpapers," which later became known as Rauhfaser (or Raufaser) and spread worldwide. Under the leadership of Wilhelm Erfurt, who led the company until 1998 in the sixth generation, Erfurt & Sohn developed into one of the best-known wallpaper brands in Germany. Over the decades, the company expanded its product range beyond Rauhfaser to include non-woven fiber wallpapers (smooth and textured), paper embossed wallpapers, creative wallpapers, wall tattoos, and functional wall coverings. These functional products include a facade system for renovation, design, and protection against recurring cracks; the EMV 80 Carbonvlies wallpaper for shielding against electromagnetic radiation; ClimateTec for increasing heating speed in interior rooms, mold remediation and prevention, and crack bridging; and digital print wallpapers (smooth or lightly textured) for custom motifs. The Erfurt-Rauhfaser product is known nationwide in Germany, partly through stadium advertising at football matches. According to company statements, the majority of raw materials used in Rauhfaser production consist of waste paper, pulp, and wood shavings. Since its founding in 1827 and now in its eighth generation, Erfurt & Sohn emphasizes responsible action for future generations. The company has used recycled paper as a raw material for over 50 years and states it is the only wallpaper manufacturer that uses recycled raw materials and consistently organizes processes in a circular manner. It aligns with the goals of the EU Green Deal through sustainable product design across the entire life cycle and adherence to the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Climate Agreement. Selected products have received Cradle to Cradle certification, with all ingredients independently reviewed and certified for the main category of material health; Erfurt completed the certification process together with the accredited assessor EPEA Switzerland. The company remains a family business (Familienunternehmen) that considers long-term perspectives in its actions, with a focus on sustainability and quality standards. Its headquarters and production site are located in the Wupper valley, on both sides of the river that forms the border between Wuppertal (Langerfeld-Beyenburg district) and Schwelm.

• 1998

  Wilhelm Erfurt ends his leadership after guiding the company in the sixth generation.

• 1864

  Hugo Erfurt develops a 'paper for shop-window decoration' and a 'base paper for glue-printed wallpapers,' later known as Rauhfaser.

• 1827

  Friedrich Erfurt receives concession to build a paper factory and founds a paper mill in the Wupper valley.

• Erfurt & Sohn receives Cradle to Cradle certification for selected products, certified by EPEA Switzerland.

Family-owned German wallpaper manufacturer with nearly 200 years of history, known as the inventor of Rauhfaser and positioned around quality, sustainability, and healthy living.

• Rauhfaser

  Paintable embossed wood-chip wallpaper, invented by Hugo Erfurt in 1864; environmentally friendly, PVC-free, breathable, suitable for allergy sufferers, repeatedly overpaintable.

• Vlies-Rauhfaser

  Non-woven version of Rauhfaser, PVC-free and plasticizer-free, breathable, moisture-regulating, repeatedly overpaintable.

• Struktur- und Vliestapeten

  Textured and non-woven wallpapers, healthy for living, PVC-free, highly abrasion-resistant, breathable, overpaintable with all dispersion paints.

• Glattvlies-Tapeten

  Smooth non-woven wallpapers, healthy and breathable, dimensionally stable, crack-bridging, low paint consumption, easy to remove, repeatedly overpaintable.

• Digitale Fototapeten

  Digital photo wallpapers for individual wall design, durable professional quality, various textures and widths.

• Innendämmung (ClimateTec)

  Interior insulation that ensures quick heating of rooms, significantly reduces heating costs, breathable, moisture-regulating, mold-preventive, crack-bridging, easy to apply.

• EMV 80 Carbonvlies

  Electromagnetic shielding wallpaper for defense against electromagnetic radiation.

• Zubehör (adhesives and fillers)

  Adhesives for Rauhfaser and non-woven Rauhfaser, and Rauhfaser filler for quick and easy repair of dents, cracks, or drill holes.

1. 1Tapeten vom Erfinder der Rauhfasertapete | Erfurterfurt.com
2. 2Unternehmen | Erfurterfurt.com
3. 3Cradle to Cradle | Erfurterfurt.com
4. 4Erfurt & Sohn – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
5. 5Erfurt & Sohn – Wikidatawikidata.org