Jörg Woltmann prefers to enjoy his tea from his Kurland cup “Royal Noir” with gilded relief edge

Thirteen years ago, he bought KPM, the Royal Porcelain Manufactory in Berlin – and that before its insolvency: Jörg Woltmann, Berlin’s old hand, banker, entrepreneur. A visionary who, contrary to all expert advice, bought the long-established Berlin company for 13.5 million euros, which today employs more than 200 people, around 120 in porcelain production alone. KPM is one of the world’s oldest luxury brands – founded in 1763 by Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, it has since belonged to seven kings and emperors. Since 1872, the company has resided on the historic factory premises in Berlin-Charlottenburg, directly next to the Tiergarten, where Jörg Woltmann welcomes me in his elegant office furnished with English antiques. Tea is served between wood-clad walls and a portrait of “Old Fritz”. Of course, from KPM cups. A “Meet me for tea” interview about the love of porcelain and the preservation of a cultural asset.

The shape of the cup dates from 1790 and is still one of the classics of the KPM range. In the “Royal Noir” version with gold edge, the cup costs 1,190 euros each. I drink from a coloured Kurland cup, a so-called decorated cup. For two years they have been dishwasher safe thanks to a special glaze developed by KPM

MyStylery: What was it like when you acquired KPM 13 years ago?
Jörg Woltmann: I can still remember exactly that the notary appointment lasted from 4 p.m. in the afternoon until 5 a.m. of the next day. Continuously. Many legal subtleties had to be taken into account. The only interruption was the pizza delivery boy.
MS: In retrospect, would you invest the purchase price and the follow-up costs again?
JW: I have never regretted having bought the KPM, although many things came differently than expected. In the end, it was like building a house where everything is more expensive than previously calculated.

At the age of 32, Jörg Woltmann was the youngest banker in Germany. Today the entrepreneur is the owner of Allgemeine Beamtenbank (General Civil Servants’ Bank), hotelier and since 2006 owner of KPM Berlin

MS: KPM was on the verge of collapse. What went wrong back then?
JW: After the Second World War, the state of Berlin became the owner of the manufactory. First and foremost, efforts were made to preserve the cultural asset KPM for Berlin with state subsidies, instead of running the business in an entrepreneurial manner and promoting exports. KPM was subordinated to the Cultural Senate, which commissioned artists for the design. The only thing that disturbed them was the customer. Basically, it is difficult to make a porcelain manufactory profitable.
MS: What is the challenge?
JW: Table culture has changed a lot.
MS: Although young people nowadays spend more money on living and eating again, they save on what they have and buy their tableware from Ikea.
JW: Many lack the appreciation for the craft and the idea of how elaborate the production process of a single cup alone is. If you consider that 25 craftsmen work on a Kurland cup, that it takes 14 days and 29 steps to make it, and that it then undergoes ten quality controls, you should be respected. Today I still walk through the manufactory with great humility. What is done here is world class. I therefore hope that people will rediscover the sense of a stylishly set table, of sustainability and craftsmanship.

The son of a dressmaker has achieved his own success. “It took a little naivety to start my own bank at the age of thirty,” he says in retrospect. “I’m glad I had that naivety.”

MS: Today, many young people prefer to study handicraft. Does KPM have problems with recruiting young people?
JW: On the contrary. There are 15 to 20 applications for a porcelain painter, although the training takes three and a half years. After that, the porcelain painter needs another ten years of practical experience to be able to meet the high-quality standards. We are one of the few training companies in this field and proud of the fact that our apprentices always score top marks.
MS: Must a budding porcelain painter have talent for drawing and be able to paint “correctly”?
JW: Yes, the applicants must submit sketchbooks before they can prove their talent for this job over several days of selection. This profession is ultimately a vocation.

“I bought the manufactory when I was 59 – the right time for me. I didn’t have to prove anything anymore,” says Jörg Woltmann. “When I was almost sixty years old, I had the knowledge and experience that I could face up to this task without getting upset.”

MS: The younger generation in particular buys almost everything online today. How does KPM’s online trading work?
JW: We are very satisfied, although I had doubts at the beginning. I always thought a haptic product had to be touched before making a purchase decision. But quality and reputation speak for themselves. In the magazine “Bunte”, the mention of the must-have of the week is enough, and the number of clicks is already going up. We have developed products especially for the target group of young consumers, such as the “LAB” series, retro coffee filters and mortars. Instead of drinking from a paper cup, you now drink your coffee-to-go from the “To Go” cup from KPM.
MS: Is KPM profitable by now?
JW: If I didn’t invest so much, I could be in the black. Every year I spend between 500,000 and 800,000 euros on preserving the cultural heritage alone. This includes the archive with over 250 years of German cultural history. Drawings and forms that the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel and the sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow once held in their hands have to be extensively revised today. That’s why I established a foundation three years ago, into which the cultural assets are gradually being transferred. The production remains unaffected by this.
MS: You could sleep more peacefully if you hadn’t tied this task to your leg.
JW: Probably. But I bought one of the last luxury brands still available in the world. And which entrepreneur gets the chance to acquire a cultural asset? I prefer my commitment here to running around on the golf course. (laughs.) I come from the dax-controlled world of banks. Through KPM, a completely different circle of people from art and culture has opened up for me, which I find enriching.

Besides porcelain, Jörg Woltmann cultivates his second passion: cars. Among them is his favourite car, a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster from 1960, black with dark green interior. “It has never been restored before, everything is original, including the paintwork,” enthuses Jörg Woltmann. “Unfortunately, these are today more standing vehicles than vehicles.”

MS: As a post-war child, you grew up beyond luxury. Your mother brought it up from a tailor to a successful entrepreneur. Remarkable.
JW: I had a very happy childhood in which I grew up with great love and affection. Our house in Berlin’s district Lichterfelde also accommodated the production, so that we were always close to our mother. I remember how for the first time I didn’t have to wear my brother’s clothes, but got something of my own to wear: A pair of velvet trousers. That was very special, like the fine tableware, which was only served on Sundays.
MS: Did that shape your sense for porcelain?
JW: Absolutely. When I was 28, I sold my first company and bought a porcelain service from the proceeds: Kurland from KPM, which we still use at home. Daily and not just for special occasions.

“The only time I was permanently employed was during the three years of my apprenticeship at Bankhaus Hermann Lampe. After that I always worked independently and created things.”

MS: KPM in the morning, banking in the afternoon. How long do you want to face the daily struggle?
JW: My wife knows that I’m going to work till I fall down. (laughs). I’m taking it slower today and I’m also taking some vacations. We enjoy dinner together, then I relax with a swim or in the sauna. I have largely retired from active day-to-day business. But I represent the company to the outside world and network. Each day I have four invitations, four of which I receive each week.
MS: You are also an enthusiastic tea drinker…
JW: Yes, the morning begins with a freshly squeezed orange juice and a cup of tea. Then I have to eat muesli. (laughs). By the way, I get my tea from Taiwan business friends who give me green or black teas, which are not available here. Tea is my constant companion, even in the office there is always a pot in front of me. By the way, I always drink from a Kurland office cup. The tea simply tastes best from it. Taste is also connected with haptics.

