René König - Founder and owner of GERMENS artfashion

On this page, you can get to know René König more closely as the founder and owner of GERMENS. His professional path spans from his early years as an exhibition designer and graphic designer to becoming the creator of an internationally recognized art-fashion brand. The detailed presentation of his career stages, projects, and awards is intended to help you better assess his work—while also ensuring that many professional highlights are not forgotten over time. This biography is therefore also a continuously growing archive of René König’s body of work.

René König was born on 15 July 1973 in Karl-Marx-Stadt, German Democratic Republic.

1980–1990 – School years
Attended the ten-grade Polytechnische Oberschule in Karl-Marx-Stadt (today Chemnitz) and completed general education within the GDR school system.

From 1990 – Vocational training as a cabinetmaker
Began a three-year apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker at Rother & Kunze (formerly VEB Innenprojekt Halle), receiving practical training in furniture making and interior fit-out.

1991–1993 – Involvement in youth representation
Member of the works council as a youth and trainee representative at the training company, organized within the Wood and Plastics Union (GHK).

19 November 1992 – Start of self-employment
Registered his own business as a designer for advertising materials— including posters, logos, advertisements, and general print media— and began continuous freelance work in the fields of advertising and graphic design.

1993–1994 – Distance learning at SGD
Two-year distance-learning program at SGD – Studiengemeinschaft Darmstadt, one of Germany’s largest and most established distance-learning institutions, completed alongside professional work.

From 1993 – From apprentice to full-time self-employed
Bankruptcy of the training company in 1993. Since then, continuously self-employed full-time in design, advertising, and graphics—without interruption to this day.

Since 1993 – Exhibition designer for public museums
Since 1993, René König has also worked as a designer for temporary and permanent exhibitions in public museums. His focus is on content-driven scenography: he develops guiding concepts, tells spaces dramaturgically, and designs graphics, media, lighting, and visitor guidance—always with the aim of staging museum content in a clear, sensory, and memorable way. All projects are listed here.

1995 – Co-owner of a civil-law partnership (GbR) & building an offset print shop in Chemnitz
Joined as the third co-owner of a German civil-law partnership (GbR) named “FORMART Keller, König, Weber GbR” and, together with the partners, built an offset printing company on Mühlenstraße in Chemnitz. A former factory building was converted into a modern production site, including investment in a two-color MAN Roland A3+ offset printing press valued at more than 250,000 German marks (DEM). Responsibilities included design, production preparation, and the development of high-quality printed products for commercial clients.

1994 – Redesign of the permanent exhibition
Nazi painting storage during World War II Museum Kalkwerk Lengefeld / Ore Mountains

1996 – Design of permanent exhibitions
History of technology in the locomotive shed at the Saxon Narrow-Gauge Railway Museum in Rittersgrün / Ore Mountains
and Bergbaugeschichte Altenberg (Mining history of Altenberg) at the Mining Museum Altenberg / Ore Mountains

1998 – Exemption from compulsory military service following the consequences of a traffic accident
In 1998, he was formally exempted from compulsory military service—following several years of legal proceedings. Decisive factors were, on the one hand, physical limitations resulting from a serious traffic accident in 1983, in which an amputation of the leg was narrowly avoided, and on the other hand his responsibility as a self-employed entrepreneur running his business.

1998 – Redesign of three permanent exhibitions
on History of weighing in Oschatz at the City and Weighing Museum Oschatz, History of the town of Auerbach at the Museum Auerbach / Vogtland, and on History of the town of Oschatz at the City and Weighing Museum Oschatz

1999 – Redesign of two permanent exhibitions
on Town history Burg Bad Düben at the Agricultural Museum of the Dübener Heide (Burg Düben), and on Town history of Brand-Erbisdorf at the Museum Huthaus Einigkeit in Brand-Erbisdorf

1999 – Concept development, graphic design, and overall design of the company directory “Chemnitzer Wirtschaft 1999 – Firmenhandbuch”
(2nd edition featuring more than 750 companies) for Chemnitzer Wirtschaftsförderungs- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (CWE), as owner of the agency FORMART.

Since 2000 – Development of a large-format advertising installation in Chemnitz city center
Since 2000, René König has been working on the project development of a large-format advertising installation in the city center of Chemnitz. The concept for this 240 m² façade advertisement was so influential in terms of urban design that it impacted the City of Chemnitz’s advertising ordinance. After several years of planning and coordination, the building permit was granted in 2004; the installation has been in operation since 2005 and serves as a highly visible advertising space for regional and national campaigns. A selection of realized motifs and references can be found here.

Since 2000 – Development of a large-format advertising installation in Chemnitz city center
Since 2000, René König has been working on the project development of a large-format advertising installation in the city center of Chemnitz. The concept for this 240 m² façade advertisement was so influential in terms of urban design that it impacted the City of Chemnitz’s advertising ordinance. After several years of planning and coordination, the building permit was granted in 2004; the installation has been in operation since 2005 and serves as a highly visible advertising space for regional and national campaigns. A selection of realized motifs and references can be found here.

