Hermann Historica

What Hermann Historica does

Hermann Historica GmbH is a privately held international auction house headquartered in Grasbrunn near Munich, Germany, in continuous operation for over a century. The firm specializes in the sale of historical and military collectibles across six dedicated departments: antique and modern firearms, antiquities, arms and armour, works of art, orders and military collectibles, and German contemporary history. It serves private collectors, museums, and historical institutions worldwide, conducting both presence auctions at its Grasbrunn facility and online-only auction events, with the 100th-anniversary Jubilee Auction in May 2024 headlined by the sale of an Enigma G cipher machine for €480,000.

The company's core technology is a proprietary online bidding platform accessible globally, supporting real-time live online bidding during presence auctions as well as dedicated online-only auction formats. The platform is offered in German and English and incorporates OAuth-based user accounts, watchlists, commission bidding, and post-auction sales functionality. Catalog distribution is anchored on a content-rich website carrying detailed high-resolution lot descriptions, supported by email newsletters, social media presence on Facebook and Instagram, and participation in trade fairs. There is no evidence of AI-assisted cataloging, authentication, or valuation tooling.

Hermann Historica generates revenue primarily through buyer's premiums (Aufgeld) charged on hammer prices, supplemented by seller-side commissions and post-auction sales. The company is privately held with no disclosed external investment or parent entity; Thomas Rief serves as the authorized managing director, and Xuan Zhang as Data Protection Officer. Operating with a headcount of 11-50 from its Grasbrunn headquarters, the business runs a regular cadence of major spring and autumn auctions supplemented by special themed sales and online-only events. It is GDPR-compliant, a member of the BHMA (the German militaria manufacturers and dealers industry association), and serves a primarily EMEA bidder base alongside documented participation from the USA, UK, France, and Italy.

Name

Hermann Historica

Legal name

Hermann Historica GmbH

Website

https://hermann-historica.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hermann Historica is a Munich-based international auction house specializing in historical collectibles including firearms, antiquities, arms and armour, military decorations, and works of art, serving private collectors and museums worldwide through in-person and online auctions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collectibles Auction Services

NAICS

Art Dealers (45992)

SIC

Retail-Miscellaneous Retail (5900)

akta.pro primary industry

Historical & Military Collectibles Retail (CRALAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Vintage & Antique Collectibles Retail (CRALAGAE)

Keywords

• Collectibles auction services
• Historical militaria auctions
• Antique firearms auction
• Fine art auctions
• Antiquities auction

Headquarters

HQ city

München

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Auction Commission (Aufgeld/Buyer's Premium): Hermann Historica generates revenue through a buyer's premium (Aufgeld) added to the hammer price on all auction sales. The final prices shown on auction results include this premium. Sellers pay consignment fees for selling their collectible items through the auction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hermann Historica is an international auction house based in Grasbrunn near Munich, Germany, that specializes in historical collectibles. It conducts regular live (Präsenzauktion) and online-only auctions across six specialized departments: Firearms (Schusswaffen), Antiquities (Antiken), Arms & Armour (Alte Waffen), Works of Art (Kunst & Kunsthandwerk), Orders & Military Collectibles (Orden & Militaria), and German Contemporary History (Dt. Zeitgeschichte). The company provides expert authentication, valuation, and complete auction logistics for consignors while facilitating in-person and online bidding for collectors worldwide.

