As our "Moving Forward" video so aptly puts it: Deep roots give us stability and provide the energy for further growth. These roots also include the formative role of art in the family of our company founder.

The name of our company founder, Prof. Georg Zundel, is primarily associated with important scientific discoveries such as the "Zundel ion" named after him. His immediate family background, however, achieved honor in another field: art.

His father was the successful artist Georg Friedrich Zundel – a convinced socialist and pacifist who wrote art history with his portraits of the working class. Whereas until then it had only been possible for the nobility and wealthy families to have themselves immortalized in a painting, Zundel deliberately abolished this privilege. In doing so, he caused a revolution in the art world of the early 20th century.

Unique style

His very own, very realistic portrait style, however, also found admirers in the wealthy social circles. For example, Zundel was commissioned by the reform-minded industrialist Robert Bosch to paint several portraits of his three children Robert, Margarete and Paula.

The youngest Bosch daughter Paula's admiration for the artist Georg Friedrich Zundel later developed into a deep, mutual love. Together they live and work high above Tübingen in the "Berghof", largely designed by Zundel and built on behalf of Robert Bosch.

The only child of the two, Georg, is born here and later starts his scientific career in a small laboratory that he sets up here.

The "Berghof" therefore plays a formative role in Georg Zundel's life. The group of companies he founded therefore bears this name for good reason.

Speaking of founding: At the beginning of the 1970s, the two art-loving sisters Margarete and Paula Bosch, in memory of Georg Friedrich Zundel, helped Tübingen to establish an institution that today enjoys a high reputation far beyond the region – the Kunsthalle Tübingen.

Berghof and the Kunsthalle: Interesting parallels

An institution that – just like the Berghof Group – has never rested on its success, but has always continued to develop. The most recent proof: in 2022, the Kunsthalle Tübingen wins the "Lotto Museum Prize", for which around 70 museums from all over Baden-Württemberg competed.

The Zundel family is still closely associated with this success story today; two of Prof. Georg Zundel's three sons, for example, are involved in the Board of Trustees.

For Eric Wildeboer, the managing director of the Berghof Group responsible for sales, marketing and strategy, the right time has now come with the "Moving Forward" campaign to make this special connection between the founder's family and the Kunsthalle also quite officially visible at Berghof: "From now on, we are committed as one of the premium partners of the Kunsthalle – a homage to our roots, so to speak. Because it is these strong roots that allow us to grow healthily and sustainably. And give us stability for the next pioneering deeds."

The official start of the collaboration with the current exhibition "Brothers & Sisters", in which about 100 paintings, sculptures, objects and videos from national and international museums take visitors on a fascinating journey through the representation of siblings in art from the 16th century to the present day, is highly symbolic: an important part of the exhibition are three portraits of the siblings Robert, Margarete and Paula Bosch, which Georg Friedrich Zundel painted on behalf of Robert Bosch. To mark this special occasion, the Zundel family had these works extensively restored so that they shine in fresh splendor for this exhibition.

Just like the special connection between the family of our founder and the Kunsthalle, which takes on another dimension through the commitment of the Berghof Group.

Exclusive guided tour for the Berghof Team

This special connection was also felt by the participants of the guided tour through the exhibition offered exclusively for the Berghof team, during which Johannes Zundel, one of the three sons of our founder, together with Dr. Nicole Fritz, the director of the Kunsthalle Tübingen, revealed many exciting backgrounds about "Sisters & Brothers" and the Kunsthalle.

"The exhibition has an optimal size, so that one can deal with the individual exhibits at leisure. The guided tour and the subsequent discussion about the exhibition were a lot of fun for my wife and me - an all-round successful evening," is how Dr. Arno Rabold, Head of Automation Technology at Berghof Automation GmbH, for example, summed up the event.

Simone Bihler, Head of Quality Management at the Berghof Group, was also enthusiastic: "I found the exhibition very appealing, interesting and unusual. In addition, the guided tour provided a lot of exciting background information – a wonderful, unforgettable and enriching experience."

The Berghof team can also look forward to these exclusive insights in the future: there will be a similar event at the next exhibition in the Kunsthalle.