2000 – Redesign of a permanent exhibition and a traveling exhibition
History of the company Ferd. Thürmer at the Thürmer Pianoforte Museum in Meissen and the “Saxony well equipped” traveling exhibition at the Saxon Main State Archive in Dresden

Since 2001 – Intensified exhibition design work with Thomas Ebersbach
Since 2001, René König has intensified his work as an exhibition designer together with his colleague Thomas Ebersbach. Since then, the two have developed numerous temporary and permanent exhibitions for public museums and institutions. This collaboration produces holistic exhibition concepts—from content dramaturgy and spatial and graphic design to media, lighting direction, and visitor guidance—with the aim of communicating complex topics in a vivid, contemporary, and emotionally engaging way. Their first joint project was the redesign of a permanent exhibition on Saxon military history at the Museum of Saxon Military History 1806 to 1815 in Königshain

2002 – Design of a special exhibition
Sportschau – German Gymnastics Festivals 1860 to 2002 at the Museum Altes Rathaus Leipzig, and design of a permanent exhibition Town history of Colditz at the Museum Colditz

2002 – ART-shirt campaign for the flood victims
In 2002, René König initiated an ART-shirt campaign in Chemnitz together with artist Gregor-Torsten Kozik: several T-shirts featuring Kozik graphics were designed and sold, with the proceeds going to the victims of the 2002 flood disaster.

2003 – Strategic refocus and move to a creative studio on the Kaßberg
In 2003, René König ended his involvement in the jointly operated offset print shop and shifted his focus entirely to concept development, design, and visual communication. As part of this change, he moved his office into a historic Gründerzeit villa on the Kaßberg district of Chemnitz, Enzmannstraße 4. From then on, design concepts, advertising materials, and exhibition projects were created in an independent creative studio, spatially separated from print production.

2003 – Design of a special exhibition and three permanent exhibitions
State of Emergency – The popular uprising of 17 June 1953 in Leipzig at the Museum Altes Rathaus Leipzig, and History of skiing in Germany at the German Ski Museum of the D.S.V., Town and airfield history – garrison town of Großenhain at the Museum Alte Lateinschule Großenhain, and Clothes make the man at Rochsburg Castle

Since 2003 – Development and distribution of the “Original Saxon Mining Calendar”
Since 2003, René König has designed the “Original Saxon Mining Calendar” and distributes it under his own brand via a self-operated online shop. The calendar is dedicated to Saxon mining history and culture, combining historic motifs, photographic documentation, and graphic design, and over the years has developed into a specialized niche product with a loyal customer base. In addition to the wall calendar itself, complementary products such as postcards, mugs, and other mining-related items are also created. Distribution takes place primarily through the online shop www.bergbaukalender.de

1998–2013 – Design of books and exhibition catalogues
From 1998 to 2013, René König worked extensively as a designer of books, artist catalogues, and exhibition catalogues. During this period, numerous publications were created for museums, galleries, and artists—from conceptual structure and editing logic to layout, typography, and print production. His focus was to make content clearly readable, visually distinctive, and closely connected to the respective exhibition design and the artistic work itself. An overview of many printed works can be found here.

2004 – Design of a total of seven museum exhibition projects
Permanent exhibition on Administrative history of Radeberg at Museum Schloss Klippenstein, Radeberg; permanent exhibition on Town history of Eilenburg at the Town Museum Eilenburg; permanent exhibition on Town history of Kamenz  at the City Museum of Kamenz (Malzhaus); special exhibition Passage France–Saxony – cultural history of a relationship, 1700 to 2000 at the City History Museum Leipzig and at Baroque Castle Moritzburg; permanent exhibition on Castle history of Klippenstein at Museum Schloss Klippenstein, Radeberg; and the permanent exhibition on Town history of Belgern at the Belgern-Schildau Town Museum.

2004 – Birth of his first daughter, Nayma

2005 – Design of three museum permanent exhibitions and one museum special exhibition
Town history of Bad Schandau at the Museum Bad Schandau, The Saxon Princes’ Abduction in Altenburg at Altenburg Residential Palace, Life and work of Neidhardt von Gneisenau at the Gneisenau Memorial in Belgern-Schildau, and the first project in Luxembourg: Le grand pillage – Plundered at the Musée d'histoire de la ville de Luxembourg

2005 – Design of the exhibition catalogue Plundered! Nazi Art Looting in Luxembourg During World War II
In 2005, René König was responsible for the graphic design of the exhibition catalogue “Plundered! Current Questions on Nazi Cultural Property Looting in Europe”. The volume was published by Deutscher Kunstverlag on the occasion of the exhibition of the same name and the international symposium at the Musée d’Histoire de la Ville de Luxembourg. König developed the striking visual concept featuring a swastika fragment composed of picture frames on a black background, as well as the layout for the accompanying text and image pages—an example of how his graphic work makes complex contemporary-historical topics clear, powerful, and readable for an international professional audience.

