A life in pictures

On July 13, 2023, our company owner Prof. Hans B. Bauerfeind passed away. He was 82 years old.

For six decades, Hans B. Bauerfeind guided and led the family business with body and soul, starting in Darmstadt-Eberstadt, then in Kempen and finally at his home town in Zeulenroda.

Starting from an early age, Hans got involved in his parents’ company: When he was ten years old he wrote invoices, at thirteen he was employed doing masonry work in Darmstadt-Eberstadt.

In 1962, Hans B. Bauerfeind officially joined the company, managing the production and development departments. He was enthusiastic about building machines: for example, in the 60s he motorized the flat and circular knit machines which were previously operated manually. He also developed a knitting machine that can produce custom-made circular knit stockings.

In 1929, Bruno Bauerfeind founded the family business. This picture from 1985 brings together three generations that came after him (from left to right): Hans B. Bauerfeind with his son Thomas Bauerfeind and his father Rudolf Bauerfeind.

Hans B. Bauerfeind had a strong bond with his children – here he is with his daughter Beatrix and his son Thomas. He was an attentive listener and enjoyed sharing his experiences.

“Bea, work as hard as you can – during the week. But on the weekend you should relax and not think about work. Rest assured, it will still be there on Monday.” Bea revealed this tip from her father during the celebration for his 75th birthday. Currently, Beatrix Bauerfeind-Johnson works on the Supervisory Board.

Also on the occasion of his father’s 75th birthday, Thomas told a story about an adventurous sailing trip. Shortly after Hans B. Bauerfeind acquired his sailing license, he took the two of them to Helgoland. Together, they bravely fought against the waves and seasickness. Thomas Bauerfeind is now the Managing Director of Berkemann. 

The starting point of an unparalleled success story was the development of the GenuTrain knee support by Prof. Wolfgang Krause, Prof. Hans B. Bauerfeind and Prof. Heinrich Hess (from left to right). Today, one GenuTrain produced in Zeulenroda is sold roughly every 20 seconds around the world.

Prof. Hans B. Bauerfeind and the former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Helmut Kohl – here in 2004 as a guest in Zeulenroda at the “75 years of Bauerfeind” celebration.

The company grows, and with it the need for warehouse capacity and office spaces. The Logistics Center and the new administrative building are constructed in 2003 and 2004.

With the Bio-Seehotel, Hans B. Bauerfeind made a dream come true that no one was able to talk him out of. In 1999, he bought the old Free German Trade Union Federation (FDGB) vacation retreat against his accountant’s advice and invested 23 million euros. He liked the location and “there was something special about the property,” he said.

There was a great deal of media hype in 2016 when Bauerfeind’s global brand ambassador and former pro basketball player Dirk Nowitzki visited the company’s central headquarters in Zeulenroda.

“Dirk Nowitzki was already a fan of our products and has remained down-to-earth despite his incredible achievements – that’s why I think he’s the perfect brand ambassador,” remarks Hans B. Bauerfeind when explaining the reasons behind the partnership.

At the celebration of the company’s 90 years of business with the former Prime Minister of Thuringia, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Vogel.

During the same event, little Grace came up to her grandfather...

… and knew she could get him to smile by making faces.

Surrounded by the youngest Bauerfeind generation, his joy was palpable.

That was another side of “HBB”, seen here enjoying the festivities with his daughter Bettina and his wife Marion.

He always considered people to be the greatest asset. For this, Hans B. Bauerfeind was honored at company celebrations with standing ovations and long applause, most recently in 2019. Looking at his face, it’s plain to see how moved he was.

A passionate entrepreneur with vision and modesty, a family man, a visionary, tinkerer, inventor and adventurer, a shining example of hard work, warmth and courage. We send our last peaceful regards and thanks to Prof. Hans B. Bauerfeind for his unparalleled efforts and achievements on behalf of the Bauerfeind company and the city of Zeulenroda.