Strandkorb
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A strandkorb (German, literally beach basket) is a special chair designed to provide comfort and protection from sun, wind, rain, and sand on beaches frequented by tourists.
Strandkorbs are predominantly used on the coasts of North Sea and Baltic Sea as well as other coasts with strong winds. During the summer months they can usually be rented by strandkorb keepers. Two different shapes can be distinguished, the straight angular North Sea variety and the round rolling Baltic Sea variety.
The strandkorb is said to have been invented in 1882 by German basketmaker Wilhelm Bartelmann in Rostock on request of a tourist from Warnemünde. In 1883 he announced the first rental service in a local newspaper. The first models were single seaters and appeared quickly on other parts of the German coast. Today's models are mostly two seaters with tiltable tops, some allowing to lay down completely. They are equipped with armrests and footrests, storage space below the seats, rain proof covers and sunshades.
At the 2007 G8 summit in Heiligendamm a specially designed strandkorb hosted the participating state leaders.[1]
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The G8 Strandkorb was manufactured by Korb GmbH, a company established in 1925 at Seebad Heringsdorf near Rostock. Korb GmbH claims to be the longest established manufacturer of wicker furniture in Europe (possibly the world), and is renowned as the manufacturer of the 'original' Strandkorb design. Its products are largely distributed in Germany, but recent global interest in the Strandkorb concept has seen Korb sign exclusive licensing agreements with distributors in Scandinavia and the UK among others.