2006 – Design of the book “Les maisons Richard et Printz”
In 2006, René König designed the elaborately produced book with slipcase/portfolio “Les maisons Richard et Printz: regards sur un quartier historique de la ville de Luxembourg” (author/publisher: Marie-Paule Jungblut, ISBN 978-2-919878-61-1). The work focuses on a historic district of Luxembourg and combines scholarly content with a high-quality, design-driven book-and-portfolio solution. An overview of many printed works can be found here.

2006 – Design of eight museum exhibition projects
Permanent exhibition on Agricultural history in the GDR at the Deutsches Landwirtschaftsmuseum Schloss Blankenhain; special exhibition for the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Leipzig, Master of the Rules – The Football Referee at the City History Museum Leipzig; interim exhibition on Weapons history of the city of Suhl at the specialist museum for the history of Suhl hand-held firearms; permanent exhibition on the life and work of Wilhelm Ostwald at the Wilhelm Ostwald Museum Großbothen; permanent exhibition on Erzgebirge cultural history at the Museum Sächsisch-Böhmisches Erzgebirge (Bergmagazin Marienberg); permanent exhibition on Town history of Mittweida at the Museum Alte Pfarrhäuser Mittweida; permanent exhibition on Castle history of Burg Schönfels  at the Museum Burg Schönfels; and a special exhibition, Le Conseil dans tous ses États – Highlights from 150 years of the Luxembourg Council of State at the Musée d'histoire de la ville de Luxembourg

2006 – Design of the cover and layout of the academic book “Exhibiting and the Intangible – Contributions from the 1st Museological Study Days Neumünster Luxembourg 2006” (Deutscher Kunstverlag / Musée d’histoire de la Ville de Luxembourg, ISBN 978-3-422-06768-4).

2007 – Nomination for the Saxon State Prize for Design
In 2007, René König was nominated for the Saxon State Prize for Design with the book-and-portfolio project on the renovation of the parliament building in Luxembourg. The award, presented by the Free State of Saxony, recognizes outstanding design achievements in fields such as product and communication design and, in this case, highlights the exceptional quality of the book design within the context of demanding architectural and cultural projects.

2007 – Design of four museum exhibition projects
Special exhibition Attention, Tsiganes! at the Musée d'histoire de la ville de Luxembourg, permanent exhibition on History of a Passion – A collection of Villeroy & Boch faience at the Musée d'histoire de la ville de Luxembourg, permanent exhibition on Town history of Radeberg at Museum Schloss Klippenstein, Radeberg, and a special exhibition Scoutland – The wonderful world of the Scouts at the Musée d'histoire de la ville de Luxembourg

2007 – Design of a museum permanent exhibition
on the History of Suhl hand-held firearms at the specialist museum for the history of Suhl hand-held firearms

2007 – Design of the exhibition catalogue “Villeroy & Boch – Decorative Faience from Luxembourg”
In 2007, René König was responsible for the graphic design and layout of the exhibition catalogue “Villeroy & Boch – Faïences décoratives du Luxembourg: de l’Art déco aux années 1960 / Decorative Faience from Luxembourg: from Art Deco to the 1960s”, published by the Musée d’Histoire de la Ville de Luxembourg. The elaborately designed volume documents Luxembourg’s decorative faience of the 20th century.

2008 – Design of the conference proceedings  “Museums and Universal Heritage – History in the Area of Conflict between Interpretation and Manipulation”
(ICMAH, 2008) René König, together with Thomas Ebersbach, was responsible for the book design and layout. The English-language volume brings together the papers from the ICMAH conference held in Vienna in 2007 and examines how museums worldwide navigate between historical interpretation, political mandate, and potential manipulation. König’s design translates this field of tension into a clear, contemporary layout with a strong photographic cover concept that symbolizes movement, reflection, and perception.

2009 – Publication of a book on the exhibition projects by König + Ebersbach
In 2009, René König, together with his long-time colleague Thomas Ebersbach, published a book about the realized exhibition projects by König + Ebersbach . The publication documents a wide range of museum and exhibition projects, featuring photographs, floor plans, and design details, and explaining the conceptual approaches behind the projects. The book was published under ISBN 978-3-00-027152-6 and provides a compact overview of the two exhibition designers’ work in the German-speaking region and beyond.

2009 – Design of five museum exhibition projects
Art installation for the special exhibition The Leipzig Mendelssohn at the City History Museum Leipzig; a permanent exhibition on Johannes Schilling at the Johannes Schilling House in Mittweida; special exhibition The Golden Age Reloaded at the Villa Vauban – Musée d'Art de la Ville de Luxembourg; traveling exhibition Murder and Manslaughter – An exhibition about life at the Musée d'histoire de la ville de Luxembourg; and special exhibition A pleine voile at the Villa Vauban – Musée d'Art de la Ville de Luxembourg.