International guests visiting the Federal President of Germany in Schloss Bellevue, of course, dine from tableware by KPM Berlin

MS: What happens next with the KPM?
JW: As far as personnel is concerned, KPM is well positioned. I have great confidence in my employees, many of whom are better than me. A large market today is Asia, where there is a strong demand for high-quality painted porcelain. That’s why I’m confident that the company will earn a lot of money again. KPM is the oldest manufacturing company in Berlin and I would like to preserve the manufactory for Germany.
MS: For your patriotism, the political leaders here would have to shower you with praise and recognition all the time.
JW: They do. I have already received the Federal Cross of Merit. Well, that doesn’t cost any money. (laughs) Nevertheless, I find that a cultural asset belongs in principle to the state. It just has to be managed correctly.
MS: Does it annoy you that the Berlin Senate has acted so carelessly here?
JW: Yes, from my personal point of view it does. On the other hand, I also say that – if the state is not in a position – the citizen is asked to get involved. You can’t always just hold out your hand. You also have to give something back.  BvH

Jörg Woltmann calls Prussian virtues the cornerstones of his success: diligence and sincerity. And he is proud that he and his family have always kept their feet on the ground

Contact

KPM Berlin

More “Meet me for Tea”-interviews you’ll find here.

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“Meet me for Tea” with Berlin fashion designer Anna von Griesheim

For 25 years, fashion designer Anna von Griesheim has been an expert in elegant evening dresses and daywear. Born in Munich, she dresses celebrities and politicians such as Chancellor Angela Merkel and advises women on style issues. She commutes between Zurich, Mallorca and Berlin, where I meet Anna for a cup of tea and a little chat.

Anna von Griesheim loves the KPM office cup: “The craftsmanship, the colours and the size make the cup perfect.”

MyStylery: Anna, has a woman who goes shopping in sweatpants given up on fashion?
Anna von Griesheim: When I go to yoga, I also wear sportswear. And nothing is more comfortable than cashmere trousers for a cuddly day at home. But jogging pants as a constant companion are a no-go.
MS: Why do successful women dress like their male colleagues? Does the trouser suit stand for competence?
AvG: Yeah, still. The pantsuit serves as a shield, especially in male-dominated professions. I encourage my female customers to wear dresses. We live in a time in which intelligence, success in life and femininity are not mutually exclusive. Women in an androgynous look miss their femininity.
MS: You advise female leaders on their appearance.
AvG: Women want to be well dressed without worrying about their outfit every day. When they go on a business trip, they expect a wrinkle-free, comfortable wardrobe that fits in their hand luggage. They don’t want any recognizable logos or a sexy-hexy look. Clothing is a form of communication. It conveys an attitude to life and expresses what one wants to portray and convey.

“Most women are overwhelmed by their own wardrobe”, says Anna von Griesheim

MS: Not every woman looks good in every colour.
AvG: That’s right. Look, my skin tends to yellowish, which is why I harmonize with warm colours. You, on the contrary, are a light skin type that is well suited to blue tones, for example. I recommend every woman a well-founded colour consultation on which to build wardrobe and makeup.
MS: My wardrobe is really not small. Nevertheless, I stand in front of it and wonder what on earth to put on. Most of the time I wear the same pieces.
AvG: Well, we all know that. Some women have a keen sense of fashion, they start to mix happily: Zara, Hermès, plus a vintage piece, that’s their perfect look. But that’s rather the exception. Most women are overwhelmed by their own wardrobe. Why not go back to the tried and tested? We often find our counterparts interesting because we recognize them. Jackie Kennedy has remained true to her iconic style and always looked great.

MS: It’s like cleaning out clothes that haven’t been worn for two years or more. Now it’s time for velvet blouses, which I disposed of in the 90s.
AvG: But honestly, would you wear them again this time? I advise you to regularly sort your wardrobe. Get an overview by putting together complete outfits, including accessories. If you don’t want professional advice, ask your best friend. First of all, put the pieces aside well packed and decide after a certain time whether you want to part with them for good.
MS: Trends don’t really bother me anymore. When Leo patterns and berry tones are hip this winter, I don’t really care. How do you feel about it?
AvG: Exactly the same. That’s why I’m not looking for the latest trend for my collections. My designs should accompany customers for a few years.

„KPM is a special brand of great German tradition“, says Berlin fashion designer Anna von Griesheim

MS: Does good taste depend on the size of the purse?
AvG: The variety of fashion today is bigger than ever. With a bit of intuition, you can put together great outfits at low cost labels. So, good taste has nothing to do with budget. What I find terrible, however, is the production of cheap clothes by child labour, which are so full of plastic that they can never be dismantled again. This is irresponsible from an ecological point of view.
MS: What do you do with mispurchases?
AvG: Don’t let it happen in the first place (laughs). If I want to do something good for myself, I’d rather buy a book, go to an exhibition or do yoga. This is balm for the soul.

MS: What belongs in the wardrobe of a mature woman?
AvG: Two well-cut dresses made of soft material like jersey, which you wear during the day with sneakers and in the evening with pumps or ankle boots. A trouser suit whose blazer also works well with a pair of jeans. The white blouse provides a fresh complexion. And a classic trench coat. My favourite piece is a knitted coat, which I can quickly throw over.
MS: And what should we avoid?
AvG: Too tight tops that emphasize disadvantageous areas instead of concealing them. I find the partner look very creepy in the leisure sector and both in the same outdoor jacket. Leggings may be comfortable, but they are not leg flatterers at all. And please always buy the right size and not a size too small in the hope of losing weight. Beware of wild patterns. With a plain look, you are on the safe side. Combine it with a colourful scarf or patterned cloth.
MS: A friend recently said that she doesn’t wear knee-length skirts. She persistently wears her minis.
AvG: Not everything that looks younger makes younger. Our body changes over the years. Unfortunately (laughs). Often the upper body looks more compact, which is accentuated by a skirt that is too short. Women who used to get compliments for their legs look like a barrel on two toothpicks. Everyone has something beautiful about them and that should be the focus.

Anna von Griesheim: “Compliments are part of everyday life in France and don’t end up in the Metoo debate.”

MS: Why are French or Italian women dressed so much better than German women? Even when they go to the weekly market, they do it very elegant.
AvG: This is due to the traditions and self-image of women. Elegance seems to be arrested in their DNA. I’ve lived in France for a long time and I know that compliments are part of communication and have something playful about them. They are part of everyday life in France and don’t end up in the Metoo debate. This also has an effect on the dress style. In Germany, the natural feeling for femininity was eliminated with the Second World War.
MS: There is a North-South divide in clothing issues in Germany. While Hanseatic women dress more classically casual and Munich women like to dress traditionally elegant, the style of the Berlin woman has something indefinable.
AvG: Berlin is a reservoir is for individualists. This longing for uniqueness is not compatible with given dress codes. Nevertheless, young women in Prenzlauer Berg all look the same. They want to come across as casual and easy-going, but they seem rather uniform. By the way, also a kind of dress code.
MS: I only think about how German actors walk the red carpet: They come in a T-shirt instead of a tuxedo shirt. What has gone wrong? The liberation from the fashion dictatorship or just bad education?
AvG: Good question. Maybe a lack of mindfulness. Or an after-effect of the 1968ers and the associated urge for freedom, which could hardly be lived out in the closed-off Berlin. A tuxedo is not only a sign of esteem for the artists on stage or the musicians in the orchestra pit, but also symbolizes an attitude to life. I hope for a renaissance of good manners.

