Cosy things from Upper Franconia

Warm comfort for cold days

Many years ago he came to Kulmbach from Poland, Silesia with his wife and children.
Since then, Bogdan Hollert has established his business with handcrafted things, you'll find there slippers made from Bavarian Merino lambskin and many more.

It is autumn! We arm ourselves against the shivering, snuggle up in thick sweaters and soft blankets. The cozy days at home begin. Bogdan Hollert from Kulmbach takes care of that, because he is the Fellmann. He has blankets, pillows, lambskins, but also slippers, clothes and pieces of furniture. They all have one thing in common: skins and wool come from Bavarian sheep farms. They contain zero percent plastic and 100 percent nature, are ecologically tanned and processed by hand.

Photos: Geuthner / Glücksblatt Zeitung / Nr.49 7 December 2021

Good choice

It's been 33 years since Bogdan came to Kulmbach with his wife Jolanta, their little daughter and a travel bag. "We were young, courageous and full of ideas," he says in retrospect. Since the forest ranger position he had hoped for didn't work out, the family man had to come up with something. He bought a trailer and drove to Bavarian shepherd farms to collect skins as a waste product. "That's how my nickname came about, because the greeting said: Oh, the Fellmann is back," he says and laughs. At that time sales of skins were slow, because hardly anyone went to the shop. That's why Jolanta Hollert dared to take a new approach and sold 2,000 natural lambskin products a year. It's been 33 years since Bogdan came to Kulmbach with his wife Jolanta, their little daughter and a travel bag. "We were young, courageous and full of ideas," he says in retrospect
hoped-for forester position didn't work out, the family man had to come up with something. He bought a trailer and drove to Bavarian sheep farms to collect skins as a waste product. "That's how my nickname came about, because the greeting said: Oh, the fur man is back," he says and laughs. At that time, sales of the skins were slow, because hardly anyone got lost in the shop. That's why Jolanta Hollert dared to buy a new one away and sold 2,000 natural lambskin products at the Coburg Christmas market. From then on, things happened in quick succession: sales went well, the production of clothing items began and online trading also started. "I still remember how unsure we were when selling our first jacket on eBay. We couldn't imagine a customer paying for clothes that he hadn't tried on," Bogdan said. And then, coincidentally, in 2014 a house for the new business was found in a good location. In addition to the shop, there is now over 1,400 square meters of storage space for raw materials and finished products. But that's no longer enough, work is in progress. Since Bogdan is always bubbling with creativity, he has just added a new product to the range: It is a chair with a seat and back part covered with cozy lambskin. He's not resting on his laurels, he has other ideas: sneakers - with a cool look on the outside and warm fur on the inside - will soon be added to the range.

Particularly popular in winter

Warm slippers are in demand during the cold season. The Hollert selection is large: there are sandals, low shoes or higher-cut shoes in all imaginable colors and shapes, depending on what you like. All are made of 100 percent Bavarian Merino lambskin, are breathable and dirt-repellent. As life moves more indoors in autumn and winter, we not only want to be warm, but also comfortable.. Jolanta has a tip for this: "Details like pillows immediately make the apartment cozy".

■ Autor: Anne Geuthner

Glücksblatt Zeitung / Nr.49 7 December 2021