Our Story
Our Founder, Max Bretschneider, was born in Crimmitzschau, Saxony and first landed in Rome in 1894. Once in the Eternal City, M.B. worked at Herman Loescher's publishing house and bookshop until 1896, when upon Loescher's death, he was offered the chance to take it over. In 1907, Max opened his own bookshop at via del Tritone, 60. It bore his name and soon became a "must" for all those interested in antiquities or the ancient world. After his wedding with Maria Hefner and after the First World War, which he fought in Germany, Max returned to Italy and in 1928 he moved his bookstore, publishing house and home to its present address of Via Cassiodoro, 19. In 1945 finally «L'ERMA» di BRETSCHNEIDER was born. L'Erma is not only the acronym of Libreria Editrice Romana Monumenti d'Arte, but the name also refers to the marble herm that still welcomes visitors at via Marianna Dionigi. Max introduced and instructed his six children in his field of interest, so much so that all six of them became partners in the Firm. After Max's death in 1950, his daughter Erminia and one of his sons, Giorgio, bought the shares of the remaining four brothers in 1959 and worked together untill 1973, until Giorgio parted ways with the House. It was then in 1974 that Erminia formed a new partnership with her own children Roberto, Francesco and Maria Silvia Marcucci. When Erminia Bretschneider passed away, her son Roberto took over the chairmanship of the board of directors. At the present time Mrs Elena Montani is the managing director.
