Founded in 1825, the Kappeler Stationery Store combines modern writing culture with traditional stationery.

The Beginnings

In 1825, Joh. Bapt. Kappeler, “son of the old and honorable farming family of the Kappelerhof,”^* founded a bookbinding workshop and paper shop in the house Zum Dattelbaum on Obere Halde in Baden. “For the bookbinding trade, the Wettingen Monastery with its rich library was the best employer, and Father Kappeler was able to put his knowledge and craftsmanship to good use.” “In 1847, Switzerland’s first railway line was built from Zurich to Baden. From that moment on, various industries settled in Baden, and the previously quaint, medieval town began to take on a livelier character.” “The house on Obere Halde became too small for the operation with three hardworking assistants, and Father Kappeler, showing foresight, acquired the house Zum Grünen Schild on Weite Gasse after the present district school building was erected in 1857, and later also purchased the neighboring house.”

Rise and Decline

“Under the management of his eldest son Karl, the business quickly flourished. A lithography department was added to the bookbindery, supplying nearly the entire canton with all kinds of forms.” “In the midst of this diligent, aspiring work, relentless death tore open a great void. Karl Kappeler, the true soul of the business, contracted pneumonia during a sleigh ride with the men’s choir, and the young man was carried off in barely five days.” It was not the only stroke of fate. The rapid advance of modern times brought competition: printing presses steadily improved, depriving lithography of one task after another. Illness, family misfortune, and financial losses caused by the ill-fated National Railway crisis placed the business under severe strain. The two brothers Josef and Meinrad Kappeler parted ways, the lithography operation closed down, and Josef Kappeler continued the bookbinding business on a modest scale.

New Direction

“In 1892, after completing his apprenticeship, his eldest son Franz joined the business. Through his energetic and diligent work, he succeeded in reviving it. With the gradual introduction of modern machines, the bookbindery became more efficient and is today well equipped for all types of specialized work in the field.” “Today, after 100 years, the business once again stands on solid ground. It is equipped with a job printing press and a gilding press for embossing silk ribbons and posters of all kinds. Alongside the carefully maintained binding of private libraries, the main products of this centennial enterprise now include custom-made filing systems, carbon copy books, cartons, pay slips, and printed materials.”

^*All quotations are taken from the commemorative publication “100-Year Anniversary of the Kappeler Bookbindery in Baden.”