Anna von Griesheim: „My first KPM tableware was ‘Arkadia’, I was a student then and for me KPM was the epitome of luxury. Nevertheless, I was happy about the dishes every day and have been adding new pieces ever since.“

MS: Apropos, may I pour you some more tea?
AvG: With pleasure. Tea is my wellness program through the winter. I grew up with tea. My grandparents lived on Sumatra, where they had plantations, from where my father brought the tradition of drinking tea to Germany. And I have been used to drinking tea since childhood. Every morning my mother woke me up with a toast and an Earl Grey tea. Today I drink myself through the whole range of black, green and herbal teas. Always served in an antique silver pot, which is in daily use with us.
MS: You started with your own label in 1991 and have been represented with your own brand in Germany ever since. Have you ever thought about expanding abroad?
AvG: There have been international inquiries. But in retrospect, I’m very happy to be working only in Germany. I decide alone and don’t have to ask anyone. You can only do big things with big partners. And I never wanted to be the plaything of different interests. BvH

Contact Anna von Griesheim

AnnavonGriesheim.de

The interview-series “Meet me for Tea” is sponsored by KPM – Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin.
More MyStylery interviews you’ll find here.

The post Anna von Griesheim: “As a child I was woken up with a cup of tea every morning.” appeared first on My Stylery.

Bückeburg Castle in Lower Saxony, Germany: Ancestral home of the house Schaumburg-Lippe

His employees address him with “His Highness”, in the public and media world, he is the “Prince”: Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe is an entrepreneur, forest manager and head of one of the oldest German noble families, whose history is documented over 900 years. And he is the landlord of Bückeburg Castle, a Renaissance ensemble with magnificent halls from four centuries. It is situated in the middle of an extensive landscape park, which is also open to the public. I meet the studied lawyer, who is the father of three children (son Donatus from his marriage to Princess Lilly and the daughters Philomena and Felipa from his marriage to lawyer Nadja Anna) and also an excellent pianist, for tea in his private rooms at Bückeburg Castle.

Meet me for Tea at Bückeburg Castle: Alexander Fürst zu Schaumburg-Lippe and myself in his private drawing room

MyStylery: Alex, how do you prepare your son Donatus for the succession of the house Schaumburg-Lippe?
Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe: I encourage him to take on as much responsibility as possible, what he does with great success. Donatus was the first German to be accepted to the Sandhurst Military Academy and to serve in Household Cavalry. At university, he was elected President of the Student’s Association in the first semester of business administration. And he is involved in various sports clubs. If my son decides to run our business on his own and not just on a temporary basis, then he is well prepared for this task.
MS: And what if he’d rather be a pop star?
ASL: He’d have my blessing, even if there’s no reason to suggest that he wants it. The inclinations clearly lie in the entrepreneurial. I’ve always told him: “Do what you like to do best, because that’s what you do best”. I also still have two daughters…
MS: …who could also take over the establishment?
ASL: They can’t inherit. It is decreed in the will, that the core property, the traditional inheritance, can only be passed on to the first-born son.
MS: Is this still contemporary today, where attempts are being made everywhere to establish women in management positions?
ASL: This has something to do with our family traditions. So, my son could therefore also appoint a female plant manager if he doesn’t want to take an active part himself.

Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe enjoys his tea with some milk

MS: According to your own statement, you were rather a mediocre student who, instead of paying attention, preferred to read Asterix under the table – which promptly led to a “not passed” on your school report. Would a boarding school have been an option for you?
ASL: Well, it wasn’t like that everywhere. I was enthusiastic about some subjects and was also active, for example, as the editor of the school newspaper. I would have liked to go to a boarding school, because there you get the opportunity to make contacts, that last a lifetime. My mother probably wanted to protect me from the pressure, which was – at least in the beginning – exerted on new boarders. Therefore, I received even more pressure in Bückeburg because of my social exceptional position. My brother was sent to a boarding school due to his bad grades. Unfortunately, there have been considerable drug problems. That also had consequences for him.
MS: You first studied political science, musicology and journalism, then switched to law, which you graduated with distinction. When you were 24 years old, your brother died in a motorcycle accident. All of a sudden you had to take over. How does your everyday life look like since then?
ASL: I have to complete a list of appointments every day. There is no everyday routine. In principal, we are an agricultural and forestry company, with a real estate pillar, the events “Landpartie” (“Country outing”) and “Weihnachtszauber” (“Christmas magic”). They have become an important branch of industry in which one hundred employees work and in which the amounts implemented are well into the seven-digit range. There are 13 permanent employees in the court chamber. In addition, there are about 70 employees from agriculture, forestry and gastronomy.

MS: You were once a ruling house with political and social responsibilities. Do you regret that the time of the ruling princes is over?
ASL: No, I’m a convinced Republican. Today we have a very good political system, which does not need to be replaced by anything else. That’s the reason I am not crying a tear after the monarchy. But I respect it very much in other countries.
MS: What do name, origin and family history mean to you?
ASL: When you are so strongly embedded in your own family history, it also creates identity and that is something I value. That doesn’t make me a political right by a long shot, but rather gives me certain tasks and responsibilities. And of course, a certain pride in what my ancestors achieved. I associate this with a sense of commitment that I shall have to do them some justice.
MS: That sounds like some kind of burden…
ASL: Every aristocrat who identifies with his origin experiences this in certain gradations.
MS: Tea culture was always considered a sign of the aristocracy and used to be reserved for it in the 17th century. Is tea your drink?
ASL: Tea is a sociable and cultivated drink, where you can already tell the difference if you are dealing a good or a bad plant. On the plane, I once met an Indian who told me that the tea he planted was delivered to the English royal house. But only the tips, which are reserved for the Queen. Tea has something meditative about it because it almost forces you to internalise and concentrate on the aroma. A drink to be consumed with caution. However, I like to start the morning with a coffee.

Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe with Mahkameh Navabi

MS: You’ve been divorced for the second time in six months. With Mahkameh Navabi there is now a new woman at your side for three years.
ASL: It’s hard to say. However, I exclude one thing: having children again.
MS: Have you experienced your divorces as personal disappointment or even defeat?
ASL: No, why? If a partnership doesn’t work anymore, then it’s better to separate.  Everyone has only one life and everyone makes their personal life decision, which is also not to be criticized. Former Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schröder married five times. When you enter into a partnership, it is initially designed for the moment and not automatically for a lifetime. One should not cling desperately to conditions that can no longer be saved.

MS: Have you ever felt the need to just throw everything away and quit?
ASL: I often felt the need to do something new from an entrepreneurial point of view. Without the events in the castle it would not be possible to maintain the house in this elaborate form. For example, the medieval balcony in the inner courtyard has to be completely removed and renovated.
MS: Bückeburg is a cultural monument. There are certainly subsidies.
ASL: There has been generous support for the preservation of the castle chapel, whose dome almost collapsed. But we cannot count on this every time.
MS: What does it cost to maintain Bückeburg in this perfection?
ASL: A very high sum, of which one could easily place a very beautiful family house on a green meadow. I would like to leave the house in a condition that makes it as easy as possible for my son to keep it.

