Senger Bamberg Kunsthandel
Late Gothic Sculpture, Old Master Paintings and Decorative Arts
Locations
Bamberg
Karolinenstrasse 8 and, Geyerswörthplatz 1, 96049, Bamberg, Germany
Location
1
of
1
Bamberg
For 54 years now, Senger Bamberg Kunsthandel including three historical galleries has been located in the famous baroque Old Town of Bamberg. From the beginning, company founder Walter Senger focused on the quality and authenticity of the works of art. Since 1991 he has been presenting his exquisite range at TEFAF Maastricht.
Renowned as a leading specialist for Gothic Sculpture and Old Master Paintings - including rare works by Lucas Cranach - Senger Bamberg Kunsthandel today additionally offers a hand-picked selection of inspiring modern art.
Now managed by son-in-law Thomas Herzog and daughter Silvia Herzog, née Senger, the Franconian family business combines innovative spirit and a deep commitment to the values of Walter Senger. Trust, sympathy and close, personal customer contact are at the heart of the company philosophy, just as they were in 1970.
Renowned as a leading specialist for Gothic Sculpture and Old Master Paintings - including rare works by Lucas Cranach - Senger Bamberg Kunsthandel today additionally offers a hand-picked selection of inspiring modern art.
Now managed by son-in-law Thomas Herzog and daughter Silvia Herzog, née Senger, the Franconian family business combines innovative spirit and a deep commitment to the values of Walter Senger. Trust, sympathy and close, personal customer contact are at the heart of the company philosophy, just as they were in 1970.
Bamberg, more than fifty years ago: drawing on long traditions, the picturesque "Franconian Rome" attracted art enthusiasts from near and far, and was well on its way to becoming a centre of the art and antiques trade.
On 15 July 1970 Marianne and Walter Senger took over a small, old-established antique shop. A courageous step - Walter Senger was just 25 years old and had to support his young family - but by no means a rash or unprepared decision. Born in Bamberg, he was familiar with historical pieces from an early age. The family's upholstery and interior design company had been based in the cathedral city since the 19th century. Walter Senger had received a profound training in his father's workshop, which he himself complemented by his intense preoccupation with history and art.
With energy, diligence and discipline, the couple seized the momentum of these "golden times" of art trade in the 1970s and 80s. Walter Senger was the youngest art dealer to exhibit at the Munich Antiques Fair in 1975, and from then on was regularly attending the great German art fairs, where he made essential contacts with customers, museum curators and other dealers. Soon Senger Bamberg was a well-known name among art lovers.
This success was only possible because for Marianne and Walter Senger their profession was always a vocation that encompassed all areas of life. And they were fortunate to be able to pass this passion on to their children, who naturally grew up amidst antiques, sculptures and paintings.
Already at the age of 21, daughter Silvia Senger was determined to join the family business, and shortly afterwards her later husband Thomas Herzog entered the company.
With the entry of the younger generation, a new chapter in the firm's history was opened. In 1991 Senger Bamberg made its debut at The European Fine Art Fair TEFAF in Maastricht, the internationally most influential art fair, which has set new standards in the control of quality and authenticity since its foundation.
In retrospect, Thomas Herzog judges that this "education towards quality" set the benchmark for the further progress of the company. The high thresholds of TEFAF encouraged the Senger-Herzog family to concentrate on exclusive pieces of outstanding value.
That this was the right strategy became evident in 1995, following the acquisition of the Hermann Schwartz Collection, the most significant private collection of Late Medieval sculptures in post-war Germany.
Walter Senger describes this unique opportunity today as _"an entrepreneurial quantum leap that brought us into the focus of international collectors and major museums for the first time. In the following years, we were able to sell fantastic sculptures to such institutions as the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many notable German museums.”_
Since then Senger Bamberg is one of the leading addresses in the special field of Late Gothic sculpture.
The year 1995 brought further positive innovations. Silvia Senger and Thomas Herzog opened their own gallery directly adjacent to the family' s shop. Walter Senger initiated the first Bamberg Art and Antiques Weeks, which have since become a constant of the German art world.
Last but not least, the 25th anniversary of Senger Bamberg Kunsthandel was a reason to celebrate.
