Product design

Klepper – Wandereiner 1925/27. A boat travels around the world May 23 – September 2006   Alongside the VW Beetle, the jukebox and Vespa now there is presented another design icon of the 1950s: Klepper Wandereiner. The archetype of the Klepper folding kayak was invented around 1900 by a Munich architecture student. In the 1920s it was refined to become a very early example of system design, which did not become widely accepted until the 1950s and 1960s. Its easy handling, great flexibility, diversity and reasonable price made the elegant ash wood boat a popular choice, and in the decades after World War II it was used the world over. For many nature enthusiasts and sports fans it became a symbol of regained freedom. Spectacular expeditions with the famous folding canoe – by Herbert Rittlinger in 1954 to the Upper Nile, the Andes-Amazon expedition by Hans Ertl in 1955 or the Atlantic crossing by Hannes Lindemann in 1956 – further increased its popularity. As of May 23, Die Neue Sammlung shows two Klepper folding kayaks in its Current Presentation in the Neues Museum in Nuremberg: the Wandereiner from 1925/27 (donated by the company Klepper Faltbootwerft, Rosenheim) and its later model “Slalom 59” from the 1950s. [more]

An entire array of design icons from the economic miracle era can be traced back to design developments in the years between the two world wars. Alongside the classic example of the VW Beetle there is also the Klepper folding kayak. Like the Beetle and the Vespa since the 1950s it became a symbol of regained liberty, mobility and independence and was widely accepted, which was the prerequisite for its economic success. Although it was ready for mass production as early as the 1920s the elegant boat of ash wood did not become globally marketed until the decades after World War II. Its low weight, stability and durability, the light handling and its diverse applications meant it was not only suitable for research trips and expeditions, but above all for the increasingly important leisure sports – especially as it was reasonably priced. In its present form – Herodotus reports of predecessors – the folding boat was invented around 100 years ago. Munich architecture student Alfred Heurich (1883-1967) built a boat of bamboo rods and material that could be dismantled, and which he used on the May 30, 1905 to travel on the river Isar (which was carrying high water) from Bad Tölz to Munich. This “wild-water“ journey is considered to be the birth of modern kayaking as a sport. Heurich took his inspiration from Eskimo boats in the Museum of Ethnology in Munich. Though the Inuit kayaks originally used for catching whales and as a means of transport could not be dismantled they were based on a similar design principle: A wooden frame covered with a (seal) skin. This skeleton construction offered two advantages: stability and low weight. In 1907, Rosenheim tailor Johann Klepper acquired the license to build the folding kayaks from Alfred Heurich. However, many problems remained to be solved before he could begin with the boat’s mass production. For instance, it was difficult to affix metal fittings to the bamboo rods owing to their differing thickness. Moreover, as the boat lacked sufficient axial tension, the impregnated canvas cover sagged considerably after use. It was only after numerous improvements including the installation of toggle lever clamps and the use of solid ash wood for the frame that the boat was ready for mass production. This modifications made during the 1920s produced an early example of system design, which gained international acclaim and was awarded the Grand Prix at the 1937 World Exhibition in Paris. Successes in sports competitions proved the boat’s speed and agility. Notwithstanding this, folding kayaks from the Klepper boatyard had long since been one of the most important pieces of equipment for explorers and researchers. They were used for example in Roald Amundsen’s expedition to the North Pole (1926), by Sven Hedin for his spectacular journeys through Asia (1928), and Ernst Sorge for his Spitzbergen expedition (1935). After World War II and the damage incurred the Klepper-Werke made a gradual recovery. New developments and modifications to the folding kayaks accompanied the new start. And the boat’s popularity was increased by the resumption of spectacular expeditions. Herbert Rittlinger explored the Upper Nile in 1954, Hans Ertl the Amazon in 1955, and Hannes Lindemann crossed the Atlantic in a double kayak in 1956 – Franz Romer first crossed it in a single kayak in 1928. 1984/1985 Arved Fuchs circumnavigated Cape Horn and traveled to the North Pole in a Klepper kayak. While the “Wandereiner“ boat from 1925/27 can be said to have served as the basic model for the folding kayak still produced today, the “Slalom 59“ represents an intermediate phase from the 1950s. Materials and fittings had been continually improved over the decades, but the basic design principle has altered little since the early models – and the boats are still hand made in Rosenheim. While the idea of building a portable boat is remarkable it is not entirely new. However, putting the idea into practice by creating a folding kayak system, in which construction and design aspects are inseparably linked testifies impressively to the innovative potential of this design. Numerous classic items in the modern age gained their position in design history, their status as “design icons“ thanks to advancements or new editions in the post-war period – a context in which the Klepper boot is also presented.
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