For values that stay
At Bethge, we combine traditional craftsmanship with timeless design.
About Bethge
Bethge aims to inspire and surprise: we want to focus on the unusual, the special. We draw inspiration from our origins and our hometown of Hamburg, especially from its contrasts: from the elegant districts along the Elbe or Eppendorf to the rough harbor and the creative, ever-changing neighborhoods such as Schanze or St. Pauli. We capture these contrasts and make the creative power of the city visible in what we do.
At Bethge, you will find exquisite leather accessories that make life more beautiful and enjoyable. These are items for personal use, for the workplace, and for the home. All leather items are manufactured in small workshops according to our specifications.
Our elegant office accessories, our high-quality leather-bound notebooks, and our greeting cards and printed materials are meant to be written on. That's why Bethge also offers a wide selection of high-quality writing instruments from selected brands.
Where we come from
Our company was founded in Hamburg in 1977 by Waltraud Bethge. A pioneer in paper and writing culture, she had opened a design studio with Peter Schmidt in 1967. One of their first clients was the up-and-coming fashion designer Jil Sander. After eight years, Waltraud Bethge and Peter Schmidt went their separate ways, and Waltraud Bethge continued to run the screen printing studio of Peter Schmidt Studios, which they had founded together in 1972, on her own. Screen printing was the seed from which Bethge grew and remains one of the company's special features to this day.
Waltraud Bethge was always avant-garde. She was ahead of her time, seeking out trends around the world and bringing them to Germany. She designed many of her products herself. We still carry some of her creations in our range today. The moon phase calendar, which is produced entirely by hand screen printing and has regular customers all over the world, can also be traced back to Waltraud Bethge.
We feel connected to the ideas and philosophy of Waltraud Bethge. Her creativity and her eye for everything new and special remain our guiding principle and motivation to this day.