Guests at the opening of the exhibition The Golden Age Reloaded included Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands .

2009/2010 – Design of the official “XXV Schengen” logo as well as the commemorative publication for the opening of the Musée européen Schengen.
The bilingual publication marking the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Schengen Agreements was distributed during the celebrations to all foreign ministers of the EU member states at the time and was also presented to leading representatives of the European Union, including José Manuel Barroso , Jean-Claude Juncker and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg .

2009 – Marriage to Tukayana Paulo-König

2009 – Design of the exhibition catalogue “Murder and Manslaughter – An exhibition about life”
In 2009, René König designed the exhibition catalogue “Murder and Manslaughter – An exhibition about life” (ISBN 9783933510570). The volume accompanies the traveling exhibition of the same name, which was shown at multiple museums in Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Belgium, and brings together scholarly essays, historical documents, and visual material in a clearly structured layout developed by René König.

2010 – Founding of the fashion brand GERMENS
In August 2010, René König founded the fashion brand GERMENS together with the artist Gregor-Torsten Kozik (formerly Schade, founding member of the Clara Mosch artists’ group ). The brand’s goal is to connect art and fashion: paintings and graphics by Kozik, as well as works by many other artists , are transformed into extraordinary shirts, blouses, and T-shirts with placed art prints—wearable artworks. Over the following years, GERMENS developed into an independent label based in Chemnitz, combining limited editions, high-quality cotton fabrics, and largely regional production.

2010 – Design of the “Museums and Faith” volume
For the conference proceedings “Museums and Faith”, published in 2010 within the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Archaeology and History (ICMAH/ICOM), René König, together with Thomas Ebersbach, handled the complete book design— from cover design and typography to the graphic structure of the English-language academic volume. Edited by Marie-Paule Jungblut and Rosmarie Beier-de Haan , the volume documents the international “Museums and Faith” conference in Luxembourg and brings together contributions from experts from 15 countries on the role of faith in museums and exhibitions.

2010 – Design of three museum exhibition projects
Permanent exhibition 25 years of the Schengen Agreement at the European Museum Schengen; special exhibition on 25 years of the Schengen Agreement for Expo 2010 Shanghai in the Luxembourg Pavilion; and a traveling exhibition Murder and Manslaughter – An exhibition about life at Wasserschloss Klaffenbach near Chemnitz

2011 – Birth of his second daughter, Nayara

2011 – Design of two museum exhibition projects
Traveling exhibition Murder and Manslaughter – An exhibition about life at the Bernisches Historisches Museum in Bern, Switzerland, and a special exhibition Poor Luxembourg? Pauvre Luxembourg? at the Musée d'histoire de la ville de Luxembourg

2011 – Design of the exhibition catalogue “Poor Luxembourg? – Pauvre Luxembourg?” (Belleville Verlag, ISBN 978-3-943157-09-3) for the exhibition of the same name at the Musée d’Histoire de la Ville de Luxembourg. René König was responsible for the layout and graphic design of the bilingual volume, which uses historic photographs and contemporary analysis to explore the history of poverty and social exclusion in Luxembourg from the 19th century to the present day.

2012 – Design of three museum exhibition projects
Special exhibition L'art à tout prix at the Villa Vauban – Musée d'Art de la Ville de Luxembourg; special exhibition ABC Luxembourg for Beginners and Advanced   at the Musée d'histoire de la ville de Luxembourg; and the permanent exhibition on Fortress history of the city of Luxembourg at the Musée Dräi Eechelen Luxembourg

2012/13 – Costume design for pairs skating world champions Aljona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy
In the 2012/13 season, René König, together with Gregor-T. Kozik, designed new competition costumes for pairs skating world champions Aljona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy . The color-intensive outfits were presented at international competitions—including “Skate Canada”—and helped make this artistic textile design from Chemnitz visible worldwide.

2012 – Aljona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy: Show costumes from Greiz make fabrics glow
Together with the artist Gregor-T. Kozik, René König collaborated with researchers in Greiz at the TITV Greiz on innovative luminous textiles. Based on this development, the two designed spectacular show costumes for the world-champion figure skaters Aljona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy , which were later used in international ice shows around the globe.

2012 – The first GERMENS catalogue is published
Photographed by Chemnitz-based photographer Dirk Hanus and designed by René König. Numerous well-known personalities modeled for the elaborately staged fashion images, including the figure skating stars Aljona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy , as well as the pianist and entertainer Martin Schmitt .

