Franz Hiess & Söhne, Vienna, was an Austrian manufacturer of haberdashery, jewelry, and watchmaking. Franz Hiess & Söhne was located in Vienna at the corner of Himmelpfort Gasse 1 and Kärntnerstraße 25. The Kärntnerstraße was, and still is today, the main artery of the inner city.
The residential and commercial building of R. Franz Hiess was built in 1885 to plans by the architect Leopold Theyer (1851-1937) and G. Matthies. The
basement, ground floor, and 1st floor were used exclusively for business premises, II. and III. floors and the attic were furnished as apartments. The company's owner was Franz Hiess, later came the sons Eduard Hiess and Rudolph Hiess. In addition to watches, the company also sold cigarette cases, belt buckles, screens, meerschaum cigar holders, meerschaum pipes, umbrellas, walking sticks, and tailstocks. In 1893, the company was represented at the World's Fair in Chicago. “Franz Hiess & Söhne Wien” was granted the highly desirable warrant “Purveyor to the Court,” which was given to a business to recognize them as someone who provides goods or services to the Royal Household and allowed to display the Imperial coat of arms and advertise that they have Royal Customers. At the end of the Second World War, the Kärntner Straße was heavily bombed.
The damage to the Hotel Meissl & Schadn and the business of Franz Hiess & Söhne was so extensive that these buildings had to be pulled down immediately after the war.
Continental Cane Collection Auction - 25
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