The “Ulmer Hocker” was designed in 1954 by Max Bill in collaboration with Hans Gugelot and Paul Hildinger and was initially produced in the in-house carpenter's workshop from donated wood.

Light, robust, versatile: this is how this iconic symbol of the "Hochschule für Gestaltung Ulm" and its design philosophy is described.

Originally designed for the students of the HfG, the stool has always had a variety of uses—as a seat, side table, shelving element, transport container, serving tray, and much more. For a time, the students at the HfG Ulm had to build their own version of the “Ulmer Hocker” to qualify themselves for the woodworking workshop.

Between 2021 and 2022, the HfG Archive exhibited the original, but also many modified versions of the Ulm Stool and raised the question of what actually makes it special in “Der Ulmer Hocker: Idee – Ikone – Idol” (The Ulm Stool: Idea – Icon – Idol).

Today, the stool is available in nine versions: both in the original version and in birch in seven different colors. (kl)