2013 – Design of the final exhibition for the time being
Traveling exhibition Murder and Manslaughter – An exhibition about life at the Musée de la Vie wallonne, Liège, Belgium

2013 – Opening of a GERMENS pop-up store
In 2013, René König and Gregor-T. Kozik opened a first GERMENS pop-up store in Chemnitz for two months and presented the first proprietary GERMENS products to the public. In this temporary shop, he showcased an early selection of artistically designed shirts and other fashion items, tested collections through direct customer interaction, and further sharpened the brand’s profile as “wearable art” positioned between a gallery and a fashion store.

Since 2013 – Kai Ebel as a prominent GERMENS brand ambassador
Since 2013, TV presenter and Formula 1 reporter Kai Ebel has been the most prominent brand ambassador for GERMENS and regularly showcases the artistic shirts during Formula 1 broadcasts. A profile of this collaboration can be found here.

2014 – Design of the 496-page standard reference work “Luxembourg, a City in Europe – Highlights from more than 1,000 years of European urban history”
For the volume “Luxembourg, a City in Europe”, published by the Musée d’Histoire de la Ville de Luxembourg (eds. Marie-Paule Jungblut, Michel Pauly, Heinz Reif, Danièle Wagener; ISBN 978-3-9815545-3-3), René König developed the complete graphic identity. In addition to cover design and typesetting, he worked with large-format, multi-colored, overlaid image motifs that visually translate the idea of an open, European urban history. The book brings together contributions by international historians of cities and urbanization and presents more than 1,000 years of Luxembourg’s history in a European context—from early settlements to today’s modern European capital. König’s design connects scholarly content with a powerful, contemporary visual language, making the book a distinctive reference work for urban and museum history.

2014 – Founding of Kozik und König GmbH & retail store in Rabenstein
In 2014, René König and Gregor-T. Kozik founded Kozik und König GmbH as the entrepreneurial basis for the further development of the GERMENS brand. In the same year, he leased a retail space in Chemnitz-Rabenstein. The premises were extensively renovated in-house and gradually transformed into a combined showroom, store, and workplace. From then on, GERMENS shirts, blouses, and T-shirts were presented there, early collections were tested, and the concept of “wearable art” became a tangible, spatial experience.

2014 – Giant poster with Thierry Noir
In 2014, René König, together with Gregor-T. Kozik, initiated what was probably the most spectacular art project on Chemnitz’s City High-Rise: a 24-meter-tall and 6.6-meter-wide giant poster featuring an iconic “kiss mouth” motif by the Berlin-based Wall artist Thierry Noir. Created for the occasion of “25 years since the fall of the Wall”, the vividly colored work turned the concrete façade into a glowing symbol of freedom, courage, and the power of art in public space. To this day, the installation is regarded as the largest reproduction of an artwork by the world-famous artist Thierry Noir worldwide and made Chemnitz an XXL open-air studio for several months.

8 May 2015 – Opening of the GERMENS Store in Chemnitz-Rabenstein
On 8 May 2015, René König officially opened the new GERMENS Store in Chemnitz-Rabenstein. More than 350 guests attended the inauguration of the spacious fashion store, including prominent visitors such as King Bansah ( Céphas Kosi Bansah , traditional king of the Hohoe Gbi in Ghana) and the Olympic champion and world champion figure skater Aljona Savchenko . The event marked an important step in the development of the GERMENS brand: the store became the central stage for extraordinary shirts, blouses, and T-shirts featuring artist designs, and has since shaped the perception of the brand as “art you can wear” in the Chemnitz region and beyond.

2015 – Exhibition “Fabric for History/Stories – The Seamless Shirt”
In 2015, René König participated with his brand GERMENS artfashion in the special exhibition “Fabric for History/Stories – The Seamless Shirt” at the Fischer- und Webermuseum Steinhude. The show—a cooperation with Leibniz University Hannover—focuses on the seamlessly woven shirt from 1728 as a masterpiece of weaving craftsmanship and places it in dialogue with contemporary artist shirts by GERMENS, which translate the idea of the shirt as an artwork into the present day.

2016 – Relocation of the office to the GERMENS Store
In 2016, René König moved his office from Kaßberg to the GERMENS Store in Chemnitz-Rabenstein. This brought design, organization, and sales together in one place: the store became the setting not only for new GERMENS designs, but also for the brand’s communication and marketing concepts. Bringing studio, office, and sales area under one roof strengthened the direct feedback loop with customers and made the creative development process tangibly visible in the store. At the same time, Kozik & König GmbH was renamed Markeking GmbH.

2016 – Construction of another 81 m² advertising installation on Hartmannstraße
In 2016, René König implemented another 81 m² illuminated advertising installation at the residential and commercial building at Hartmannstraße 17 in Chemnitz, expanding his portfolio of outdoor advertising locations and providing a highly frequented advertising position within the city. The site is marketed via CPW Plakatwerbung Chemnitz; a reference overview can be found here.

