On April 2, 1914, a boy was born in the small Danish town of Tønder who would reshape the world’s perception of the chair. Hans J. Wegner – the shoemaker’s son who became modernism’s master.

From Cobbler’s Workshop To Master Cabinetmaker

In Tønder, a town rich in traditional crafts, Hans Jørgensen Wegner grew up surrounded by tools and creative spirit. At age 14, he began his apprenticeship with Master Craftsman H.F. Stahlberg – a determined start to what would become a six-decade career.

But it wasn’t only woodworking that captured young Wegner’s interest. He became a frequent visitor to the local art museum, fascinated by Swedish artist Theodor Lundberg’s porcelain figurines. When a large house was demolished near his home, he acquired several large pieces of oak and duplicated several of Lundberg’s figures – including the large “Wave and Rock” – with surprising accuracy.

These early three-dimensional sculptures demonstrate the understanding of proportion and space that Wegner would later employ in creating designs such as the Round Chair.

The Chinese Revolution

Wegner’s most fundamental work rested on his detailed studies of Ming Dynasty Chinese chairs. As he himself explained the breakthrough:

“Many foreigners have asked me, how we created the ‘Danish Modern’ style. And I have to say that it was nothing like that – creating… I suppose it was more an advanced process of purifying and for me simplification, cutting the elements down to the bare essentials: Four legs, a seat and a combined back and arm rest – The Chair.”

This quote captures the essence of Wegner’s philosophy. From this understanding, the Chinese Chair (pp66) was born in 1945 and culminated in the Round Chair (pp501/pp503) in 1949-1950 – the chair that simply came to be called “The Chair”.

The Chair That Changed History

When the American magazine Interiors published the first ever report on Danish design outside Denmark in 1950, it was the Round Chair that stood at the center. The reviewer wrote:

“In this oak desk chair Mr. Wegner uses a simple construction and devotes himself to perfecting the shape and scale of the parts. The top rail, a complicated collection of twisted curves and joints, was wrested into quiet obedience. The sturdy legs are tapered just enough to seem muscular rather than overfed and the seat dips slightly to look willing but not seductive.”

Ten years later, in 1960, when John F. Kennedy faced Richard Nixon in the first televised presidential election debate, they sat in the Round Chair. The Americans simply named it “The Chair” – a title that says everything about its iconic status.

The Science Behind Comfort

Wegner wasn’t just an artist – he was a scientist in wood form. During the 1950s, he conducted pioneering multidisciplinary studies on ergonomics together with Consultant, Professor and Doctor of Medicine Egill Snorrason PhD. The studies were based on X-ray images of the human spine and revealed new insights into the laws of ergonomics.

As Wegner often explained: “It’s important to have plenty of space for the behind.”

This may sound simple, but it was revolutionary. Wegner realized that the vertical back support of Chinese chairs counteracted proper ergonomics – and omitted them entirely.

Life’s Work At 73 Years

At 73 years of age, after a long and glorious career with countless masterpieces, Wegner designed the pp68/pp58 as his final round back arm chair. “The Final Chair” represents the distillation of a lifetime’s experience.

Each joint in the chair, proven by testing, withstands one ton of pulling strength. The chair is designed to be comfortable in alternate seating positions. As Wegner expressed it – this is generational craftsmanship, made to last through the ages and be inherited through generations.

A 72-Year Dream

Perhaps Wegner’s most visionary project matured over an entire lifetime. The idea of making a chair based on the circle’s form – the simplest and most elegant shape of all – remained a distant dream until, at 72 years of age, he completed the Circle Chair (pp130) in 1986.

“I have the feeling it eludes me the more I work on it,” Wegner said about his search for the perfect chair.

The Circle Chair pushed the limits of what was possible and became one of PP Møbler’s flagship chairs.

Friendship With PP Møbler

Wegner’s collaboration with PP Møbler, founded in 1953 by brothers Lars Peder and Ejnar Pedersen, became the cornerstone of both his and the company’s development. When Wegner visited PP Møbler’s workshop in the 1950s to inspect the frame for the Papa Bear Chair, he questioned the need for such high quality on a part that would be hidden by upholstery.

Ejnar Pedersen’s response became legendary: The craftsmen needed to have pride in their work. PP Møbler only produces first-class quality.

This matched Wegner’s own demands for excellence. The collaboration would continue for decades. Wegner even designed PP Møbler’s characteristic logo and all marketing material for 20 years.

Hans J Wegner Danish furniture designer master of chairs working with Fisker at PP Møbler, Danish modern design classics

The Legacy That Lives

Hans J. Wegner is considered to have designed over 500 chairs, but it’s not the quantity that defines his greatness. It’s the philosophy: to reduce the complex to its sublime essence.

His chairs are still manufactured by PP Møbler in Denmark, north of Copenhagen, with the same devotion to craftsmanship and quality that Wegner demanded. Each chair takes weeks or months to produce, and many parts must dry for up to two years.

These are furniture made to last for generations – a definition of both ecological and economic sustainability.

Arkitekt Hans J. Wegner og møbelfabrikant Ejnar Pedersen har sammen fået overrakt møbelprisen 1980.