The cabinetmaker Fritz Hansen from Nakskov in Denmark came to Copenhagen in the 1870s and set up his own workshop in 1885. Fritz Hansen began producing high-quality furniture together with his son Christian, and they enjoyed immediate success.

Within its first 50 years, the company was already producing furniture for prestigious buildings such as Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen’s University Library, town hall, and supreme court.

Danish design on the world map

A large number of international designers and architects have collaborated with Fritz Hansen. These include Arne Jacobsen, Børge Mogensen, Poul Kjærholm, Piet Hein and Bruno Mathsson. Børge Mogensen designed the Spoke-Back sofa in 1945, which would shape modern Danish design history. Designed as a combination of a classic two-seater sofa and a French chaise longue, the sofa was ahead of its time and did not go into production until 1963. With this and future design collaborations, Fritz Hansen participated in the development of the typically Scandinavian style, which is a variant of German functionalism with a focus on clean lines.

In the 1950s, Arne Jacobsen designed the Myran chair, and its impact was enormous. Myran, together with the Sjuan/Sevenchair, the Egg lounge chair and the Swan, all helped to put Danish furniture design on the world map and were significant achievements for Fritz Hansen. In 1956, Poul Kjærholm designed the PK22, which became a design classic and won the prestigious Grand Prix at the Milan Triennial. With PK22 and several other design masterpieces, Kjærholm developed into one of Denmark’s most respected designers. 30 years after his death, the product is still as popular as ever.

With a new strategy, the company changed its name in the 2000s to Republic of Fritz Hansen. With the aim of letting the customer create their own unique style, whether for a private home, an office, or a waiting room or conference room, the company continued to develop and create unique, classic Danish furniture design. In addition to celebrating the 60th anniversary of the iconic Seven chair, 2015 was an eventful year for Republic of Fritz Hansen, which also acquired the Danish lighting brand Lightyears, with a design philosophy that was fully in line with Fritz Hansen’s future plans. The Objects collection was introduced in 2016. The collection was an extension of the brand but also a way to attract new customers with beautiful, affordable products.