Rolf Benz, one of Europe’s leading furniture entrepreneurs died on 28 January, surrounded by his family. He was 91.
Benz was born in Nagold, south-west Germany in 1933 and grew up in a family of textile retailers. After a formative apprenticeship as an upholsterer, he initially joined his uncle’s upholstery factory where he quickly developed the urge to rethink products and structures.
In 1959, he married Hilde Benz, who stood by his side from then on, and the first stage of the eponymous company’s foundation took place.
In 1964, Benz set new standards in the world of furniture. He knew how to combine design, comfort and functionality in a unique way and shaped a new era of living with his innovative upholstery.
‘I noticed the changes in society – something new had to come. Yes, it was a time of new beginnings in every respect. Furniture no longer fitted into German living rooms, partly because television was taking over. Efficient use of space with more cosiness and better comfort were now just as popular as new design, he said in 2023.
Globally, the Rolf Benz brand became synonymous with high-quality furniture ‘Made in Germany’. ‘Our customers often said: You have given furniture a soul,’ Hilde Benz remembers.
But his entrepreneurial vision extended far beyond the founding of his own company. After the sale of Rolf Benz, he and his family took over Walter Knoll in 1993, laying the entrepreneurial foundations for the next generation. ‘It was important to me to keep the family on the path of entrepreneurship and to pass on the knowledge as a family business,’ he said.
His eldest son Markus has been running Walter Knoll ever since; his granddaughter Mara was the third generation to join the management team in 2023 and his daughter Barbara is continuing the passion for furniture with German furniture retailer architare. Benz’ two other sons also inherited the entrepreneurial gene outside the furniture industry: Hansulrich is an architect and Stefan is a professor in the field of surgery.
Benz’s philosophy was always characterised by a clear understanding of aesthetics, innovation and craftsmanship. He often quoted Theodor Heuss: ‘Quality is the decent thing.’ He passed these values on to the next generation and they still form the foundation of these brands today.
He also passed these guiding principles on to the German furniture industry. He was chairman of the Deutsche Gütegemeinschaft Möbel (German Association for Furniture Quality) for many years and deputy chairman of the Deutsche Polstermöbelindustrie (German Association for the Upholstered Furniture Industry).
His commitment to vocational training was honoured with the naming of the Rolf-Benz-Gewerbeschule (Rolf-Benz-School) in his hometown Nagold.
For his outstanding achievements, Benz received various awards throughout his life, including the Verdienstkreuz am Bande des Verdienstordens der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) in 2008 and the Bürgermedaille der Stadt Nagold (Citizen’s Medal of the City of Nagold) in 2007.
In addition to his entrepreneurial activities, Benz was a family man who lived the values of unity, loyalty and responsibility. He was a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather – he and Hilde recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. Not only
does he leave behind an impressive success story, but also a strong family legacy that continues with 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
His legacy extends beyond the present. It lives on in the design principles, the companies and, above all, in the people he shaped and inspired.