Does not believe in ghosts: Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe

MS: You wanted to be a journalist originally…
ASL: It never completely left me. Anyone who knows my Facebook page knows what that means. I quote, but I also express myself. And invite people to discuss controversially.
MS: Does that indicate a certain need for disclosure?
ALS: That’s a strong word. I try much more to participate in political decision-making. That’s why I’m politically active in the FDP.
MS: Has it ever been an option for you to take over a political office?
ASL: I’m not big-skinned enough for an official position. Politicians in Germany are more exposed to blasphemy and general criticism than in any other country. I couldn’t deal with that for myself.

MS: Do you have a political role model?
ASL: I have always found Guido Westerwelle’s thinking to be particularly pragmatic and rational. Someone who did not allow himself to be taken in by ideologies. We were friends and he was often here in the house. He was the man who convinced me to become a liberal.
MS: Why are there so many nobles in the AfD?
ASL: Every aristocrat in the AfD is one too many in my view. I am related to Beatrix von Storch and have always considered her to be a clever and differentiated person. I can’t understand what she’s doing today. I have never been able to share her political attitude. A party in which people like Björn Höcke conduct the big word. A party that gives the so-called popular feeling of the people a questionable platform. This party is not conservative but dangerous and does not promote social peace. And by that I don’t just mean its policy on foreigners.

Teatime with Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe at Bückeburg Castle and the Kurland cups by KPM – Königliche Porzellan Manufaktur Berlin

MS: Bückeburg looks a bit like the Sleeping Beauty Castle. Does it haunt here to any extent?
ASL: There has always been talk of a white woman who haunts in the so-called “Emperor Chamber”, but she has never been seen before. Once we had a troop of hobby ghost hunters with big equipment. After a week, they presented me a photo with a shadowy face they had taken in the tower of the inner courtyard. I lived vis-à-vis at that time. Presumably the face is my own.
MS: The castle has 250 rooms. How long does it take to walk through all the rooms?
ASL: Interesting question, but I’ve never tried it.

MS: The Great Banquet Hall is famous. Do you associate it with special events?
ASL: When my son turned 18, I threw him a party to which 130 friends were invited. Those were three very amusing days.
MS: So, did you have to carry them out afterwards or could they still walk themselves?
ASL: For the most part, they did it themselves. However, in our internal Facebook group I posted photos of things I had found in the yard: Ready to be picked up. Among them a medal, a pipe, a bunch of keys and cigarettes. And a guest. He was still lying in the grass at eleven in the morning.  BvH

Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe is a gifted musician: “But he’d rather be a good amateur than a useless professional.”

Info:

The assets of the House Schaumburg-Lippe include 3,700 hectares of forest and 500 hectares of agricultural land. In addition, the family owns 7,000 hectares of mountain forest in Austria and several properties. Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe opened castle and estate to the public with events such as “Landpartie” (“Country outing”) and “Weihnachtszauber” (“Christmas magic”) – this year from 29 November to 9 December, which attract more than 90,000 visitors every year. Since 2004, the Bückeburg Court Riding School has also been on display. In the 18th century, it was one of the most important centres of equestrian art in Europe. Many celebrities were guests in the castle: King Hussein of Jordan, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Prince Henrik of Denmark, Mikhail Gorbachev as well as the politicians Guido Westerwelle, Philipp Rösler, Friedrich Merz and Christian Lindner.

Bückeburg Castle and “Weihnachtszauber” – “Christmas magic”- this year from 29 November to 9 December

Contact Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe:

schloss-bueckeburg.de

The interview-series “Meet me for Tea” is sponsored by KPM – Königliche Porzellan Manufaktur Berlin.
More MyStylery interviews you’ll find here.

The post Sugar and milk, your Highness? appeared first on My Stylery.

Designer duo Johnny Talbot, Adrian Runhof and I in their Berlin showroom

For 26 years, the Munich fashion label Talbot Runhof stands for classic elegance and feminine eveningwear. When US actress Kristen Stewart appeared years ago in a black Talbot Runhof robe during the Oscars, the designer duo also made the international breakthrough. Not just celebs appreciate the timeless look of Johnny Talbot and Adrian Runhof. It is important to both designers that women of normal proportions also make a good figure in their clothes. I have an appointment with the two Munich residents in Berlin, where they live in a pied-à-terre in the back of their showroom, which opened in 2017 in Berlin-Charlottenburg. However, Meet Me for Tea takes place without Johnny Talbot, who spontaneously assists a client with her bridal gown selection. An interview with Adrian Runhof. Not just about fashion.

Meet me for tea with Adrian Runhof in his Berlin pied-à-terre

MyStylery: It’s cozy here…
Adrian Runhof: The apartment has been completely renovated. The previous occupant died in this room. So firstly we had to get rid of the “bad vibrations”.
MS: I always find it exciting to see who has lived in such an old apartment before.
AR: Me too. In my Hamburg apartment in the Schlüterstraße, at the corner of Johnsallee, lived a Cape Horner once…
MS: A sailor?
AR: Exactly, one who sailed around the Cape Horn. I happened to meet my neighbor on the street in the middle of the night, when he told me en passant that the captain had died in my apartment. From then on, I could not be in the apartment any more, imagined a one-eyed person with a wooden leg, saw him ghosting around in my apartment at night. Suddenly, I also realized that something was always creaking in the apartment. That was scary.
MS: Seems like the childish fantasies appeared then. Do you like to think back to your childhood?
AR: No, not really. Although, of course, I am grateful to have been born and raised in this country.

“Generally I do not like to think about the past. I’m a forward-looking person who lives in the here and now.”

MS: How did you experience your childhood?
AR: As a kid, I felt locked up. My parents’ house was not the environment, in which a child could to grow up happily. It felt more like a bourgeois museum where nothing was allowed to break. My parents were always worried about us, they were afraid of kidnapping. We lived in a huge Art Nouveau villa, from whose windows I could watch the other children playing in the street. I was not allowed to play, because we always had to stay on our property, on which there was a large garden with a swing, slide and sandpit. The other children were not allowed to come to us either. My siblings and I always played in threes.
MS: Hmmm…
AR: Do you feel sorry for me?
MS: Yes. Your parents probably had their reasons. But for you children that must have been difficult to understand.
AR: That’s true.

Adrian Runhof thoughtful during the Meet Me for Tea interview

MS: You come from a wealthy home. Did you want to prove anything to your parents by doing your own thing?
AR: That was not the point. It was important to me to never depend on my parents. They made it clear from the beginning that I would not get anything anyway. While other children from the well-heeled circle of friends of my parents were overridden real estates. The fact that I later actually inherited something was a big surprise.
MS: And how did you free yourself from the childhood trauma of being locked up?
AR: I went to Munich, that was always my absolute longing. As a teenager I browsed through the Bild Zeitung and Bunte magazin, saw the column of the author Michael Graeter and thought, there can be nothing better than Schwabing. I studied in Munich and met Johnny. That was my lifeline.
MS: And then came Paris.
AR: I already knew Paris from my youth, was street-smart and felt like I belonged there. Actually, I’m someone who likes to be everywhere at the same time. When we were in Amsterdam, I wanted to move there straight away, and I felt the same way with London.

