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A short history of Venator & Hanstein

75 years of book and print auctions in Cologne
In 2021 Venator & Hanstein celebrated its 75th anniversary. Since 1946, the company has become one of the leading companies in book and print auctions.

The beginnings
Venator & Hanstein was established in 1946 in Cologne under the name of "Ringbuchhandlung August Nethe & Co.", in 1951 the auction house was renamed to "Nethe und Venator".
Rolf Venator, one of the founders, continued the business in 1953 under the name of "Venator KG".
 

Generational change
In the course of rejuvenation and relocation to new business premises at Haus Lempertz in Cologne, Prof. Henrik R. Hanstein joined the auction house as a partner in 1984. The company's name was now changed to "Venator & Hanstein KG". Since 1988 Mr. Karl-Heinz Knupfer is acting as a managing partner.

Successful auction sales
The Cologne Book and Graphic Auction House is proud to look back on a number of successful auctions, many of which have focused on important collections. The series of important castle inventories ranges from the "Library of Arenfels Castle" in 1951 to the "Library of the Princes Starhemberg, Eferding Castle" in 1956 to the "Princely Library of Dyck Castle" in 1992 and 1993. Another highlight was the auction of the "Günther Leisten Estate" from 2000 to 2001 or the sales of modern illustrated books from the collections of Frowein (2003) and Schmetz (2008).

Current developments
The modern and contemporary graphic arts are represented in separate auction sales since 2005 and are becoming more and more popular with steadily increasing success.

For a general view of our past auction sales please visit the archive.

 

 
chargesheimers

Catalogue XXI/XXII, January 1961

Cover by Chargesheimer