Stockmar – A synthesis of color and wax for 100 years

First yellow dances on moist paper, spreading out like the morning sun. Blue joins in, boldly, and where they meet, green awakens — a silent agreement between colors. Together they weave a delicate cloth of light and shadow, whispering stories of emerging art. In the office of Inke Kruse, the managing director of Stockmar, two pictures catch my eye first. «By Béatrice Cron, Professor of Painting within the the context of Therapy and Education at Alanus University», explains Kruse. The paintings inspire Inke Kruse every day, but the heart of Stockmar remains the artisanal production of paints.

Kruse has been in charge of Stockmar's business for six years. Last year, she and her colleagues celebrated the company's one hundredth anniversary. Kruse has a special definition of the company she runs: «I see Stockmar as an entity that I relate to.» On the occasion of the anniversary, the company examined where it stands and what goals it has set itself. Stockmar's corporate goals for the year 2030 emerged from these considerations, with staff and consultants helping to define them. «In the midst of all the changes and innovations, I strive to maintain the continuity that is inherent in our company,» says Inke Kruse.

In 1921, Hans Stockmar moved with his family from New Zealand to Kaltenkirchen in Schleswig-Holstein. In 1922, the former actor, gardener and beekeeper founded a wax smelter to produce wax separator plates for local beekeepers in a place where post-war inflation was driving up prices by the millions on a daily basis. In 1930, he expanded his business to include candles. In the first ten years of his entrepreneurial activity, he ensured his family's survival during the winter months by working as a steward on emigrant ships.

In 1939, the introduction of kneading wax in Stockmar's history unleashed a dynamic that withstood even the turmoil of the Second World War - the transition from pure wax products to products for artistic use.

In 1947, his son Anselm joined the company. Inspired by his brother Heimdal, who was a teacher at the Waldorf School in Hamburg-Wandsbek, Stockmar developed wax coloring blocks and crayons in 1952 in collaboration with Waldorf teachers. Colored wax foils and tie-dye wax followed. In the 1960s, transparent watercolors were added at the suggestion of Waldorf schools and in the 1980s Stockmar developed plant-based paints. Then as now, Stockmar complies with the strict food standards, although «only» the pollutant standards have to be observed.

In 1974, the conversion of Stockmar's capital into non-profit ownership marked a change in the company's management that goes beyond the person of Hans Stockmar. Today, Stockmar has sales offices in over 60 countries.

Inke Kruse leads me to the production facility, the so-called «melting shop». The path leads through a warehouse with semi-finished and finished goods and a two-year supply of raw materials, such as beeswax. «The wax is used to heat our products.» Rolls of wax float in cold water in a tub. «Are you familiar with sticking wax?» asks Kruse. «It's the oldest Stockmar product that we still make. You can use it to place candles on smooth surfaces, for example.»

Kruse opens the door to the smelter and we are immediately surrounded by calm, steady machine noises, which remind us of a living organism in balance. My gaze sweeps over the machines, boilers and shelves. The room is filled with the unmistakable scent of beeswax. In large boilers, blue, yellow, red and green wax mixtures are heated to 85 degrees with constant stirring. Jan Pohlmann pours a concentrated bright red liquid from a bucket into precisely shaped metal molds that trap the wax in small cells. There it solidifies within 40 minutes. Meanwhile, Pohlmann switches to the equipment for today's batch of green blocks. Once hardened, the wax blocks are lifted out of their molds by plungers. Next door, Martin Borchardt produces blue wax painting blocks using a more modern special machine. «We have 32 colors in our range," explains Kruse, "and each pigment has its own typical properties that need to be taken into account during production,» adds Pohlmann. «I only accept each of these wax blocks if I think: I would also like to paint with this one.»

On the other side of the production facility, Anja Bumann and Markus Schütz take orange crayons from a machine, which protrude from a metal plate with many round openings. «Here you can see the global Stockmar wax crayon block and crayon production in this room,» says Inke Kruse and leads me to the packing room. «This is where we organize the packaging for the products we manufacture. We work with people with disabilities who work in living and farming communities, where we have our packaging made.»

Teamwork plays a central role in quality assurance and the evaluation of artistic aspects of Stockmar products, as Anne Adelt explains in the laboratory. She often approaches the work intuitively in order to give the colors the necessary scope for development — a process that has proven itself in the field. A key aspect is testing the pigment effect on paper, a crucial step in the development of formulations, which are continuously adapted to the dynamic European legislation.

In this world, where the colors of Stockmar shine, they dance across borders and generations. They whisper of warmth, love and light — a language that everyone understands. This legacy, founded by Hans Stockmar a century ago, lives on, carried by the dedication and passion of the entire team committed to this symphony of colors. Stockmar's journey, from humble beginnings in Kaltenkirchen to children's rooms and studios around the world, is a tale of endurance, innovation and the search for beauty in simplicity. Béatrice Cron's watercolors, which inspire Inke Kruse every day, reflect not only the light of love, but also the heart of a company that shapes more than colors: it also shapes memories, dreams and perhaps the creative spirit of the future.