2016 – Charity project “Celebrity Plates for Children in Need”
In 2016, René König took part in a charity auction of hand-painted “celebrity plates” in support of a children’s aid project in Chemnitz that promotes healthy nutrition for socially disadvantaged children. For the campaign, he created a color-intensive plate in the unmistakable GERMENS style, which was auctioned alongside works by other prominent participants. The plate raised €800.

2016 – Music event with Stereoact at Chemnitz Neumarkt
In 2016, René König organized a major music event at Neumarkt in downtown Chemnitz together with singer and presenter Martin Schmitt to celebrate the release of the first CD by the DJ duo Stereoact . During the concert, Gregor-T. Kozik and Peter Piek painted live on stage; more than 1,000 spectators attended. The patron of the event was the then Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig .

2016 – Trade fair booth for DIAMONTEX in Amsterdam
For the textile auxiliaries brand DIAMONTEX of the chemical company Zschimmer & Schwarz , René König designed a large-scale trade fair presence at an international industry exhibition in Amsterdam. The main graphic—several meters wide—was created by the Chemnitz-based artist Gregor-T. Kozik and stages the topic of digital textile-print chemistry as a color-intensive mural around the booth’s lounge area.

2016 – Entrepreneurial trip to Miami
In 2016, René König took a creative entrepreneurial trip to Miami for the legendary Miami Music Week . Together with prominent travel companions such as Olympic figure-skating coach Ingo Steuer , Chemnitz DJ and label owner DJ Toka , singer Martin Schmitt , and German rock poet Mazze Wiesner , he immersed himself in the international music and club scene. The trip combined networking, inspiration, and exploring new collaboration ideas between fashion, music, and entertainment—an important step toward thinking of GERMENS artfashion on an international scale.

2017 – Event with Dominique Görlitz at the GERMENS Store
In 2017, René König hosted an ABORA evening event at the GERMENS Store & Lounge in Chemnitz-Rabenstein, featuring a live link-up to Egypt with the experimental archaeologist Dominique Görlitz . The evening brought together science, adventure sailing, and discussions about responsibility and sustainable action in front of an audience.

2017 – Nomination in the “Saxony’s Entrepreneur of the Year” competition
As managing director of Kozik & Koenig GmbH (now Markeking GmbH), Rene Koenig was nominated for the special award “Saxony establishes – Start-up 2017”—a category in which the statewide entrepreneurship prize honors particularly innovative Saxon start-ups founded between 2012 and 2014.

2017–2018 – Expansion of the network of large-format advertising installations in Chemnitz
Between 2017 and 2018, Rene Koenig implemented three additional facade sites for large-format outdoor advertising: an 81 m² installation at the residential and commercial building on Augustusburger Strasse 43, as well as two 64 m² installations at the properties Zwickauer Strasse 170 and Claussstrasse 54 in Chemnitz. This further densified the CPW Plakatwerbung Chemnitz site network; a reference overview can be found here.

2018 – Exhibition “Kunsthemd – Hemdkunst” in Annaberg-Buchholz
In 2018, Rene Koenig presented the exhibition “Kunsthemd – Hemdkunst” at Galerie West in Annaberg-Buchholz. On display were original artist drawings for GERMENS shirts as well as the finished shirts on illuminated torsos, staging the concept of the shirt as wearable art.

2018 – Business development in Las Vegas
Rene Koenig traveled to Nevada to take the first concrete steps toward entering the U.S. market for GERMENS artfashion. In and around the shopping center Fashion Show Las Vegas , he held talks with a local business partner and tested the impact of the color-intensive artist-designed shirts on the famous Strip. Although the promising contacts did not develop into a long-term cooperation, the trip marked the beginning of GERMENS’ international expansion experiments. Along the way, an impressive rear-end collision resulting in a total loss of the vehicle remains a vivid memory—fortunately with no injuries.

2019 – Awarded the Theodor-Heuss Medal
In 2019, Rene Koenig—together with the Chemnitz initiative Hand in Hand, which realized the banner “Die Wuerde des Menschen ist antastbar” on Bahnhofstrasse—was awarded the Theodor-Heuss Medal for democratic engagement by the Theodor-Heuss-Stiftung . Go to the foundation archive.

2019 – Large-format poster “Chemnitz. Saxony. Open-minded. Vote!”
In 2019, Rene Koenig designed an approximately 200 m² banner for the initiative “Chemnitz bleibt demokratisch” on the high-rise at Bahnhofstrasse / corner of Augustusburger Strasse in Chemnitz. The mega poster reading “Chemnitz. Saxony. Open-minded. Vote!” visibly promoted an open, democratic urban society ahead of the state election.

2019 – Founding of GERMENS South Carolina LLC in Greenville (USA)
In 2019, Rene Koenig initiated the step into the U.S. market and founded the branch GERMENS South Carolina LLC in Greenville, South Carolina, with a showroom in the city center. Together with a local partner, initial collections of GERMENS shirts were presented in the USA. The U.S. branch remained a pilot project planned for only a few months and was closed again within the same year, but it provided important experience for the brand’s later international activities.

