Gebrüder Thonet
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA European furniture manufacturer renowned for industrially produced bentwood furniture and enduring modernist seating designs.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Gebrüder Thonet, also known as the Thonet Brothers, was a European furniture manufacturer founded in Vienna by Michael Thonet and his sons in 1853. The company became one of the most influential producers in the history of industrial furniture because it transformed bentwood from a specialist craft into a repeatable manufacturing system. Its method used carefully prepared wooden dowels or other precisely machined components, which were softened with steam and bent in forms to create consistent parts. This approach reduced the dependence on highly individual craft skills and made it possible to produce furniture in large quantities with relatively standardized dimensions and finishes. The company grew out of Michael Thonet's earlier furniture activities in Vienna. In 1856, the Thonet family expanded production with a factory in Koryčany, followed during the next decades by sites in Bystřice pod Hostýnem, Veľké Uherce, Vsetín, Halenkov and Radomsko. This network gave the business access to timber, labor and growing Central European markets while supporting a highly organized production and distribution model. Thonet furniture became especially visible in cafés, restaurants, public buildings and private interiors. Its products were often shipped in compact or partially assembled form, helping the company serve customers beyond the locations of its factories. The best-known product associated with the company is chair No. 14, commonly called the café chair. Its restrained construction, curved wooden back and compact silhouette made it practical for commercial interiors and easy to reproduce at scale. The chair became an international design classic and a lasting symbol of nineteenth-century industrial design. Thonet also produced rocking chairs, tables, armchairs and other bentwood furniture, later extending its range into tubular-steel furniture associated with the Bauhaus period and twentieth-century modernism. In 1921, Gebrüder Thonet merged with Mundus AG, creating what was described as the world's largest furniture manufacturer at the time. The Thonet family bought back the shares of Thonet Mundus AG in 1938. The Second World War and its aftermath brought severe disruption. Production facilities in Eastern Bloc countries were expropriated, while the company's Vienna sales office at Stephansplatz was destroyed during the war. From 1945 to 1953, Georg Thonet, a great-grandson of Michael Thonet, rebuilt the business in Frankenberg, Hesse. The reconstructed German site became the continuing headquarters and production base of the modern Thonet company. Postwar Thonet combined its historical bentwood expertise with collaborations involving prominent designers. Over the following decades, the company worked with designers including Egon Eiermann, Verner Panton, Pierre Paulin, Norman Foster, Alfredo Häberli, Piero Lissoni, Stefan Diez, Hadi Teherani and others. These collaborations helped connect the historical brand with contemporary architecture, contract interiors and design culture while preserving recognizable manufacturing traditions. In 1976, the business was divided into independent German and Austrian companies. The German operation continued as Gebrüder Thonet, while Thonet Vienna developed separately in Austria. In 2006, the German company adopted the name Thonet GmbH. The present German business remains based in Frankenberg/Eder and continues to make historical bentwood designs, tubular-steel classics and newer products by contemporary designers. Direct descendants of Michael Thonet in the fifth and sixth generations have remained involved as associates and sales partners. The wider Thonet legacy is also represented by successor companies in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, although these are independent businesses rather than a single operating company.
History
Michael Thonet established the foundations of the Thonet furniture business in Vienna before transferring the company to his sons under the name Gebrüder Thonet in 1853. The new structure reflected the family's transition from an individual founder-led workshop to a multigenerational industrial enterprise. Its central innovation was the systematic production of bentwood components. Instead of shaping every curved piece individually after bending, Thonet prepared timber to consistent dimensions, softened it with steam, bent it in molds and used the resulting components with limited additional machining. Machinery, jigs and repeatable processes enabled workers to manufacture accurate parts at scale. The company's first major expansion outside Vienna came in 1856, when it established a furniture factory in Koryčany. Additional Central European factories followed in Bystřice pod Hostýnem in 1861, Veľké Uherce in 1866, Vsetín and Halenkov in 1867, and Radomsko in 1880. This geographically distributed production system supported the company's growth and helped its furniture reach international markets. Thonet's products became particularly associated with cafés and restaurants, where lightweight, durable and visually distinctive chairs suited frequent rearrangement and standardized interior layouts. Chair No. 14 became the defining product of the nineteenth-century company. Its simple bentwood frame and efficient construction made it suitable for mass production, shipping and use in many kinds of interiors. The chair's success established an important precedent for later industrial designers: a commercial product could be economical, technologically efficient and aesthetically coherent at the same time. Thonet's catalogue also included other chairs, rocking chairs, tables and related bentwood products. In 1921, Gebrüder Thonet merged with Mundus AG. The combined company was described as the world's largest furniture manufacturer at that time. The Thonet family regained the shares of Thonet Mundus AG in 1938, but the following war years caused extensive damage and upheaval. Production sites in Eastern Bloc countries were subsequently lost through expropriation, and the Vienna sales office at Stephansplatz was destroyed during the war. Georg Thonet, a great-grandson of Michael Thonet, led the postwar rebuilding effort. Between 1945 and 1953, the company reconstructed its business in Frankenberg, in northern Hesse. The German site became the continuing headquarters and production center of the successor company. Recovery was followed by a renewed emphasis on design partnerships. Thonet worked with notable figures from postwar modernism, including Egon Eiermann, Verner Panton and Pierre Paulin, and later with designers and architects such as Norman Foster, Alfredo Häberli, Piero Lissoni, Stefan Diez and Hadi Teherani. A corporate division in 1976 created separate German and Austrian companies. The German business retained the Gebrüder Thonet identity for a period, while Thonet Vienna operated independently in Austria. In 2006, the German company became Thonet GmbH. The present company maintains the historical bentwood range, produces tubular-steel furniture connected with the Bauhaus era, and adds contemporary products developed with external designers and its own design team. The Thonet name is also represented by independent successor firms in Austria and the Czech Republic, including Thonet Vienna and TON. A museum opened on the Frankenberg company premises in 1989, and major museum collections in Vienna preserve and exhibit Thonet furniture.
