| Activity | When Adam August Krantz founded his ‚minralshop' back in 1833, Mineralogy, Geology and Paleontology had just come out of their heroic age and were beginning to establish themselves as individual sciences.
To begin with Adam August Krantz, born in 1808 in Neumarkt in Silesia, had studied Pharmacy. His master was a mineral collector and might have kindled the flame of interest in his young apprentice, so that in 1832 we find Adam August Krantz as a student of "Geognosie" at the famous "Bergakademie Freiberg" in Saxony.
The ore-deposits in the near and far surroundings of Freiberg seem to have fascinated the young man much more than his former studies in Pharmacy. Apart from establishing a collection of his own, Adam August Krantz got to know all the scientists and collectors who came from all over Europe to visit the prosperous ore-deposits. This certainly led to quit a few exchange trades and finally to the idea of establishing the business.
Only four years later, in 1837, Krantz had already moved his business to Berlin. The Prussian capital was a center of science and thus provided the most favourable conditions for a swift development of the young enterprise. In addition the extensive travels of Adam August Krantz and his employees were responsible for the meteoric rise of the firm in the first few years.
In 1850 A. Krantz moved to Bonn, probably because of the excellent reputation which the Bonn University and especially its Earth Sciences Department enjoyed all over the world. On the bank of the Rhine he erected a large mansion, which at that time was still surrounded by vineyards. When August Krantz died in 1872, his firm was famous throughout the world. Gold medals gained at world-exhibitions and personal recommendations of renowned scientists honored the extremly conscientious and highly creative work of the founder, who had contributed considerably to the early propagation of the Earth Sciences.
His private collection, bought in 1875 by G. VON RATH for the University of Bonn, formed the foundation of Bonn's Mineralogical Museum, which up to this day in one of the most prominent collections in Europe. The collections, teaching models and exhibition pieces sold to customers throughout the world certainly promoted the scientific development of quite a few institutes and departments and so had a positive influence on the continuously growing interest of people in the Geo-Sciences.
For the next 16 years, the business was managed by August Krantz's son-in-law, Theodor Hoffmann. Being quite untrained in the Earth Sciences, he was very dependent on the help of a man, who was to become on of the most qualified mineralogists of this time: C.Hintze. After having worked in the firm for 6 years, HINTZE became professor of Mineralogy in Breslau (Silesia).
There, one of his pupils was Friedrich Krantz, a nephew of August Krantz. After his dissertation, he bought the firm from Th. Hoffmann. Having studied Mineralogy, he was especially interested Crystallography. Supported by his teacher C. HINTZE and crystallographs from all over the world, he edited numerous collections of wooden crystal models, the largest of which contained not less than 928 pieces. Throughout the world hardly any Mineralogical Department exists which does not work with those teaching aids from Krantz.
Like his predecessor, he spent a great deal of his time travelling and sent his employees to interesting localities throughout the world in order to collect material.
The beginning of World War I. had almost fatal consequences for the business. The vitally important international connections were suddenly interrupted. Friedrich Krantz managed to save the business through the war. However, a few years afterwards in 1926 he died. His wife took over with the support of her nephew Fritz Krantz. The business, being mostly dependant on the interest of scientifical institutes and museums, was very much imbedded by the serious political and economic crisis of the Twenties and the Thirties. During World War II, a great deal of the precious collections were destroyed.
During the war, the continuation of the firm was secured only by the great personal sacrifices of Olga Krantz. In 1948 she died and her nephew was confronted with the most difficult period in the firm's history. Apart from everything else, the international connections had to be revived. Fritz Krantz now profited from his travels to America. Numerous personal relationships from that time now bore fruit:
Meanwhile the formerly magnificent buildings in the Herwarthstr., that had been erected by Friedrich Krantz, could no longer provide the necessary conditioned for a smooth working process. The work shops and stores were spread over three houses which showed definite signs of age. In 1969, Fritz Krantz moved his firm tom a new building in the industrial area of Bonn. The removal lasted a whole year. It was a crucial importance of the firm's survival. Fritz Krantz died 5 years later. He was followed in the firm by his daughter Renate Krantz who had studied Geology in Tübingen near Stuttgart. She enlarged the international contacts and visited the geologs in Japan, China, Australia, America and other countries. At her time the geo-catalogue with lots of geological materials was introduced. After her death, in 1995, her sister continued to run the business and two of her children follows her, now [2012 company website].
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