Wilhelm Jungmann & Neffe

Wilhelm Jungmann & Neffe is a historic Austrian fabric and accessories house based at Albertinaplatz 3 in Vienna's first district, Innere Stadt. It traces its origins to 1866, when Wilhelm Jungmann registered a trade in tailor's supplies, building on a manufactory goods business his father Leopold had founded in 1836. In 1873 Jungmann took his nephew Wilhelm Dukes into the firm, giving it the name it still bears. The business moved to its present, heritage-protected premises opposite the Albertina in 1881, the same year it was awarded the title of imperial and royal (k.u.k.) purveyor to the court. For decades it supplied fabrics to aristocratic and imperial clients, including Empress Elisabeth and members of the Rothschild, Kinsky and Czernin families. After Wilhelm Jungmann's death, Wilhelm Dukes became sole owner and later brought in his grandsons Paul and Leo. The firm struggled after the First World War and the collapse of the monarchy; Paul Dukes took over in 1940 but placed the business under court administration for lack of heirs. In 1942 it was acquired by Walter Suchy, from the family that had run Carl Suchy & Söhne, another former purveyor. It survived the Second World War by protecting its stock from looting. Walter Suchy died in 1957; his daughter Margarete Suchy took over, and in 1977 her daughter Magda Neunteufel succeeded her. The family still owns and runs the business. While the assortment through the 1930s consisted largely of women's fabrics and accessories, it shifted almost entirely to men's tailoring after the mid-twentieth century. Today the shop carries roughly 1,500 fine men's cloths, sourced from Italian, English and French suppliers with whom the house has long-standing personal relationships, alongside silk and cashmere accessories such as ties, pocket squares, bow ties, ascots, scarves and sets. The historic interior, designed by Otto Wagner pupil Otto Hieser with a ceiling fresco by Franz Lefler, remains largely original and is a protected monument; it has no central heating in order to preserve the valuable wood panelling. The firm describes itself as a seven-generation family business and as the oldest fabric shop in Vienna, and it continues to operate from its Albertinaplatz address as well as online.

The history of Wilhelm Jungmann & Neffe begins with a manufactory goods business founded by Leopold Jungmann in 1836. His son Wilhelm Jungmann, born in 1838 in St. Georgen (now in Slovakia), registered a trade in tailor's supplies in 1866 and founded the firm Jungmann & Steiner with Wilhelm Steiner at Rudolfsplatz 1 in Vienna. From 1869 Wilhelm Jungmann operated alone, shifting from tailor's supplies to manufactory goods — wool, silk and luxury fabrics. In 1873 he and his nephew Wilhelm Dukes founded the present company, Wilhelm Jungmann & Neffe. Business prospered, and in 1881 the firm moved to prestigious new premises at Albertinaplatz 3, opposite the Hotel Sacher and near the Court Opera. In the same year it was awarded the title of imperial and royal Austrian court purveyor. Jungmann and Dukes commissioned Otto Wagner pupil Otto Hieser to design the new shop in Historicist style; the central ceiling painting, an allegory of the silk trade, was by Franz Lefler, and the solid oak tables and shelves were in German Renaissance style. The shop remains one of the few largely original Gründerzeit interiors in Vienna. The following three decades were golden years. Proximity to the court allowed the firm to react quickly to fashion, and its clientele included Empress Elisabeth, Empress Auguste Victoria, Queen Maria Pia of Portugal, Countess Sophie Chotek, Baroness Mary Vetsera, and members of the Kinsky, Fürstenberg, Czernin, Rothschild, Lieben, Todesco and Ephrussi families. In 1906 Jungmann became chamber purveyor to Archduchess Maria Josepha, mother of Emperor Karl I, and also supplied Princess Pauline von Metternich and the Duchess of Württemberg. The firm held the Italian court purveyor title until the end of the Italian monarchy in 1945. After Wilhelm Jungmann's death, Wilhelm Dukes became sole owner and even presented the firm's creations in the United States. The First World War and the collapse of the monarchy in 1918 brought difficulties. In 1919 Dukes took his two grandsons Paul and Leo into the business and remained active until his death in 1938. Paul Dukes took over in 1940 but, lacking heirs, had to place the shop under court administration. In 1942 it was acquired by Walter Suchy, who worked in the textile trade and came from the family that had run Carl Suchy & Söhne (founded 1760), also former court purveyors. The business survived the Second World War by saving its stock from looting. Walter Suchy died in 1957; his daughter Margarete Suchy took over, and in 1977 her daughter Magda Neunteufel succeeded her. Through the 1930s the assortment consisted of women's fabrics and accessories, but it then shifted almost entirely to men's fashion. The Vienna shop carries roughly 1,500 valuable men's suit fabrics. After 2000, managing director Georg Gaugusch reconstructed the k.u.k.-era clientele from the firm's order books. The shop opposite the Albertina is historic and heritage-protected, with no central heating in order to protect the valuable wood panelling; the ceiling appears carved from dark wood but is actually a brown-tinted stucco ceiling containing Franz Lefler's fresco allegory of silk production, with angels holding a mulberry branch, a spindle and finished cloth, surrounded by silkworm moths.

• 1977

  Magda Neunteufel, daughter of Margarete Suchy, takes over the business.

• 1957

  Walter Suchy dies; his daughter Margarete Suchy takes over.

• 1942

  Walter Suchy acquires the business.

• 1938

  Wilhelm Dukes dies; Paul Dukes takes over in 1940 and places the shop under court administration.

• 1919

  Wilhelm Dukes takes his grandsons Paul and Leo into the business.

• 1906

  Jungmann becomes chamber purveyor to Archduchess Maria Josepha.

• 1881

  Move to Albertinaplatz 3; awarded the title of imperial and royal (k.u.k.) court purveyor.

• 1873

  Wilhelm Jungmann and his nephew Wilhelm Dukes found Wilhelm Jungmann & Neffe.

• 1869

  Wilhelm Jungmann operates alone, shifting to manufactory goods (wool, silk and luxury fabrics).

• 1866

  Wilhelm Jungmann registers a trade in tailor's supplies and founds Jungmann & Steiner with Wilhelm Steiner at Rudolfsplatz 1, Vienna.

• 1836

  Leopold Jungmann founds a manufactory goods business.

Vienna's oldest fabric house and a former k.u.k. court purveyor, positioned as a heritage, family-run specialist in fine European cloth and silk and cashmere accessories.

• Men's suit fabrics

  Approximately 1,500 fine men's cloths from Italian, English and French suppliers.

• Silk ties

  Silk accessories from European production.

• Pocket squares

  Silk and cashmere pocket squares.

• Bow ties

  Silk bow ties.

• Ascots

  Silk ascots.

• Scarves and shawls

  Silk and cashmere scarves and shawls.

• Gift vouchers

  Gift vouchers in denominations of €10, €25, €50, €100 and €200.

1. 1Wilhelm Jungmann & Neffe – official websitewjn.at
2. 2Geschichte – Wilhelm Jungmann & Neffewjn.at
3. 3Gutscheine – Wilhelm Jungmann & Neffewjn.at
4. 4Wilhelm Jungmann & Neffe – Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5Wilhelm Jungmann & Neffe – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org