Mutti and Klaus honors the legacy of the much-beloved Ursula and Klaus Brand.

Ursula Jahn met Klaus Brand in 1940 when she was working for Klaus’ father’s felt manufacturing plant in East Germany. Klaus was smitten with Ursula’s elegance and warmth and soon asked her to marry him.

She said yes!

Ursula and Klaus would go on to have two sons named Dieter and Jack, who would grow up and have children of their own. Ursula became known affectionately as “Mutti” by her grandchildren, and it was quickly embraced by the rest of the family. The term Mutti, pronounced “Mu-tee” is a term of endearment meaning “Mother” in German.

Mutti and Klaus made excellent partners in business as well as in life. To the family, Klaus was the brilliant businessman, and Mutti the heart and creative soul of the family. Mutti displayed a distinct design style that carried through in her day-to-day life, often marked by rounded forms, soft textures, and gold finishes.

While working in the family business, Mutti and Klaus faced the realities of WWII. In the post-war period, East Germany was occupied and controlled by the Soviet Union. The felt company that had been owned by the Brand family was expropriated by the communist government. With no belongings to their name, Mutti and Klaus fled to West Germany where they lived in a tiny apartment, looking for ways to support themselves.

Klaus sought out a local felt supplier and managed to secure a loan on some material. At night he would pound the felt into rounded shapes, while Mutti embroidered the edges to put on the finishing touches. Together, they hand-crafted and sold these saddle pads to the equestrian trade and slowly regained their financial independence.

With time and relentless hard work, Mutti and Klaus would open a felt manufacturing plant in West Germany.

After the German reunification, Mutti and Klaus purchased another specialty felt plant in East Germany - now the oldest felt mill remaining in Europe. During the Cold War Mutti and Klaus also expanded their facilities to Canada and the United States.

Decades later, their son Jack Brand would take over the family business. In turn, their grandchildren joined the work as well. This brand was created in fond memory of our beloved Mutti and Klaus.