MS: In which Parisian arrondissement do you live?
AR: In the first. We are there every two months. But I also like to be in Berlin and I am glad that we have our little apartment here. We also visit Zurich regularly and commute between the cities.
MS: Living out of the suitcase. That sounds like a certain restlessness…
AR: …that I do not like very much. I like to arrive. But do not like to leave. But this is brought along by the fashion circus (laughs).
MS: And which of your locations do you prefer?
AR: Munich. Munich stands for continuity, nobody moves away, everything is in its place. In Paris, you never know before, whether it was broken in, there was a water damage or a mouse infestation during your absence.

“Berlin is not in the forefront in international fashion business. Although the local street style influences young labels. Berlin is undoubtedly a metropolis in which fashion is created.”

MS: You have been in the fashion business for 26 years. How do you manage to survive in the industry?
AR: It has a lot to do with discipline. We have to design 32 pieces per collection, the show in Paris is coming, there’s a lot of pressure on us. You have to be good at different things at the same time. Creativity, courage, a good product, commercial know-how, contact care are among them. But you also have to recognize your own potential, explore your own limits, always be honest with yourself. We have a good team. As for Johnny and me, we both do everything.
MS: It did not always work out for you. Your cleaning lady had to help you with a cash injection in the beginning.
AR: That was really the case. Since then it has been uphill, though in small steps. We still have to do our calculations today. Thus we are self-financed. We do not have the big investor in the background.

MS: Your strength?
AR: I can hide my dilettance well. I have learned nothing and cannot do anything really well.
MS: Is this supposed to be fishing for compliments?
AR: I can do a lot a little good. I cannot read balances, cannot draw, have no patience, can not express myself creatively.
MS: That sounds a bit desperate. Maybe you put the scale on yourself too high.
AR: No. That’s my self-image. During my studies, I always bought all the books that were recommended to us. With the purchase, however, I also thought that that’s enough. I had not even read a single copy. Nevertheless, I came through somehow.

“Inspirations for the next collection? For example, the embroidered collar of your blouse may be an idea for the next dress. The street, the television, books – one is bombarded with impressions. But you have to filter them.”

MS: You made it fast into the international market. What else can come now?
AR: The industry is very dynamic, new markets in Asia, countries that I do not really care about, but still need to be served. The status quo there and the pure brand orientation isn’t for me. I miss the subversiveness.
MS: Strange that big online shops such as “Net a Porter” or “Mytheresa” do not carry your brand.
AR: Yes, and that offends me. Presumably, it’s because we do not have relevance in the new media. We just do not make printed logo shirts, where you can immediately tell, who they are from.

MS: What do you think of fashion bloggers?
AR: When we had publications in a magazine in the past, there was a measurable demand. On blogs or posts, on the other hand, there are only a few reactions. Then, a Caro Daur must have worn our dress on New Year’s Eve in Dubai. With 70,000 likes, maybe two people will get in touch and ask, where they can buy the dress.
MS: Is the hype about the fashion bloggers maybe a bubble that bursts at some point?
AR: Quite possible. But the budgets of the high-end brands are very high, they do not run out of steam so quickly. It is interesting that in the USA still 70 percent of the advertising budgets flow in print media and only 30 percent online. Here, 90 percent of digital media are consumed and only ten percent in the print sector. We rely on good PR. At the heart of our public relations work is the Defilee in Paris, where not only a great deal of energy, but also a lot of money is invested with the goal of far-reaching media coverage.

“I really like the KPM cup because it’s classic but still modern,” says Adrian Runhof about the KPM Kurland porcelain

MS: What is your own digital user behavior?
AR: Of course, I also spend time on the phone all the time. Recently there was a technical problem. Then the feeling of a slight panic sets in. It’s terrible without a cell phone (laughs).
MS: Are you an online shopper?
AR: Only. I buy every spoon online and nothing in real shops anymore.
MS: The cow you milk should not be slaughtered, they say. After all, you also own stores.
AR: As a customer, I’ve always found stores horrible. How many jeans have I bought in my life, which the sellers claimed, oh, but it fits perfectly. The opposite was the case, as I found out in retrospect (laughs).

MS: Is it difficult to survive alongside the industry giants in Paris?
AR: You cannot make the mistake of comparing yourself to labels or the shows of Louis Vuitton. But it would be stupid to show the best show in Berlin and nobody comes. Whereby the Berlin Salon is a pleasing and important exception.
MS: How do you manage to separate job and private?
AR: Talbot Runhof is our project and that connects at all levels. Even though we now live separately in Munich, we do a lot together. In Berlin, we shop together at the KaDeWe, in Paris, on the market. The German actors Nadja Tiller and Walter Giller were once asked for the recipe for a long partnership: You just have to accept that you cannot change the other one. And there is some truth in it. Johnny stands closest to me, that’s a very special kind of intimacy, and that’s great. We also have a common dog, a Border Terrier, an important and connecting factor.

“When we had 10,000 Euros, we always made sure we did not spend more than 11,000. This is a ubiquitous problem in the industry. Our motto is: It’s all about knowing when to stop.”

MS: And you drink tea…
AR: Absolutely. In the morning we start with ginger tea. Detoxing and staying healthy is important to me. By the way, the KPM cups are great. I was spontaneously happy, when I saw them here earlier and hoped that they would be our latest achievement. The colors match perfectly to the green of our walls (laughs). Of the many dishes I inherited from home, there are very few things that I like. A glass series from the sixties of Theresienthal with a gold rim, for example, that stood in a showcase at my parents’. At ours it is being used. Even at the risk that something breaks. That’s part of it.
MS: You manage to reinvent yourself over and over again. Talbot Runhof features films such as “High Society”, you designed “Fashion 2 Sea” for the MS Europa2 and “Couture feather tops” for the Meiersche Art Institution.
AR: That’s right. Whenever we meet people who we find interesting, we say: Let’s do something together. We do not go out of ideas so fast.  BvH

“The antique cabinet is an heirloom from my mother,” says Adrian Runhof, who was born in Mainz and grew up in Wiesbaden. “In Munich, it does not fit into our living concept. Everything is very modern and more design-like. In Berlin it has now found a good place.”

Contact Adrian Runhof

talbotrunhof.com

The post How about a cup of tea, Adrian Runhof? appeared first on My Stylery.

The art expert, Managing Director and Chairman Europe of the traditional auction house Sotheby’s also has a big name as a private person: Dr. Philipp Duke of Württemberg comes from one of the oldest German noble families, which can be traced back 950 years.
In 1996 Philipp von Württemberg began his career as a furniture expert. Today, the half French (his mother is Princess Diane von Orléans), who grew up at Lake Constance, manages Sotheby’s European operations on the continent. When he is not in Frankfurt, Paris or London, the Duke flies to the other end of the world to buy pictures. In Hamburg, I meet the art jetsetter, who has a Bavarian accent, for a relaxing cup of tea.

Philipp von Württemberg: “I decide things with my gut instinct and find old furniture beautiful. Unfortunately, there is no demand for it today, except for rare high-quality pieces and thus the market is selective.”

