Ed Meier

Eduard Meier GmbH
Company typeGmbH
IndustryShoemaking
Founded1596
FounderHans Mayr
Headquarters
Brienner Straße 10, Munich
,
Germany
ProductsLuxury shoes, clothes, leather goods and accessories
OwnersPeter Eduard Meier
Brigitte Meier
Websitewww.edmeier.de

Eduard Meier GmbH, also known as Ed Meier, is a German shoemaking company. Founded in Munich in 1596, it is the oldest existing shoemaking company in the world, as well as one of the oldest continuously operating companies in the world.[1][2] Today, the company's headquarters and main store are located at Palais Arco, Brienner Straße 10, in Munich.

History

Royal Warrant of Appointment of Bavaria given to Eduard Meier by Count zu Castell on March 7, 1895
Ed.Meier delivery carriage in the Hofgartenstrasse in front of the Royal Residence in Munich

The business was founded by Hans Mayr and was first mentioned in 1596. Mayr was selling shoes primarily to the upper class. The company was purveyor to the Saxon royal house, the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, and since 1895 also to the Bavarian royal house, holding a Royal Warrant.[3][4]

Customers could get customized shoes "for every occasion and usage" by mail order. Mayr made wooden replicas of each customer's feet and stored them for at least 30 years so that customers could choose new shoes from an illustrated catalog.[3]

At the beginning of the 20th century, Wilhelm Eduard Meier expanded the offering with ready-made high-quality shoes. After World War II, the company was rebuilt from ruins by Eduard Meier II who inherited it from his father. To maximize accuracy of fit, Meier used a pedoscope to see feet inside shoes. The result of his examinations were his patent-registered "Peduform" shoes.[5][6]

Today, the company is led by siblings Peter Eduard Meier and Brigitte Meier (13th generation).[7] Besides high-quality, ready-to-wear footwear and bespoke shoes,[8] their offering includes sports and outdoor gear, classic-style clothing and trachten, leather goods and accessories.[9] In the city of Munich, they can be delivered by horse-drawn carriage as in former times.

References

  1. ^ West, Geoffrey (2017). Scale – The Universal Laws of Life. New York: Penguin Random House LLC. ISBN 9781594205583. For instance, the oldest shoemaker in Germany is the Eduard Meier company, founded in Munich in 1596, which became purveyors to the Bavarian aristocracy.
  2. ^ Fischer, Wolfgang (November 2005). Where the King was Client.. Purveyors to the Royal Bavarian Court. CityPartnerMünchen e.V. Eduard Meier's family were first recorded as shoemakers in 1596 and their firm is the oldest of its kind.
  3. ^ a b Krauss, Prof. Dr. Marita (2008). Die königlich-bayerischen Hoflieferanten. Volk Verlag München. p. 112. ISBN 9783937200279. Eduard Meier, traces the tradition back to a master shoemaker Hans Mayr from 1596. For the current owners, the title of purveyor to the court, which was awarded to the company in 1895, is a task and obligation
  4. ^ "The Royal Bavarian Purveyors to the Court". Simply Munich, State Capital Munich. 2018. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  5. ^ Zichner, Ludwig (May 2001). Geschichte konservativer Verfahren an den Bewegungsorganen (Deutsches Orthopädisches Geschichts- und Forschungsmuseum (Jahrbuch) Bd. 3). Darmstadt: Steinkopff. p. 103. ISBN 9783798512672. EDUARD MEIERs „Peduform"-Konzept Die letzte Passform-Novelle des 20. Jahrhunderts nahm mit PETER EDUARD MEIER, Inhaber von Deutschlands ältestem Schuhhaus EDUARD MEIER, München, seinen Anfang und endete mit einer BranchenRevolution.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  6. ^ Roetzel, Bernhard (September 6, 2022). Bespoke Men's Shoes. Ullmann Medien. pp. 27–32. ISBN 9783741526862. The shoes are constructed on the company's in-house Peduform lasts in different basic shapes and several width sizes.
  7. ^ "Shoe gems in the 13th generation". Merkur Business. April 9, 2009. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  8. ^ Sachse, Mike. "Brogue, Eduard Meier (Paar)". Museum Weißenfels – Schloss Neu-Augustusburg. Global Museum Digital. p. VI 3255 a.-e. D. Retrieved October 30, 2023. Ed.Meier Munich - Herrenschuhe
  9. ^ Deumling, Hans (2008). More favourite things – Eduard Meier GmbH. Druckerei Vogl, Munich. Photography & concept: Hans Deumling, layout & graphic design: Juscha Deumling

Further reading

  • The Royal Bavarian Purveyors to the Court, Simply Munich, 2018 – 2023.[1]
  • Ed.Meier Munich — Style with tradition, The Gentleman, Bernhard Roetzel's magazine, 2020.[2]
  • Ed.Meier Munich — Shop like a king, Simply Munich, 2018 – 2023.[3]
  • Ed.Meier Munich: "We need more common sense" — An interview with Peter Eduard Meier, The Gentleman, Bernhard Roetzel's magazine, 2020.[4]
  • Sartorial Notes — The Best Menswear Shopping that You Find in Munich. Torsten, April 25, 2018.[5]
  • Schuhschein — Von Schuhen und Ihren Liebhabern, 55min. HDV documentary film by Andi Niesner, 2006.[6]

48°08′42″N 11°34′4.80″E / 48.14500°N 11.5680000°E / 48.14500; 11.5680000

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