Product overview

Hermann Historica is an international auction house based in Munich, Germany, specializing in historical artifacts, weapons, and collector's items. The company operates a multi-category auction platform with both live (Präsenzauktion) and online-only formats. Their core product portfolio comprises six specialized auction departments: Firearms (Schusswaffen), Arms & Armour (Alte Waffen), Antiquities (Antiken), Orders & Military Collectibles (Orden & Militaria), Works of Art (Kunst & Kunsthandwerk), and German Contemporary History (Dt. Zeitgeschichte). Auctions are held regularly throughout the year with special themed sales, and the company also offers post-auction sales (Nachverkauf) and a catalog shop for ongoing sales. The company operates OAuth-based user accounts for bidding and has both German and English language interfaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Schusswaffen (Firearms) Auctions Auction category featuring antique, historical, and modern firearms including flintlock, percussion, early cartridge, hunting, sporting, and modern sporting firearms, sold to private collectors and institutions.
• Antiken (Antiquities) Auctions Auction category featuring ancient artifacts, antiquities, and archaeological items from various civilizations, sold to collectors and museums seeking authenticated historical objects.
• Alte Waffen (Arms & Armour) Auctions Auction category for antique edged weapons, armor, and historical arms including swords, helmets, and protective gear, sold to collectors of historical militaria and edged weapons.
• Kunst & Kunsthandwerk (Works of Art) Auctions Auction category featuring fine art, decorative arts, crafts, and artistic objects including paintings, sculptures, and applied arts, sold to art collectors and institutions.
• Orden & Militaria (Orders & Military Collectibles) Auctions Auction category for military orders, decorations, medals, and militaria items spanning various historical periods, sold to collectors of military memorabilia and historical institutions.
• Dt. Zeitgeschichte (German Contemporary History) Auctions Auction category focusing on German 20th-century historical items, particularly related to the World War periods, sold to collectors and historical research institutions.
• Präsenzauktion (Live Presence Auction) Traditional in-person auction format held at Hermann Historica's premises in Grasbrunn, Munich, with physical attendance, on-site bidding, and preview periods for physical inspection of lots.
• Online-Only Auction Pure online auction format where bidding is conducted exclusively through digital platforms, allowing global remote participation across up to five bidding platforms.
• Nachverkauf (After-Sale Service) Post-auction sale service allowing purchase of unsold items and remaining lots after the main auction has concluded, available through the website at starting prices plus buyer's premium.
• Katalog-Shop (Catalogue Shop) Catalog sales service for purchasing auction catalogs and historical reference materials related to past and upcoming auctions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Exceptional items have sold for over €480,000 (Enigma G cipher machine at 100th auction)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• FacebookminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media integration for marketing and customer engagement. Hermann Historica maintains a presence on Facebook for promotional purposes.
• InstagramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media platform for visual marketing and auction highlights. Used for customer engagement and brand awareness.
• BHMA (Bundesverband der Hersteller und Händler von Military-Artikeln)minorOthersHermann Historica is associated with BHMA, the German industry association for military collectibles, demonstrating industry recognition and membership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Catawiki: Online curated auction marketplace running themed weekly auctions across collectibles including militaria, antiques and art. Adjacent online-only model targeting broader European collector audiences and competing for mid-tier consignors Hermann Historica serves.

Direct peers

• Rock Island Auction Company: One of the world's largest dedicated firearms auction houses, running both online and live auctions of antique, historical and modern firearms. Directly comparable to Hermann Historica's Schusswaffen department and the inaugural A105 firearms-only auction in terms of product scope, buyer base and take-rate economics.
• Heritage Auctions: Large US-headquartered collectibles auction house running categories that overlap with Hermann Historica's arms, antiquities and militaria, alongside many adjacent verticals. Operates a similar online bidding model targeting collectors worldwide and competing for international consignors.
• Weisser Militaria Auctions: UK-based specialist auctioneer for militaria, medals, edged weapons and historical uniforms. Directly comparable niche, share of cross-border bidders and consignment workflow with Hermann Historica's militaria and orders departments.
• Auktionshaus Christoph Gärtner GmbH & Co. KG: Major German auction house specialized in stamps, coins and historical collectibles with a strong online auction platform. Comparable workflow, German-anchored collector base and category crossover with Hermann Historica's militaria and antiquities buyers.
• Andreas Thies GmbH & Co. KG: German specialist auction house focused on militaria, orders, badges, edged weapons and historical uniforms. Closest geographic and category competitor to Hermann Historica's Orden & Militaria and Alte Waffen departments, with similar German WBK permit workflow and collector overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Christie's: Global luxury auction house with overlap in antiquities, arms and armour categories. Competes for trophy consignments and shapes the international pool of high-net-worth militaria and antique-arms buyers.
• Sotheby's: World-leading luxury auction house running occasional sales that include arms, armour and antiquities. Sets benchmark hammer prices that influence consignor expectations at specialist auction houses like Hermann Historica.
• Bonhams: Global full-service auction house with dedicated arms, armour and antiquities departments. Competes with Hermann Historica for high-value militaria and historical consignments while serving a much broader luxury and fine art mandate.

Regional players

• Dorotheum: Vienna-based traditional auction house covering arms, antiquities and decorative arts across DACH-region clients. Comparable European footprint and category breadth to Hermann Historica's mixed antique offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hermann-historica-m-nchen

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hermann Historica