Bunte Stube

Bunte Stube is a historic retail shop in the Baltic seaside resort of Ahrenshoop, Germany. Founded in 1922 by Martha Wegscheider, it began as a small store selling haberdashery, arts and crafts, and books, and also served as a reading room for newspapers. The shop grew out of the Wegscheider family's summer property, which they acquired in 1908, and was shaped by the painter and graphic artist Hans Brass, a family friend who moved into the house in 1922. Over the decades, Bunte Stube expanded to include a hairdressing salon, a tailoring atelier, fashion shows, and art exhibitions, becoming a cultural and social hub in Ahrenshoop. Today, it continues to operate as a shop offering books, arts and crafts, exhibitions, and more, welcoming visitors to the traditional half-timbered house. The shop is privately owned and remains a beloved institution in the region.

The history of Bunte Stube begins with the Wegscheider family. In 1908, Katharina Wegscheider (1865–1918) purchased the half-timbered house of the befriended painter Prof. Martin Körte, establishing the family's roots in the sandy dunes of Ahrenshoop. In 1914, a small thatched neighboring house was added, which later became the birthplace of Bunte Stube. After Katharina's death in 1918, her brother Dr. med. Max Wegscheider (1866–1928) inherited the property, and it remained a popular holiday home for the family. In 1921, the painter and graphic artist Hans Brass (1885–1959), a friend of the family from Berlin, visited Ahrenshoop for the first time. A year later, he made a room in the Wegscheider house his permanent residence. On June 8, 1922, on the occasion of the 40th birthday of his wife Martha Wegscheider, a small shop named BUNTE STUBE was opened; its profits were intended to cover the maintenance costs of the houses. The offering ranged from haberdashery and arts and crafts (Hans Brass painted wooden boxes and batiked fabrics) to books and a reading room for newspapers. On October 3, 1928, Dr. Max Wegscheider died in Berlin, after which Martha Wegscheider moved permanently to Ahrenshoop. In 1929, the Rostock Bauhaus architect Walter Butzek executed the extension of Bunte Stube according to Hans Brass's ideas, which still characterizes the property today. Fritz Wegscheider (1908–1987), son of Martha Wegscheider, joined the business and photographed the first Wegscheider postcards. Until 1934, Bunte Stube included not only an extensive sales offering but also a hairdressing salon, the AUTO-DIENST-BUNTE STUBE-AHRENSHOOP, a tailoring atelier (until 1954), fashion shows, exhibitions, and much more. Bunte Stube became a cultural and social hub. Today, the shop continues to operate in the traditional half-timbered house, offering books, arts and crafts, exhibitions, and more to visitors.

• 1954

  The tailoring atelier closes.

• 1934

  Bunte Stube ceases to include a hairdressing salon and other ancillary services.

• 1929

  Bauhaus architect Walter Butzek executes the extension of Bunte Stube based on Hans Brass's ideas.

• 1928

  Dr. Max Wegscheider dies; Martha Wegscheider moves permanently to Ahrenshoop.

• 1922

  Bunte Stube opens on June 8 as a small shop on Martha Wegscheider's 40th birthday.

• 1921

  Hans Brass visits Ahrenshoop for the first time.

• 1918

  Dr. Max Wegscheider inherits the property from his sister Katharina.

• 1914

  A small thatched neighboring house is acquired, later the site of Bunte Stube.

• 1908

  Katharina Wegscheider purchases the half-timbered house of painter Martin Körte in Ahrenshoop.

A traditional, culturally embedded shop combining retail with art and community events in a historic setting.

• Books

• Arts and crafts

• Haberdashery

• Exhibitions

• Newspapers and magazines

1. 1Unser Sortiment -Bunte Stube Ahrenshoopbunte-stube.de
2. 2Geschichte - Bunte Stube Ahrenshoopbunte-stube.de
3. 3Bunte Stube - Wikidatawikidata.org