Krüger & Scharnberg
German building-materials specialist merchant founded in Hamburg in 1893, now part of Bauking AG.
Last updated September 28, 2026
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Overview
Krüger & Scharnberg GmbH Baustoffe is a German specialist merchant of building materials, headquartered in Hamburg. The company traces its origins to 1 November 1893, when Hugo Krüger and Franz Scharnberg signed a partnership agreement to operate a building-materials business. From a small office and yard in Hamburg's city centre, the firm grew with the city, moving to the Gertigstraße and later establishing its own stoneworks at Eidelstedt in 1903. Over the twentieth century it weathered the First World War, inflation, the Second World War and post-war reconstruction, converting from an oHG into a GmbH in 1921 and steadily expanding its product range and locations. Today Krüger & Scharnberg operates as a specialist dealer offering products and advice across shell construction, structural engineering and drywall, technical insulation and fire protection, fastening technology, and façade building materials. It serves professional customers — contractors, craftsmen and construction firms — rather than end consumers. The company is run with around 100 employees from locations in the Hamburg districts of Wandsbek, Winterhude and Eimsbüttel as well as Roggentin near Rostock. Since 2017 the business has been owned by Bauking AG, itself part of the Irish Cement Roadstone Holding (CRH). The sale ended five generations of family management by the Wendland family, who had led the company since the early 2000s. Under Bauking, Krüger & Scharnberg continues to trade under its historic name and remains a regional building-materials specialist in northern Germany. Its subsidiary Holzfachhandel Ostkiefer, a timber merchant based in Hamburg-Winterhude since 1930, is also part of the group.
History
Krüger & Scharnberg was founded on 1 November 1893, when Hugo Krüger and Franz Scharnberg signed a "Societäts-Vertrag zur Betreibung eines Baumaterialiengeschäftes" (partnership agreement to operate a building-materials business). The office was initially in a rented building at Herrlichkeit 5, with the yard at Herrlichkeit 77. The cramped inner-city lanes hindered expansion, so the business moved to Gertigstraße, outside the gates of the rapidly growing city. In 1903 the Eidelstedter Hartsteinwerk (Eidelstedt hard-stone works) near Hamburg was founded. The newly built Osterbekkanal provided a waterway, and a steadily growing fleet — motorised trucks from 1913 — created ideal conditions for growth. In 1916 Hugo Krüger died without a successor, and Franz Scharnberg took over his shares. The First World War interrupted further expansion, and the inflation that followed posed severe challenges. Despite a lack of capital, the strong residential construction activity of the 1920s after currency stabilisation allowed the firm to rebuild the capital lost during inflation. In 1921 the oHG was converted into a GmbH. In 1933 a contract was signed with the Plewa-Werke for the exclusive distribution of fireclay pipes in the northern German Reich from the Memel to the Dutch border. The Second World War interrupted the rebuilding work for years. The operation was significantly damaged by air raids; all vehicles were confiscated or destroyed by bombs, and after the capitulation the occupying power seized the little remaining material. The subsequent currency reform again wiped out the firm's working capital. Once more it was the reconstruction of the destroyed Hanseatic city of Hamburg and the catastrophic housing shortage that provided the task and opportunity for a new start. After the war, the first building materials traded were laboriously salvaged from the rubble. Although the rationing system and quotas made normal business almost impossible, the currency reform and market liberalisation brought the decisive turning point, and the product range was steadily expanded. Specifically for the distribution of these products, the firm Walter M. Scharnberg KG was founded in 1957, taking over the Plewa representation that year. In 1960 Gustav-Franz Scharnberg and Karl Drewes became partners and managing directors. The firm Betondienst was founded with production sites in Hamburg and Bargteheide; this participation allowed the company for the first time to fulfil customers' wish to install their own cement mixers on construction sites. It was abandoned eleven years later. In 1960 technology entered the business with the acquisition of the first forklift. Ten years later, in 1970, the firm Baustoffhandel Alfred L.M. Lange was taken over. The following year G.F. Scharnberg left the company and Karl Drewes took over his shares. Twelve years after the first forklift, in 1972, the first crane vehicle followed. In 1977 the company joined the hagebau cooperation of medium-sized building-materials merchants. In 1981 there was a change at the top: Wolfgang Drewes and Klaus Wendland became partners and managing directors. Two years later, at Am Kellerbleek, an office with warehouse hall was built for the chimney department, and the forwarding company Drewes & Wendland GmbH received a new home. In 1985 the hagebaumarkt in Ahrensburg Im Kornkamp opened. In 1996 further employees were taken over from the technical insulation department of the firm Horst Waldow. Two years later the company headquarters moved from Gertigstraße to Schimmelmannstraße 123. In 1999 the Rostock branch opened, and more staff joined through the integration of Hamburg fastening technology from Gebr. Waelzer. Twenty years after the change at the top, in 2001, Beatrix and Felix Wendland became partners. Three years later Wolfgang Drewes left as managing director and partner, and Felix Wendland became managing director. In 2005 the timber merchant Ostkiefer was taken over from Mr Seifart. The following year the Gertigstraße site reopened as a renovation centre with a covered high-rack facility. In 2008 the company took over the façade specialist dealer Fritz Lange in Hamburg-Eimsbüttel. The following year another city warehouse with 3,000 m² of hall space was built at Stresemannallee 100. In 2013 Klaus Wendland died. In 2016 the headquarters moved to Rahlau 59. In 2017 Krüger & Scharnberg was sold to Bauking AG and thereby became part of the Irish Cement Roadstone Holding. Felix and Beatrix Wendland, who had led the company in the fifth generation, left as managing shareholders, and Lars Kummerfeldt became managing director. Part of the corporate group is Holzfachhandel Ostkiefer. Holzhandel Ostkiefer Kurt Seifart GmbH was founded as a company by Kurt Seifart senior in Hamburg. The name reflects the focus of the business: Ostkiefer initially specialised in trading first-class pine from East Prussia. Since 1930 the timber merchant has been based at Poßmoorweg in Hamburg-Winterhude. It remained in family ownership until 2006 and has since been part of the Krüger & Scharnberg group — and thus again part of a large family business. Holzfachhandel Ostkiefer offers a range of boards, construction timber, joinery timber, floorboards and mouldings, among others.
- 2016
Headquarters moves to Rahlau 59.
- 2013
Klaus Wendland dies.
- 2009
Another city warehouse with 3,000 m² hall space built at Stresemannallee 100.
- 2008
Façade specialist dealer Fritz Lange in Hamburg-Eimsbüttel is taken over.
- 2006
Gertigstraße site reopens as a renovation centre with covered high-rack facility.
- 2005
Timber merchant Ostkiefer is taken over.
- 2004
Wolfgang Drewes leaves; Felix Wendland becomes managing director.
- 2001
Beatrix and Felix Wendland become partners.
- 1999
Rostock branch opens; Hamburg fastening technology from Gebr. Waelzer integrated.
- 1996
Employees from Horst Waldow's technical insulation department join.
Products and positioning
Specialist building-materials merchant for professional customers in northern Germany, combining product range with technical advice.
Shell construction materials
Structural engineering and drywall products
Technical insulation and fire protection
Fastening technology
Façade building materials
Timber and wood products (Ostkiefer)
Sources2 sources
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