A milestone, which marked the beginning of a new era. The adult children began to actively steer the course of the company. In the late 1990s Silvia and Thomas Herzog reunited their own gallery with the main shop, in which meanwhile also the youngest daughter Simone Kundmüller, née Senger, worked.
Walter Senger was able to pass on his life's work with confidence, and officially handed over the management of the company to his son-in-law in 2015. Thomas Herzog learned the profession of art dealer from scratch, and in the course of almost thirty years of experience has become an expert in the assessment of both old and modern art. With his unmistakable sense of style, his aesthetic sensitivity and his intuitive understanding of design and decoration, he also distinguishes himself as a designer of impressive exhibition stands and showrooms.
Over the last 25 years, the new media and forms of communication have taken hold of the art market. A change that has many advantages, as Simone Kundmüller explains:
_"The preparations for the important fairs, or the production of our catalogues have become increasingly time-consuming and professional.
The high quality of the objects, the careful scientific research, and the traceable provenance of the artworks are crucial today. This is very positive, because only this transparency can maintain the trust between customer and dealer in today's internationalized art market.
Our participation in prominent European art fairs, above all TEFAF, brings us into contact with wonderful people from all over the world. We have met many outstanding collectors from the USA, Europe, Russia and even Japan. Awesome personalities who dedicate themselves to art with passion and amazing expertise. Thanks to the uncomplicated e-mail communication and our well-maintained homepage, it is possible to establish and constantly intensify trusting customer relationships despite the distance.”_
This is why the Senger-Herzog family is relaxed about the transformations on the art market. A new generation of collectors has changing interests - but at Senger Bamberg it has always been the principle to respond to the specific wishes of each individual customer.
Thomas Herzog emphasizes: _"Regardless of fixed genres or fashions, we individually and comprehensively support the development of a collection that matches the personality of the buyer.
Collecting is a matter of the heart - the chemistry must be right."_
Renowned as a leading specialist for Gothic sculpture and Old Master paintings - including rare works by Lucas Cranach - Senger Bamberg Kunsthandel additionally offers a hand-picked selection of inspiring modern art.
Silvia and Thomas Herzog are deeply convinced that the skilful symbiosis of works from different epochs can open up intriguing new perspectives.
According to Silvia Herzog, the only decisive factor is the quality of the objects: _"Artistic genius is just as evident today as it was five hundred years ago. Looking at contemporary art with an open mind can be very enriching.”_
_"But with all our innovative spirit, the unalterable human values are at the heart of our company philosophy,"_ Thomas Herzog underlines. _"As much as our working environment has changed over the last 50 years, the essence of the art trade has remained the same for us. Trust, sympathy, and close personal customer contact are just as relevant to us today as they were in 1970. Customers are friends, not just buyers."_
This basic attitude, characterized by Franconian warmth and naturalness, also includes the employees who have often been loyal to the family business for decades. They all regard themselves as part of the large Senger family and work hand in hand to pass on the fascination of high-quality art to people worldwide.
On 15 July 1970 Marianne and Walter Senger took over a small, old-established antique shop. A courageous step - Walter Senger was just 25 years old and had to support his young family - but by no means a rash or unprepared decision. Born in Bamberg, he was familiar with historical pieces from an early age. The family's upholstery and interior design company had been based in the cathedral city since the 19th century. Walter Senger had received a profound training in his father's workshop, which he himself complemented by his intense preoccupation with history and art.
With energy, diligence and discipline, the couple seized the momentum of these "golden times" of art trade in the 1970s and 80s. Walter Senger was the youngest art dealer to exhibit at the Munich Antiques Fair in 1975, and from then on was regularly attending the great German art fairs, where he made essential contacts with customers, museum curators and other dealers. Soon Senger Bamberg was a well-known name among art lovers.
This success was only possible because for Marianne and Walter Senger their profession was always a vocation that encompassed all areas of life. And they were fortunate to be able to pass this passion on to their children, who naturally grew up amidst antiques, sculptures and paintings.
Already at the age of 21, daughter Silvia Senger was determined to join the family business, and shortly afterwards her later husband Thomas Herzog entered the company.