- 2019
Thonet retrospective opens at MAK Vienna
[1]The Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna mounted a broad exhibition of Thonet designs from December 2019 to September 2020.
- 2006
German company adopts the name Thonet GmbH
[1]The German successor company formally became Thonet GmbH.
- 1989
Thonet museum opens in Frankenberg
[1]A museum opened on the Frankenberg company premises, displaying historical Thonet furniture across approximately 700 square meters.
- 1976
German and Austrian businesses separate
[1]The company was divided into independent German and Austrian operations, later associated with Thonet GmbH and Thonet Vienna.
- 1945
Postwar rebuilding begins in Frankenberg
[1]Georg Thonet began rebuilding the heavily damaged business in Frankenberg, Hesse.
- 1938
Thonet family regains ownership influence
[1]The Thonet family bought back shares in Thonet Mundus AG.
- 1921
Merger with Mundus AG
[1]Gebrüder Thonet merged with Mundus AG in a combination described as creating the world's largest furniture manufacturer.
- 1880
Radomsko factory opens
[1]The company extended its factory network to Radomsko.
- 1861
Bystřice pod Hostýnem production site opens
[1]A further Central European production facility was established at Bystřice pod Hostýnem.
- 1856
Koryčany factory opens
[1]The company expanded its industrial production network with a factory in Koryčany.
Products and positioning
A heritage furniture manufacturer positioned around industrial design history, precision bentwood production, iconic seating and collaborations with influential modern and contemporary designers.
Bentwood chair
Chair No. 14
Chair No. 14 is the company's best-known design and one of the most recognizable products in furniture history. Developed for efficient production, it uses a small number of curved wooden components and a restrained silhouette. Its light weight, practical construction and suitability for cafés helped it spread internationally. The design is commonly associated with nineteenth-century commercial interiors and remains the clearest expression of Thonet's industrial bentwood method.
Furniture
Bentwood furniture
Thonet's bentwood range includes chairs, armchairs, tables, rocking chairs and related interior products made from steam-bent wooden components. The production method enabled repeatable curves and consistent dimensions while retaining the visual warmth of timber. Bentwood furniture formed the foundation of the brand's international reputation and continues to be central to the company's heritage collection.
Modernist furniture
Tubular-steel furniture
The company expanded beyond wood into tubular-steel furniture, including designs connected with the Bauhaus era and twentieth-century modernism. These products extended Thonet's manufacturing identity into metal, emphasizing lightweight structures, geometric forms and suitability for modern interiors. The category remains part of the historical and contemporary Thonet portfolio.
Designer furniture
Contemporary designer collections
Thonet's contemporary portfolio includes furniture developed with architects and designers in addition to work from the company's own design team. Collaborations have connected the brand's manufacturing capabilities with modern office, hospitality, residential and contract-interior requirements. The range builds on Thonet's historic material expertise while introducing new forms and applications.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019MAK Vienna Thonet exhibition
Austria · International design audience
The Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna presented a comprehensive selection of Thonet designs from its collection, placing the company's bentwood and modernist furniture within a broader history of furniture production and design.
Outcome. The exhibition ran from December 2019 through September 2020 and reinforced Thonet's cultural and design heritage.
Brand decisions
2006
Corporate renaming to Thonet GmbHStrategyBackground
The German successor business continued to operate from Frankenberg while maintaining the historical Thonet identity.
Action taken
Gebrüder Thonet adopted the name Thonet GmbH.
Aftermath
The company continued producing bentwood classics, tubular-steel furniture and contemporary designer products under the Thonet name.
1976
Separation of German and Austrian operationsStrategyBackground
The historical business had developed across several countries and production territories, but postwar ownership and political conditions had created distinct operating structures.
Action taken
The company was divided into independent German and Austrian companies, later known as the German Thonet business and Thonet Vienna.
Aftermath
The two companies continued separately rather than operating as one unified corporate entity.
1921
Merger with Mundus AGM&ABackground
The established Thonet business combined with Mundus AG during a period of consolidation in the furniture industry.
Action taken
Gebrüder Thonet merged with Mundus AG to form a much larger furniture group.
Aftermath
The combined organization was described as the world's largest furniture manufacturer at the time. The Thonet family later bought back shares in 1938.
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