The Wiener Werkstätte  is well known for its creative work in architecture, interior design and furniture as well as fashion and textile design. Founded in the beginning of the 20th century it became an international  design movement.

Josef Hoffmann,  one of its founders inspired many young talents - among them - Leo and Gretl Wollner.

They studied at the Academy of Applied Arts in Vienna  in the difficult period of WW II and shortly after. Their teacher was Josef Wimmer-Wisgrill - an artist who worked in various  fields like fashion, decorative arts and interior design.  

Already during their studies at the Academy Josef Hoffmann recognised the talent of the Wollners and  invited them to work with him.

To rebuild life after WWII meant to start from scratch with very little to nothing and with a lot of ingenuity and creatitvity. The great gift the Wollners received from the pre-war generation: a profound training in textile craft and a highly evolved  understanding of  aesthetic applied to design. The rigid division between visual arts and applied arts had been overcome already by the artists of the Wiener Werkstätte. Now in the fifties and sixties the Wollners were free to evolve and develop their artistic and crafts skills freely. They were quickly moving beyond the Austrian borders to the USA, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Great Britain.... soon to be well known and successful designers in the field of textile, both for industrial use as well as for artistic originals. 

Competitions, Design Awards, Exhibitions

1951              IX. Triennale Milan                                                               silver medal

1953             Int. Carpet Competition Detroit USA                                 1. and 2. prize and 2 honourable

1953             Wall Covering American Institute of Decorators              mentions

1954             X. Triennale Milan / Italy                                                     gold medal

1957             XI. Triennale  Milan / Italy                                                   prize / textile competition

1957              Academy of Fine Arts/ Stuttgart, Germany

                      Leo Wollner is appointed professor to teach at  the textile department

1959              exhibition leo wollner Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam/Netherlands

1959              Award of the city of Vienna /category applied art for Leo Wollner             

1959              exhibition “grete und leo wollner”  Museum  of Applied Art in Vienna / MAK

1959              exhibition Landesgewerbemuseum Stuttgart/Germany

1961               XII. Triennale MIlan /Italy                                                    silver medal

1966              Faenza / Italy                                                                       prize for  a porcelaine decor        

1966              United Carpet Trades, London / UK                                  1st prize 

1971               Award Knoll International USA                                         Curtain “Sling”

Various exhibitions in Linz, Munich, Stuttgart, Rotterdam and Vienna.

Various exhibitions together with the textile students of the academy of Stuttgart. 

1980-1994        exhibitions in the showroom in 1010 Wien, Grünangergasse 1