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J. Pauly & Sohn is one of the oldest bedding companies in the world. It was the sole official supplier of beds to the
Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...
for several generations. Josef Pauly established the company in Vienna, in 1838 when he received a license to make beds and mattresses from the emperor, Ferdinand I of Austria (17931875). The name of the new company was "J. Pauly & Sohn". In 1878, Pauly received an
Imperial and Royal Warrant of Appointment An Imperial and Royal Warrant of Appointment () during the Austro-Hungarian Empire was issued to vendors who supplied goods or services to the Austrian imperial court in Vienna and/or the Hungarian royal court in Budapest. The warrant was norma ...
as a Purveyor to the Imperial and Royal Court of
Emperor Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...
and his wife
Empress Elisabeth of Austria Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria (24 December 1837 – 10 September 1898) was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary from her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I on 24 April 1854 until her assassination in 1898. Elisabeth was ...
, (known as "Sissi").


History

In
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, the handcrafting of beds and mattresses is a traditional industry. In the 18th century in Austria, there were ten recognized masters of this profession. The master craftsmen of beds and mattresses also handcrafted suitcases and saddles. This was because many of the expensive materials such as horsetail hair, wool, cotton and leather used in production were the same. The master craftsmen, especially those of Vienna, were well known and exported their goods to
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
,
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
and other countries in the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
. During the 19th century, there was an increase in demand for luxury products of this sort.


Recognition

The
1873 Vienna World's Fair ) , building = Rotunda , area = 233 Ha , invent = , visitors = 7,255,000 , organized = , cnt = , org = , biz = , country = Austria-Hungary , city ...
provided a showcase for the local artisans. During the Fair, Josef Pauly received the first "Golden Cross for Industrial Merit". The year 1873 was the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Pauly and Sohn. Josef Pauly appeared in a Vienna publication honouring distinguished
industrialists A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...
. By 1891, the company had received ten awards, including the ''Medal d'amission'' ("medal of rightful admission") in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
in 1876. According to a 1903 Vienna newspaper, J. Pauly & Sohn was considered "one of the oldest and most respected companies in the bedding industry" as, at the time of publication, "it had been 31 years since Pauly had obtained the honorary title of K. & K. Purveyor of the Empire and was successfully delivering beds and furniture internationally". An Imperial and Royal Purveyor (''k.u.k. Hoflieferant'') was, in Austria-Hungary, a trader of products or services who had a special permit, by imperial privilege, to deliver its goods or services to the court in Vienna. This privilege allowed the suppliers to advertise publicly and exempted them from paying tax. The company received the title only if it was a leader in its industry in quality. The title was therefore a seal of approval of “highest” class, the highest honor that a business could get back then.Claudia Haase & Alexandra Kroft ''Where the Customer is Still Emperor'', Wirtshaftsblatt Newspaper, Austria June 15th 1996
/ref> J. Pauly & Sohn was the first company in Austria to produce handcrafted down feather duvets. They made beds and relaxation furniture, bedroom furniture, mirrors, living room furniture, and furniture for green houses and patios. They offered complete furnishings, beds for children, baby cribs, travel beds and a large variety of bed linen, headboards and products for sleep. In their mattresses and furniture they used materials such as horsehair (a moisture resistant material used at the time in saddles and carriages seats), cotton, wool, springs and silk. Josef Pauly was succeeded by his son, also named "Josef Pauly". By 1900, the Pauly family had been handcrafting beds for four generations. Nevertheless, the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the fall of the monarchy in 1918, the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
and eventually the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
created constant challenges for the company. The last family owner was Dorothea Henning.


References


External links


Toddler Bed StoreBedding & Furnishings
{{DEFAULTSORT:J. Pauly and Sohn Sleep Luxury brands Austrian brands Bed manufacturers Manufacturing companies based in Vienna 1838 establishments in the Austrian Empire Manufacturing companies established in 1838 Purveyors to the Imperial and Royal Court