With the entry of the younger generation, a new chapter in the firm's history was opened. In 1991 Senger Bamberg made its debut at The European Fine Art Fair TEFAF in Maastricht, the internationally most influential art fair, which has set new standards in the control of quality and authenticity since its foundation.
In retrospect, Thomas Herzog judges that this "education towards quality" set the benchmark for the further progress of the company. The high thresholds of TEFAF encouraged the Senger-Herzog family to concentrate on exclusive pieces of outstanding value.
That this was the right strategy became evident in 1995, following the acquisition of the Hermann Schwartz Collection, the most significant private collection of Late Medieval sculptures in post-war Germany.
Walter Senger describes this unique opportunity today as _"an entrepreneurial quantum leap that brought us into the focus of international collectors and major museums for the first time. In the following years, we were able to sell fantastic sculptures to such institutions as the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many notable German museums.”_
Since then Senger Bamberg is one of the leading addresses in the special field of Late Gothic sculpture.
The year 1995 brought further positive innovations. Silvia Senger and Thomas Herzog opened their own gallery directly adjacent to the family' s shop. Walter Senger initiated the first Bamberg Art and Antiques Weeks, which have since become a constant of the German art world.
Last but not least, the 25th anniversary of Senger Bamberg Kunsthandel was a reason to celebrate.
A milestone, which marked the beginning of a new era. The adult children began to actively steer the course of the company. In the late 1990s Silvia and Thomas Herzog reunited their own gallery with the main shop, in which meanwhile also the youngest daughter Simone Kundmüller, née Senger, worked.
Walter Senger was able to pass on his life's work with confidence, and officially handed over the management of the company to his son-in-law in 2015. Thomas Herzog learned the profession of art dealer from scratch, and in the course of almost thirty years of experience has become an expert in the assessment of both old and modern art. With his unmistakable sense of style, his aesthetic sensitivity and his intuitive understanding of design and decoration, he also distinguishes himself as a designer of impressive exhibition stands and showrooms.
Over the last 25 years, the new media and forms of communication have taken hold of the art market. A change that has many advantages, as Simone Kundmüller explains:
_"The preparations for the important fairs, or the production of our catalogues have become increasingly time-consuming and professional.
The high quality of the objects, the careful scientific research, and the traceable provenance of the artworks are crucial today. This is very positive, because only this transparency can maintain the trust between customer and dealer in today's internationalized art market.
Our participation in prominent European art fairs, above all TEFAF, brings us into contact with wonderful people from all over the world. We have met many outstanding collectors from the USA, Europe, Russia and even Japan. Awesome personalities who dedicate themselves to art with passion and amazing expertise. Thanks to the uncomplicated e-mail communication and our well-maintained homepage, it is possible to establish and constantly intensify trusting customer relationships despite the distance.”_
This is why the Senger-Herzog family is relaxed about the transformations on the art market. A new generation of collectors has changing interests - but at Senger Bamberg it has always been the principle to respond to the specific wishes of each individual customer.
Thomas Herzog emphasizes: _"Regardless of fixed genres or fashions, we individually and comprehensively support the development of a collection that matches the personality of the buyer.
Collecting is a matter of the heart - the chemistry must be right."_
Renowned as a leading specialist for Gothic sculpture and Old Master paintings - including rare works by Lucas Cranach - Senger Bamberg Kunsthandel additionally offers a hand-picked selection of inspiring modern art.
Silvia and Thomas Herzog are deeply convinced that the skilful symbiosis of works from different epochs can open up intriguing new perspectives.
According to Silvia Herzog, the only decisive factor is the quality of the objects: _"Artistic genius is just as evident today as it was five hundred years ago. Looking at contemporary art with an open mind can be very enriching.”_
_"But with all our innovative spirit, the unalterable human values are at the heart of our company philosophy,"_ Thomas Herzog underlines. _"As much as our working environment has changed over the last 50 years, the essence of the art trade has remained the same for us. Trust, sympathy, and close personal customer contact are just as relevant to us today as they were in 1970. Customers are friends, not just buyers."_
This basic attitude, characterized by Franconian warmth and naturalness, also includes the employees who have often been loyal to the family business for decades. They all regard themselves as part of the large Senger family and work hand in hand to pass on the fascination of high-quality art to people worldwide.
