Bürstner

History.

From a Black Forest carpentry workshop grew one of the oldest caravan and motorhome manufacturers in Europe.

In 1924, Jakob Bürstner founded a carpentry workshop in Kehl-Neumühl. The family business initially processed wood for furniture and prefabricated components, before producing its first caravans in small series in the late 1950s. In 1961, Bürstner presented its first caravan at the Caravan Salon in Essen — marking the beginning of the brand's establishment in what was then a young German caravan market.

With the acquisition by Hymer AG in 1998, Bürstner became part of a broader corporate group for motorhomes and caravans. Since 2019, the Erwin Hymer Group has been fully owned by US-based Thor Industries Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of recreational vehicles. Bürstner's main plant remains in Kehl on the Rhine harbor — today featuring modern final assembly for motorhomes and caravans.

1. 1924 Foundation as a carpentry workshop by Jakob Bürstner in Kehl-Neumühl
2. 1961 First Bürstner caravan at the Caravan Salon Essen
3. 1973 Renaming of Jakob Bürstner KG to GmbH
4. 1976 Founding of the subsidiary Bürstner SA in Wissembourg, Alsace
5. 1989 Peak output: approximately 20,000 vehicles per year, around 1,150 employees
6. 1998 Acquisition by Hymer AG
7. 2014 Relocation of caravan production from Wissembourg back to Kehl
8. 2019 Erwin Hymer Group is fully acquired by US-based Thor Industries Inc.
9. 2024 Hubert Brandl becomes new Managing Director