MyStylery: You joined Sotheby’s in 1996 as an 18th and 19th century furniture expert. But there is no market for old furniture today. Why?
Philipp von Württemberg: The young generation imagines an antique peasant dresser at most as a unique feature in the apartment. While our grandparents’ houses were full of antiques, including a very stiff and uncomfortable sofa set. Today the Zeitgeist is different and traditional furniture is unfortunately no longer in demand.
MS: Unfortunately you say …
PvW: Yes, because I think old furniture is beautiful. But no one is still cleaning silver today. Even porcelain must be dishwasher safe. The castle-like lifestyle is out of style.
MS: You yourself grew up in a castle.
PvW: That’s true, but with modern influences. My mother, who is an artist, has been collecting contemporary art during my childhood. So I had access to modern art very early on.
MS: How do you furnish nowadays?
PvW: I have separated myself from a lot of furniture over time. Instead of carpets, I prefer wooden floors. The move from London back to Germany was the definitive end of heavy, opulent curtains. However, one room is still very English in style, a kind of reminiscence of childhood. I love the stylistic mix, which is why we have some old masters as well. Between two contemporary pictures hangs a big, golden Baroque mirror and I am often asked if it was a Jeff Koons (laughs).
MS: At 14, you wanted to become a furniture restorer. An unusual career aspiration for a teenager, right?
PvW: Indeed. In the castle of my family there was some furniture, where the plaster crumbled. That was the challenge for me. At a restorer in Ludwigsburg I learned the basic craft. Above all, I understood the furniture, its structure and its history. I have no problem with getting my hands dirty. At some point I realized that you earn money faster with the trade. At flea markets I bought beautiful old things for five Marks and then sold them for double. Without the experience of restoring furniture I would not have been able to become a furniture expert.

Dr. Philipp Herzog von Württemberg, at Sotheby’s Chairman Europe Managing Director Germany and I over a cup of tea

MS: The art market has changed since the turn of the millennium. Art is becoming more and more an investment object.
PvW: When you collect with passion and consideration, art automatically becomes an investment object. You should look more closely at established artists than at young ones, in which you maybe invest 10,000 euros a year. Well-known artists are fast with 100,000 and more. Here one should very carefully consider whether these are artists who are evolving.
MS: How do I know if and how an artist develops?
PvW: You never know that. One has an idea, a feeling. Watch young artists over a couple of years and see what happens. Some disappear after two or three years from the scene. I find some artists schirch …
MS: … Schirch?
PvW: … Schirch is Bavarian and means awful in the sense of outwearing (laughs). What applies to Jonathan Meese. I just had to have that. My advice: to buy a big and a small picture from artists, then – if one artist develops successfully – you can sell the bigger one, keep the smaller one. Not advisable is a purchase just for investment. After all, art comes from the heart and not by calculation. People invest in limited watches and rare luxury cars and already think about the possible resale value when purchasing them. I find that sad.

“From the heart and not by calculation…”

MS: Art collecting is now considered to be bon ton and many collectors are willing to pay astronomically high sums of money. Can the market still serve this hype?
PvW: The hype will continue to be served for eternity. In the past, there were fewer artists, but fewer collectors. The demand today is huge, according to the offer, which is certainly justified by the globalization. There are various art academies, an army of gallery owners is ready to establish the young graduates. And then they serve those who think they have to collect. 20 years ago there were maybe 100 collectors in Germany, today there are 700 top collectors in this country alone.
MS: The art market has developed rapidly and internationally. Where else can you find niches?
PvW: The Asian market is interesting, both for us as an auction house and for collectors. My wife and I are collecting contemporary Chinese artists such as Kusama, Liu Ye, Czeng Fanzhi, Xu Bing, Yue Minjun and some European contemporary artists such as Anselm Kiefer or Gregor Hildebrandt, who inspired me from an early age. I do not buy art because it is hyped by the big galleries, but because I like it.
MS: Are the new ones different from the old collectors?
PvW: Yes, because they are faster, risk-takers, the money seems to be no big issue. Something like 20,000 Euros are spent quite easily, while our grandparents had to think about such a high investment for a long time. People today race over the big fairs like the Frieze and before Art Forum, sometimes buying without watching the artists. It feels like winter sale. 70-80 percent of all artists fall through the grid.
MS: Have you ever been mistaken?
PvW: I bought artists whom I was convinced by. Suddenly they were gone, perhaps unable to withstand the pressure. Even if the investment went down in such a case, I still love the pictures. Not always consistent with my wife’s idea. Art that my wife does not like hangs in my office (laughs).

“Germany is a great country. I really like Berlin when it comes to action. Munich stands for quality of life,” says Philipp von Württemberg, who lives privately in Frankfurt

MS: What do you recommend to young collectors?
PvW: Who builds a collection, must take his time and constantly observe and compare the market. It’s like a stock package that you do not leave to yourself. There is enough art today for smaller budgets, such as editions, fantastic paper works, photographs. Nevertheless, do not buy everything that is called art. Rather, the danger for young artists is that they go up too fast with their prices. An artist must be allowed to develop and not be at the same level as, for example, a Picasso.
MS: Are there any new trends in the collectors scene?
PvW: The so-called luxury goods, such as cars, jewelry, photography, design. A market that has grown tremendously fast. At the Frieze Masters in London, I was fascinated by an African mask that was very contemporary in its clean lines. For 20,000 euros it was offered. In contrast, a work by Tom Wesselmann from the series “The Smoker” for one million. One can certainly discuss which one is of better quality.
MS: Can you even compare that?
PvW: Not really. But it shows that you have to have a sense for aesthetics. The beauty does not always have to be expensive.

“The beauty does not always have to be expensive.”

MS: Evidently, insecurity leads one to hide behind big names instead of acting beyond the mainstream.
PvW: Exactly. This also applies to luxury cars. Ferraris, Mercedes, BMW, Porsche are the four brands that run well.
MS: Isn’t the market for old-timers grazed at some point?
PvW: There is a very small group of collectors with big garages. Others buy one or two vintage cars, which they then drive.
MS: What are you driving?
PvW: I have a Mercedes 190, born in 1957. Beautiful. But I do not need a second or third car. The car market is limited. Collecting pictures is something else, because pictures can be stored.

Philipp von Württemberg is an enthusiastic tinkerer: “In Portugal, I love collecting shells on the beach and sticking them on Ikea picture frames at home.”

MS: Your most spectacular experience as an auctioneer was Alberto Giacometti’s “L’Homme qui marche I”, which provided 104.6 million Euros in 2010. The sculpture was at that time the most expensive piece of art ever sold at an auction. Where there other experiences you like to remember?
PvW: I was initially an expert on 19th-century art, and so often in private houses and castles or in their attics, where I had spotted the stocks with a flashlight. I discovered a so called ‘Sleeper’. My first spontaneous impression was that the pale, green-faced Maria on wood could bring between 6,000 and 8,000 Euros. The picture was then identified by topex experts as one of the rare works of the Spanish painter Luis de Morales and went to London at the Oldmasters auction, where it was estimated at 200,000 to 300,000 Pounds. In the end, the Prado in Madrid got the surcharge for 550,000 Euros. And every time I stand in front of it with my children, I say, look, I found that in an attic.
MS: Are there any disappointing moments in your business?
PvW: It surprises me that at charity auctions people are reserved and do not bid. I stand in front of the audience and there is nothing left to do but wave the objects through with a smile. Charity falls by the wayside.
MS: Can you feel at what time an object has been exhausted in the bidding process?
PvW: I notice that within the first second the object is called out. The room lacks any oxygen, people yawn and do not bid. If then even the charm offensive is of no use, you have to remain cool as an auctioneer: sold and gone.
MS: You even waited a minute with the Giacometti. Motionless.
PvW: That felt like ten hours (laughs). The tension was felt despite absolute silence. Just like the will of the individual bidder. And then there is this one crucial moment. In that moment he does not care. Then it happens that he puts one on top of it. The Giacometti went from seventy over one hundred million.

