MC Wölffer

A hat, a walking stick, an umbrella…

Heute starten wir unsere kleine Geschichte für die Lübeck ZWISCHENZEILEN im Jahr 1792.

1792 – wasn't there something about that? The French Revolution. Jacobins. The deposition of King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette (whose end was unpleasant, as we know from history lessons).

Und in Lübeck? Hhmmm. Da fiel mir nichts ein. Schnell ins Archiv der „Lübeckische Anzeigen von allerhand Sachen, deren Bekanntmachung dem gemeinen Wesen nöthig und nutzlich ist“ geschaut. Und natürlich passierten damals wie heute dieselben Dinge:

Ich finde aber auch Anzeigen, die uns ins Jahr 1792 zu unserem Thema und Martin Christian Wölffer führen, dessen Name das Fachgeschäft für Schirme und Stöcke in der Fleischhauerstraße 2 bis heute trägt:

Der verlorene Schirm mag bei M.C. Wölffer an dessen Verkaufsstand unter den Rathausarkaden erworben worden sein. Dort begann die bis heute andauernde Erfolgsgeschichte des Fachgeschäfts, das der aus dem Harz stammende Schirmmacher Wölffer begründete.

„Irgendetwas muss meine Familie ja richtig gemacht haben,“ fasst Martin Christians Nachfahrin Gabriele Waldraff-Wölffer, die das Fachgeschäft für Schirme und Stöcke in Lübeck in fünfter Generation führt, die vergangenen 231 Jahre bei unserem unterhaltsamen Gespräch rückblickend zusammen.

An umbrella is an umbrella is an umbrella

The Lübeck native is a worldly-wise and pragmatic woman who likes to call a spade a spade. She understands perfectly well that an umbrella is a utilitarian item that should function reliably. Rarely does anyone give their umbrella much thought. It's only when it starts to rain that you realize you've forgotten it. It's annoying when the umbrella you're carrying has a broken shaft or a tear in the canopy. But very few people suspect that there's so much more to umbrellas than that.

Gabriele Waldraff-Wölffer, on the other hand, knows everything there is to know about umbrellas. "Nobody can pull the wool over my eyes," she says with a laugh. The owner is just as knowledgeable about opening mechanisms as she is about umbrella shapes. She tells me that an umbrella should ideally have a fixed shaft and, preferably, a ten-section frame. She explains that shafts can be made of steel, fiberglass, aluminum, or carbon fiber, and that their shape affects the stability, durability, and weight of the umbrella. With these innovative materials, a lightweight umbrella can weigh as little as 134 grams.

This long-established specialty shop carries umbrellas of varying quality for a clientele that Ms. Waldraff-Wölffer knows very well. After all, we're in Lübeck, where customers value solidly crafted products in understated color combinations. Tartan and striped models are always popular. Ms. Waldraff-Wölffer, however, would recommend a brightly colored canopy that brings a smile to people's faces and brightens up a rainy day. "When it's raining, it's already gray enough; the umbrella doesn't need to emphasize that."

I'm happy when it rains, because if I'm not happy, it rains too.

Karl Valentin (1882-1948)

If you buy cheap, you buy twice.

The price range in her shop spans from €15 to €225. Of course, she could always make them more expensive, but "is that really necessary?" the umbrella specialist wonders. She and her employee – a skilled seamstress – make many of the models themselves. She owes all her expertise to her mother, Lotti, who was incredibly capable. In the early 1970s, Gabriele Waldraff-Wölffer, a trained wholesale and export merchant, returned to Lübeck with her family after several years working for a shipping company in the USA and joined the business.

Learning by doing war in den Folgejahren die Devise. Sie sei als Kind ja quasi im Geschäft aufgewachsen und so schien der Wechsel in die Schirmbranche nur logisch und passend.

Even after all these years, she still finds immense joy in interacting with her customers. She is convinced that perfect service and competent, honest advice are the keys to success. Customer focus has always been paramount for all her predecessors and in her own work as a businesswoman.

Typical of her unpretentious style is that she gives her customers the space and time to look around. Sometimes she retreats to the small workshop behind the salesroom to do so.

Upcycling A la Wölffer – since 1792

There in the Wölffer workshop, I discovered another small but vast world, one that was completely unfamiliar to me. Umbrella repair is an extremely popular service at Wölffer. After all, there aren't that many umbrella repair shops left in Germany. At Wölffer's, spokes, ball tips, and sliders are lovingly replaced by hand, and sewing work is carried out. "We salvage parts from broken frames," explains Mrs. Waldraff-Wölffer. There are so many models that it's impossible to keep all the spare parts in stock at all times. And more and more customers are rethinking their approach and choosing to have their umbrellas repaired instead of throwing them away.

However, we need to keep things in perspective. Not every repair makes sense.

There she is again, the down-to-earth and practical woman who occasionally sprinkles a "Well" or an "Excuse me" into her sentences while telling her story. A small reminiscence of her time in America.

Strolling, walking, ambulating

Besides umbrellas, walking sticks are also available. An accessory that, for centuries, was considered essential for anyone who valued appearances. Whether with a silver or ivory handle, inlaid with precious stones, or adorned with precious stones: luxurious walking sticks were chosen to match clothing and mood. Ms. Waldraff-Wölffer doesn't carry this type of walking stick. It wouldn't really suit the rather understated North German landscape. Her sticks are elegant walking aids made from various woods, individually customized and fitted with a handle entirely to the customer's taste.

Committed to tradition

A few years ago, Ms. Waldraff-Wölffer wanted to modernize the premises. "What do you want?" friends and acquaintances asked, bewildered. Fortunately, this plan was shelved, so the shop's unique atmosphere remains palpable to this day. The simple walnut display cases, the long counter with its more than 100-year-old cash register, the wall with portraits of ancestors, the brass chandelier with the Lübeck double-headed eagle, and lovingly placed details make a visit to Wölffer's a little journey into the past—to a time before websites, social media, and online shops.

Therefore, instead of a link, here is the unconditional recommendation to go to Wölffer and have a conversation with a wise woman in person and acquire an umbrella for life.