Alois Frimmel – Zum alten Knopfkönig

Alois Frimmel – Zum alten Knopfkönig is a traditional Viennese retail business specialising in buttons, zips and sewing accessories. Its origins lie in a shop founded in 1844 by the master tailor Ferdinand Zambach behind the Peterskirche in Vienna's first district. After passing through the hands of Heinrich Baron Brauneker, it was bought in 1878 by Alois Frimmel, whose name the business still carries. In 1911 Alois Frimmel was granted the title of k.u.k. Hoflieferant (purveyor to the imperial and royal court) for buttons and accessories, and his button shop traded as 'Zum alten Knopfkönig' — 'At the Old Button King'. Its buttons were made of buffalo horn, mother-of-pearl, fine woods and metals, and its customers included the imperial court, the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie; the coffeehouse writer Peter Altenberg was a regular. The shop was long located at Freisingergasse 1 in the Innere Stadt, later moving to Wiedner Hauptstraße 34 in the fourth district, Wieden. Under Alois Frimmel's son Max Frimmel and his wife Erika, the business reached a remarkable scale for a specialist shop: around 3,500 button boxes and cartons holding hundreds of thousands of buttons in a space of barely 30 square metres, staffed by seven employees. Branches existed at Neuer Markt and on the Wiedner Hauptstraße. Over time, however, mass production and changing taste eroded demand for individual buttons, and because Erika Frimmel had no heirs, she appealed repeatedly to the city administration to preserve the shop, considering a museum or handing her buttons to a collector. In 2004, after more than 45 years in the business, she gave it up; the closure of the traditional house at Petersplatz was widely regretted in Vienna. The historic premises were subsequently occupied by a chocolate shop that largely preserved the 160-year-old interior of dark wood panelling, chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling cabinets with thousands of small drawers. The rights to the name were held until the end of February 2010 by Sibylle Zolles, who runs the traditional haberdashery W. Wächtershäuser in Frankfurt am Main. In March 2010 Gerhard Hennerfeind and his wife took over the business at Wiedner Hauptstraße, and in February 2019 Martina Schrutka, a trained tailor, succeeded them. The shop continues to sell buttons and sewing accessories and to repair zips; the range has been expanded with wool, fabrics, crochet materials, specialist literature and jewellery of the brand Juwelyn's. According to its own advertising it once boasted of being Vienna's 'first and oldest button shop', and today it advertises around 8,000 different buttons.

The business that became Alois Frimmel – Zum alten Knopfkönig was founded in 1844 by the master tailor Ferdinand Zambach as a shop behind the Peterskirche in Vienna's first district, the Innere Stadt. It later passed to Heinrich Baron Brauneker, and in 1878 it was bought by Alois Frimmel. In 1911 Alois Frimmel was awarded the title of k.u.k. Hoflieferant for buttons and accessories, and his button shop was named 'Zum alten Knopfkönig'. The buttons sold there were made of buffalo horn, mother-of-pearl, fine woods and metals, and the clientele included not only the imperial court but also the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie; the coffeehouse writer Peter Altenberg was a regular customer. Alois Frimmel was succeeded by his son Max Frimmel. Max married, at the age of 54, the 16-year-old fashion student Erika. In their time the shop alone held around 3,500 button boxes and cartons containing hundreds of thousands of buttons, in a space of barely 30 square metres with seven employees. The business grew increasingly popular, including among tourists as a curiosity. Frimmel branches existed at Neuer Markt and on the Wiedner Hauptstraße. Over time, however, business became more difficult, as mass production and changing taste reduced demand for individual buttons. Because Erika Frimmel had no heirs to continue the shop, she asked the city administration several times for help to preserve it for posterity; she thought of a museum or at least wanted to leave her buttons to a collector. In 2004 Erika Frimmel gave up the business without success in these efforts. At the time of her retirement she was over 70 and had worked in the 'Knopfkönig' for 45 years, having become something of an institution. The end of the traditional house at Petersplatz was much regretted in Vienna. Today a chocolate shop of the chocolatier Wolfgang Leschanz occupies the house, which has largely preserved the 160-year-old historic interior. The interior is richly panelled in dark wood; chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and the walls are covered from floor to ceiling with cabinets where thousands of buttons were kept in small drawers. The 'Cassa' is framed by wooden columns, and a large golden double eagle as the sign of the court purveyor adorns the entrance to the rear storage area. According to its own advertising, which could be read at the entrance, Frimmel boasted of being the 'first and oldest Viennese button shop'. The rights to the name were held until the end of February 2010 by Sibylle Zolles, who runs the traditional haberdashery W. Wächtershäuser in Frankfurt am Main. In March 2010 Gerhard Hennerfeind and his wife took over the business at Wiedner Hauptstraße 34 in the fourth district, Wieden. In February 2019 Martina Schrutka, a trained tailor, succeeded them. The shop continues to offer buttons and sewing accessories as well as repairs of zips; new is jewellery of the brand Juwelyn's. The current range has been expanded with wool, fabrics, various crochet materials and specialist literature, and the shop advertises around 8,000 different buttons. It is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00 at Wiedner Hauptstraße 34, 1040 Vienna.

• 2019

  In February Martina Schrutka, a trained tailor, takes over the shop and expands the range.

• 2010

  Name rights held by Sibylle Zolles until end of February; in March Gerhard Hennerfeind and his wife take over the Wiedner Hauptstraße shop.

• 2004

  Erika Frimmel gives up the business after 45 years; the historic shop at Petersplatz closes.

• 1911

  Alois Frimmel granted the title k.u.k. Hoflieferant for buttons and accessories; shop named 'Zum alten Knopfkönig'.

• 1878

  Bought by Alois Frimmel.

• 1844

  Founded by master tailor Ferdinand Zambach behind the Peterskirche in Vienna's Innere Stadt.

Traditional Viennese specialist shop for buttons and sewing accessories, formerly a k.u.k. court purveyor and a curiosity for tourists.

• Buttons

  Around 8,000 different buttons; historically made of buffalo horn, mother-of-pearl, fine woods and metals.

• Zips and zip repairs

  Zips sold and repaired.

• Sewing accessories

  General needlework accessories.

• Wool, fabrics and crochet materials

  Added under Martina Schrutka.

• Specialist literature

  Needlework and craft books.

• Juwelyn's jewellery

  New jewellery line.

1. 1Herzlich Willkommen auf unserer Webseite! - A.Frimmel - Zum alten Knopfkönigknopfkoenig.at
2. 2IMPRESSUM - A.Frimmel - Zum alten Knopfkönigknopfkoenig.at
3. 3Alois Frimmel – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
4. 4Alois Frimmel – Wikidatawikidata.org