“You should live with the art.”

MS: The today’s collector’s scene does not seem to begrudge each other anything.
PvW: It’s more about saying I have something that you don’t have. I first discovered it, bought it first. A collector who has just purchased something good is understandably proud and wants to show it to others.
MS: You have never parted with any part of your personal collection. Where do you leave everything?
PvW: That’s actually a problem (laughs). I have enough space in the house, a big office and now two warehouses. A real collector does not say that he has no space left.
MS: You should live with the art, you said. But you don’t do that by putting them in the garage.
PvW (laughs): It’s a collector’s principle to know you have it. To the chagrin of my family, I try to hang pictures every now and then. For every newcomer I find a place to admire him. If I buy a new suit, I would like to put it on immediately. I once bought a picture of Gregor Hildebrandt, it was so big that I could not hang it anywhere. That’s why my advice is, that looking at a picture in the original, is the most important thing when buying. Colors, shape and also the frame play a role. A bad frame destroys a picture. A good frame, on the other hand, makes a bad picture better. Tea tastes better from a nice cup than from a simple glass.
MS: Do you love tea?
PvW: Yes, although I drink a lot of coffee. The disadvantage of coffee is that I only drink it with plenty of milk and sugar. While I drink the tea black, which is healthier. As a kid, I hated tea. At the school in Friedrichshafen we always had tea with our food, especially herbal tea. Why don’t we drink water? I asked myself. I still do not like chamomile- and peppermint tea at all. It was not until my time in London in the 1980s that I discovered drinking tea again. My favorite is Lapsang Souchong. It has a calming effect on me.

“Our name obliges. We behave accordingly and are down to earth. I have a role model for my employees of being a motivator while at the same time standing behind them. I am a team player. If something does not work out, it will be on my head,” says Philipp von Württemberg

MS: You carry the big name of a former, ruling house. You said that responsibility and tradition mean a lot to you. How does this manifest itself in daily life?
PvW: A name obliges. My children got this taught from an early age. And it’s not just about things such as table manners. Nevertheless, we are in a different context today, living in the big city and not in a castle in the countryside. The children were at boarding schools in England and now study in the USA. They come together with different people and get new impulses. You can only improve if you are open to new things and ready to work on yourself.
MS: You yourself have married within the high nobility, your wife is Duchess in Bavaria. Is that intended by your house law?
PvW: Our house law was unchanged since 1828, until we changed it together with my father for the first time in 1994 and that will not be the last renewal. My parents are very young and open in their thinking, which is why two of my brothers married commoners. We live in another time, the monarchy has not existed for more than a hundred years. Also house laws must adapt to the time. After all, we are no longer living in the Middle Ages.
MS: What would you have become if you had not made a Sotheby’s career?
PvW: Artist. I love to work with my hands. I would like to weld metal and build sculptures. If there is something to fix in our house, the task will automatically be handed on to me. Screwing and sawing is exactly my thing. My favorite store is the hardware store.  BvH

Contact Philipp von Württemberg

sothebys.com/en

The post How about a cup of tea, Philipp von Württemberg? appeared first on My Stylery.

Meet me for Tea with H.P. Baxxter, Frontman of Germany’s most successful band Scooter

He has been mixing up the Techno scene like no one else for 25 years: H.P. Baxxter and his band Scooter. When the native East Friesian, who in real life is called Hans Peter Geerdes, enters the stage and roars “Hyper, Hyper” and “How much is the fish”, there is nothing stopping him. Then the crowd rages and 13,000 fans of all ages in the sold-out Berlin concert hall “Velodrom” get into happy frenzy. Who gets to know him, is sometimes surprised: H.P. Baxxter, who has invented shouting for his hits, is rather cautiously quiet and very polite in private. Meet me for Tea with the hydrogen-peroxide-blonde successful musician and a strong East Frisian mix in the cup.

H. P. Baxxter prefers East Frisian tea, a blend of Assam, Ceylon and a dash of Darjeeling, a very strong tea. Cream and candy are needed for refinement

MyStylery: Does the East Friesian make East Friesian jokes all the time?
H.P. Baxxter (laughs): The East Friesian drinks tea, however making the jokes is not true.
MS: You are an enthusiastic tea drinker since childhood. What brought you to the taste?
HPB: As long as I can remember, we had tea after lunch. I thought that was the case all over the world. In the morning for breakfast black tea, in the afternoon also with friends a cup and then for dinner. Black tea never prevented me from falling asleep either.
MS: So tea is strongly linked to your childhood memories …
HPB: Exactly. As a child, I liked to have a sleepover at my grandma’s. I was allowed to stay up late there. And it was our tradition to sit in the kitchen just before going to bed and drink black East Friesian tea, but with lots of candy and cream.
MS: This reminds of English tea drinking habits …
HPB: I also like to take PJ Tips tea bags from England. Especially when we are in the studio and the leisure is missing. At least there are tea mugs with the likeness of the Queen and Prince Charles (laughs). At home I especially like to drink the mixture “Bünting Privat Ostfriesentee”. This is a very high quality tea, which is important in the rather moderate, very calcareous water quality of Hamburg. In East Frisia, the water is much softer. I drink coffee very rarely, for example on Sunday afternoon with the cheese-cake.

Me and H.P. Baxxter in his suite at the Hotel Adlon in Berlin

MS: Does anyone still call you Hans-Peter?
HPB: Yes, my mother. Mostly. Sometimes she says HP. The name Hans-Peter was a problem for me as a child. I was so glad when my chemistry teacher in the 11th grade came up with the idea of ​​calling me “HP”. I suspect the idea came to him through the TV series Dallas and the villain JR. (Laughs)
MS: Are you checking in at the hotel under the name Geerdes or Baxxter?
HPB: When I’m officially with the band, always under Baxxter. In such a moment I get angry, when it says Hans-Peter Geerdes. This is private and is used when I order a craftsman for home. Although at first I always had to laugh when my manager at the front desk asked if the suite for Mr Baxxter was ready. In the restaurant I get the better table, if I order under the name Baxxter.
MS: Does your popularity sometimes annoy you?
HPB: When I’m stressed out, arriving the airport last minute and just then get into a bachelor party, where I’m asked for selfies and autographs, then that’s exhausting. On the other hand, of course, an indicator that you are still on the radar.