2019 – Trip to the art fair Art Basel Miami
Rene Koenig presented himself and GERMENS in Miami, met international artists and public figures (including street-art star Alec Monopoly), gave an interview for a South American TV channel, and staged GERMENS fashion in spectacular photo shoots on the beach and throughout the city.

2020 – Solidarity giant poster for the COVID-19 crisis in Chemnitz
Rene Koenig, together with Kai Schmidt, initiated the 200 m² art banner “Solidaritaet – Together through the COVID-19 crisis” on the high-rise at Brueckenstrasse/Bahnhofsstrasse in Chemnitz. The banner was designed by Michael Fischer-Art and Kay Leo Leonhardt. During the pandemic, the colorful giant poster became a highly visible sign of solidarity; part of the proceeds from accompanying products supported, among others, the Basketball Bundesliga club NINERS Chemnitz.

2020 – Award at the German Business Awards
With his fashion brand GERMENS artfashion, Rene Koenig was honored in 2020 by EU Business News at the German Business Awards as “Most Extravagant Unisex Clothing Retailer 2020”. The jury recognized the combination of artist-designed shirts, limited editions, and meticulous production. On the EU Business News winners page, GERMENS is presented as an award recipient (Winner profile); a detailed magazine feature describes the brand as a unique symbiosis of art and fashion (Article “Stylish Shirts Secure Success”).

2020 – A GERMENS Shirt Added to the Collection of the Haus der Geschichte in Bonn
In 2020, the Leipzig-based artist Michael Fischer-Art designed the shirt motif VIRUS for GERMENS. Rene Koenig presented a copy of this extraordinary artist-designed shirt to the Haus der Geschichte of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn.

“The Haus der Geschichte of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn is one of the most visited museums on German contemporary history after 1945. With around 1 million visitors annually, the museum documents more than 3,000 exhibits across over 4,000 m² and holds a collection of about 1 million objects from the period from 1945 to the present day, including textiles, everyday objects, and media.”

“The VIRUS shirt designed by Michael Fischer-Art for the fashion brand GERMENS was included in this collection as an extraordinary testimony to the COVID era. It combines artistic design with social experiences and documents how fashion and contemporary history became intertwined during the pandemic. The shirt is part of the HdG collection on the COVID crisis— a contextualized object that is both included in the online collection and could also be shown in thematic special exhibitions.”

More information about the design here

2021 – “Jerusalema Challenge on a Colorful Ground”
With the solidarity project “SOLIDARITAeT! – Together Through the COVID Crisis,” Rene Koenig created a Chemnitz version of the worldwide Jerusalema Challenge at the event venue “Kraftverkehr.” More than 20 dancers in GERMENS shirts—later changing into white painters’ coveralls—transformed a huge white surface into an abstract work of color art through their steps, captured in the music video “Jerusalema Challenge on a Colorful Ground” .

2021 – Brand Campaign “My City – My Paper” by the Morgenpost
In spring 2021, Rene Koenig was one of the faces of the Chemnitz brand campaign “My City – My Paper” by the Chemnitzer Morgenpost. Under the motto “The Morgenpost is as colorful as life – and our shirts,” he appeared in striking visuals promoting local newspaper reading and showcased GERMENS shirts as a symbol of color and diversity. The campaign ran both as print ads in the paper and as large-format city-light posters and bus-stop billboards across Chemnitz.

2021–2023 – GERMENS Store in Ruedesheim am Rhein (Villa Sturm)
From 2021 to 2023, Rene Koenig ran his own GERMENS store in the historic Villa Sturm on the Rhine promenade in Ruedesheim am Rhein. In the shop he designed himself at Rheinstraße 5, he presented GERMENS shirt, blouse, and T-shirt collections as “wearable art” for guests from all over the world; a glimpse is provided by the store video on YouTube ( GERMENS Store Ruedesheim ). The location in the tourist heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley gave the brand high visibility, but pandemic-related mandatory closures and the prolonged downturn in tourism afterward made operations increasingly difficult economically. The store therefore closed again in 2023—yet the experience gained in Ruedesheim continues to inform later shop concepts and pop-up formats by GERMENS.

2022 – GERMENS Wins an Award at Aktion Plagiarius
In 2022, the GERMENS artist shirt “ALNUSO” was honored at the negative award ceremony Aktion Plagiarius as one of eight examples of particularly brazen product counterfeiting. Rene Koenig discovered copies of the shirt designed by the artist Daniela Schieck by chance online, investigated further, and proved that a German-Turkish company had replicated a total of 13 GERMENS designs almost 1:1 and sold them via online platforms. National media such as stern.de , Handelsblatt and Freie Presse reported on the case, making GERMENS a prominent nationwide example of protecting intellectual property. Locally, TAG24 Chemnitz put the impact of the counterfeits into context—and showed how Rene Koenig used the award to raise customer awareness of fake shops and brand piracy.

