Chronicle of Venator & Hanstein

75 years of Cologne book and print auctions
In 2021, Venator & Hanstein was able to look back on 75 years of company history. Since 1946, the company has developed into one of the leading houses in the field of book and print auctions.

Beginnings
Venator & Hanstein was founded in Cologne in 1946 under the name ‘Ringbuchhandlung August Nethe & Co.’, and in 1951 the auction house was renamed ‘Nethe und Venator’.
Rolf Venator was there right from the start, managing the company under the name ‘Venator KG’ from 1953.

Generation change
In 1984, as part of the rejuvenation and relocation to new premises in the Lempertz building, Prof Henrik R. Hanstein joined Cologne Book and Print Auctions as a partner. Karl-Heinz Knupfer has been the managing partner since 1988. The company name is now ‘Venator & Hanstein KG’

Famous auctions
The Cologne book and prints auctions can look back on a series of successful auctions, which have often centred on important collections.
The series of important castle inventories ranges from the ‘Arenfels Castle Library’ in 1951 and 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 and the modern illustrated books from the Frowein Collection in 2003 and the Schmetz Collection in 2008.

Outlook
Since 2005, modern and contemporary graphic and art has been represented with separate auctions and has enjoyed increasing popularity and success.