“The cups from KPM would also do well at my home,” says H.P. Baxxter

MS: Scooter has been Germany’s most successful band since 1993. This year you have the 25th anniversary. You are still the only founding member. Actually, you could sit back and relax now.
HPB: Music has always been my life, which I have never considered work, but always a great pleasure and a lot of fun.
MS: You always have to come up with something new …
HPB: Like the co-operations with Vicky Leandros or Status Quo, which are mostly spontaneous. We used to go back to the studio immediately after each tour and continue to work. Sure, there were phases when we could not think of anything. We then took nine month-break. A creative break, so to speak. Why didn’t we do that more often? I wonder.
MS: With the end of the “Love Parade”, some also saw the end of the Techno era. Is Techno still up to date?
HPB: Techno has changed a lot, but is still a matter. And this since more than 30 years now. There are different currents like Minimal or Electro House. In the clubs in Ibiza like the Pacha exactly these beats are played again. The sound of the gigantic open-air festivals eventually has its roots in Techno.

H. P. Baxxter remained on the ground: “It was a stroke of luck that we had slaved away without success for a long time, and when success came, it did not seem natural to us.”

MS: How do you explain the great success of Scooter abroad, of all things in Scandinavia or Russia?
HPB: In Russia with the political circumstances and the euphoria caused by the fall of the Iron Curtain and the Wall. Our sound was and is the connection between East and West. The Russian fans are also very loyal. They have heard us in their youth and still do today. And younger ones come after.
MS: Children want to become locomotive drivers or astronauts. You dreamed of a career as a musician.
HPB: I was totally fascinated by the glam rock era of the 70s, by bands like Sweet and T. Rex. The highlight of the week for me was when the shows like Beat Club or Disco with Ilja Richter came on German TV. At 14, I had my first student band. There was no one in my hometown of Leer who took this as seriously as I did. Some lacked the discipline to rehearse three times a week. For many it was just hobby-like rumbling. There I sometimes stood alone with my guitar.
MS: Can you actually sing properly? You have never been in the church- or school choir, right?
HPB: No. I always refused. My singing, the shouting, was the inspiration of a spontaneous idea. I actually saw myself as a great guitarist. When I became interested in electronic music and New Wave, like Depeche Mode or Simple Minds, I could not do anything with my guitar. So I switched to singing, although I had never sung at the time. The advantage of the 80s was that everyone had sung wrong. Expression and stage presence were crucial. So I became a frontman and a little later we founded Scooter.

H. P. Baxxter has a preference for the English way of life: “Last year, I made a dream come true and drove the Oldtimer through the Highlands, descended in old castles and drank a Scotch whiskey by the fire in the evening.”

MS: Many musicians take drugs. How do you manage to keep your hands off?
HPB: I’m watching the Narcos series on Netflix right now. Insanity, if you imagine how many tons of coke alone the Pablo Escobar clan has shipped and to what extent the people have always been taking it. For me, that was never an issue, even if I sometimes felt like the stupid, clueless redneck. Sometimes I regret that I’ve never been so Rock’n’Roll, not someone who just blew up all conventions. I do not have this self-destructive gene of an Amy Winehouse. I’m just too conservative for that.
MS: And you live that way too. Have you always been so Anglophile?
HPB: As a child I loved English series, “Captain Weasel”, “ Upstairs, Downstairs“, “All Creatures Great and Small“. I have always liked the dignified English way of life. Rock musicians like Mick Jagger then lived like English landlords, drove Rolls Royce and were simply cool. At the age of 16, I was in England for the first time, where I made a bike tour to London with a buddy. That blew me away.
MS: Some interpret this as a petit-bourgeois way of life. ‘HP and his stuffy antelopes’ was the title of an article about you.
HPB: Many have this pigeonholing. Does a musician always have to live in a minimalist industrial loft? I like to break with conventions. I do not consider gnu, tiger or zebra as hunting trophies, with which I adorn myself, but as part of my furnishing concept. I love this bizarre.
MS: And you find that in Hamburg-Duvenstedt? Why do you not live in Berlin?
HPB: I need the rural as compensation. I’m rarely home enough. Last year I was on the road for months straight. I really enjoy sitting around the fireplace for five evenings in a row, watching shows and drinking my tea!

“I need the rural as compensation. I really enjoy sitting around the fireplace for five evenings in a row, watching shows and drinking my tea”, says H.P. Baxxter

MS: Your career is interesting: You were a law student in Hannover …
HPB: That was the only way to get out of the small town. After all, I was in college for three weeks. (laughs) Then I decided on a commercial apprenticeship, two and a half years in a dental wholesaler. I would recommend anyone an apprenticeship as a professional basis.
MS: Did you ever think that you would also be a member of the TV casting shows DSDS and X-Factor jury, as well as having guest appearances in some German TV series?
HPB: No and I will certainly not start as an actor. These were not character roles. (laughs) Rather short appearances where I say, “How much is the fish”. But it’s fun to get involved in something new.
MS: You were married twice. Will there be a third time?
HPB: Three times is “East Frisian right”, is a saying in East Frisia. I would not bar it. I also believe in fate and do not do anything compulsively.
MS: You are a family man with close contact to your mother and the children of your sister. Do you regret not having your own children?
HPB: It just didn’t come about. Sometimes I find it a pity not to have a son with whom I could do pub tours today.

“When it comes to cars, everything stands still for me. That’s my biggest passion after the music. I have four vintage cars, two old Jaguars, a Rolls Royce, a lime green Bentley.”

MS: Do you feel a bit alone in your big house? You do not even have pets, you just hang around with those stuffed things.
HPB: Yes, that’s the way it is. Sometimes I have to talk to my gnu. (laughs) In my time as a single, there was one or the other lonely moment. But I am in a new relationship since a year and a half.
MS: Your girlfriend is 26 years younger than you. Not just a slight age difference…
HPB: It makes a difference whether your partner is 18 or 28. A certain life experience is certainly not a disadvantage. My previous partner was the same age as I, and I thought, she knew about life with her maturity. Everything would be relaxed, I thought. The opposite was the case. I need a woman by my side, who also has power, likes to go out and has a certain independence.
MS: How important is the encounter at eye level through similar experiences? You can look back on moments, where your girlfriend was not even born.
HPB: Yes, I agree with you. But after three years you do not talk about it anymore. Common interests are much more important to me.
MS: Speaking of planning for the future: Scooter and no end in sight?
HPB: I do it for as long as it’s really fun, full house, people are having fun and everything feels good. It was a long way to be able to perform at major mainstream festivals like Highfield. Traipse round discos with my hits that I played 30 years ago would not be my world. I think I’ll just fall dead on stage someday.  BvH

Info H.P. Baxxter and Scooter:

No German band ever had as many top ten hits as Scooter. With 30 million records sold in over 50 countries, Scooter is the most successful German band – consisting of H.P. Baxxter, Michael Simon and Phil Speiser – at all.

13.000 Fans – and me – at the Scooter concert in the Berlin concert hall “Velodrom”

Dates for the anniversary tour „100% Scooter – 25 Years Wild & Wicked Tour“:

Fri            08/17/2018          Hamburg (Trabrennbahn Bahrenfeld)

Sa            08/18/2018          Dresden (Elbufer)

Sa            08/25/2018          Beverungen (Weserufer)

The interview series “Meet me for Tea” is sponsored by KPM – Königliche Porzellan Manufaktur Berlin.
More interviews you’ll here.

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