2023 – Concert Night “GERMENS meets Toni Krahl” at Brauclub Chemnitz
In November 2023, Rene Koenig organized a special concert night at Brauclub Chemnitz under the motto “GERMENS meets Toni Krahl.” CITY frontman Toni Krahl—who has enjoyed wearing the colorful GERMENS shirts on stage for years—performed live in the культ club that evening and brought his greatest hits with him. Rene Koenig paired the concert with an exclusive fashion presentation and personal encounters with guests—music, stories from the GDR rock scene, and color-strong shirts merged into a single event. Demand was so high that several hundred tickets were sold in advance, turning the Brauclub into the stage for a unique blend of rock legend and Chemnitz designer.

From 2024 – GERMENS City Shop at Hotel Chemnitzer Hof, Chemnitz
Rene Koenig opened his second GERMENS store on the ground floor of the historic 4-star hotel Chemnitzer Hof . Located in a passage described as the city’s most exclusive shopping arcade, the city shop presents a curated selection of the striking GERMENS shirts, blouses, and T-shirts in a compact space. Interior architecture, wall design, and presentation systems were created by Rene Koenig himself. The opening and location of the store were highlighted, among others, by the Morgenpost with the headline “How classy! This is where the city’s most exclusive shopping arcade is located.”

April 2025 – Exhibition on the 38 Municipalities of the European Capital of Culture
In the atrium of the cultural venue Das TIETZ in Chemnitz, Rene Koenig curated an exhibition dedicated to the 38 municipalities that are part of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025. The presentation made the diversity of the region visible and showed how different landscapes, stories, and local identities come together to form a shared Capital of Culture project. Impressions of the exhibition and the Capital of Culture year are documented in the city’s photo retrospective: Rueckblick Chemnitz 2025 in Bildern .

2025 – CHEMNITZ-2025 Suitcase Walk at the Hat Festival
For the 8th Hutfestival Chemnitz , a highlight in the program of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 , Rene Koenig developed a striking walk act together with the Fritz Theater: Wearing GERMENS shirts, participants carried old travel suitcases through the city center, with colorful letters that, at different locations, formed the words “CHEMNITZ 2025.” The action is documented in the photo reportage “Hutfestival Chemnitz on Saturday: The Best Photos of the Event” and is part of the festival coverage by local media. On the GERMENS page “Hutfestival Chemnitz 2025” the concept and the participating shirt designs are explained; a YouTube video and an Instagram reel show the walk in motion as a vivid image of a colorful, open Capital of Culture.

2025 – Ball de Couture at Kraftverkehr Chemnitz
On October 11, 2025, Rene Koenig and his fashion brand GERMENS took part in the first “Ball de Couture” at the historic KRAFTVERKEHR Chemnitz , a new fashion-and-dance highlight in the European Capital of Culture year Chemnitz 2025. Organized by the Koehler-Schimmel Dance School , the ball combined Chemnitz textile tradition, dance culture, and contemporary fashion design; around 400 guests attended.

2025 – Consistent Action Against International GERMENS Fake Shops
Rene Koenig set up a dedicated information and warning page , worked together with police, consumer protection agencies, hosting providers, and media (including among others Sachsen Fernsehen ), and in this way helped protect customers from online fraud.

• 2003 – Dauerausstellung – Kleider machen Leute , Schloss Rochsburg
• 2004 – Dauerausstellung – Stadt- und Flugplatzgeschichte Garnisonsstadt Großenhain, Museum Alte Lateinschule Großenhain
• 2003 – Dauerausstellung – Skigeschichte Deutschlands, Deutsches Skimuseum des D.S.V.
• 2003 – Sonderausstellung – Ausnahmezustand – Der Volksaufstand vom 17. Juni 1953 in Leipzig, Museum Altes Rathaus Leipzig
• 2002 – Dauerausstellung – Stadtgeschichte Colditz, Museum Colditz
• 2002 – Sonderausstellung – Sportschau – Deutsche Turnfeste 1860 bis 2002, Museum Altes Rathaus Leipzig
• 2001 – Dauerausstellung – Sächsische Militärgeschichte , Museum für Sächsische Militärgeschichte 1806–1815 in Königshain
• 2000 – Wanderausstellung – „Sachsen gut gewappnet“, Sächsisches Hauptstaatsarchiv Dresden
• 1999 – Dauerausstellung – Stadtgeschichte Brand-Erbisdorf , Museum Huthaus Einigkeit Brand-Erbisdorf
• 1999 – Dauerausstellung – Stadtgeschichte Burg Bad Düben , Landwirtschaftsmuseum der Dübener Heide, Burg Düben
• 2004 – Dauerausstellung – Stadtgeschichte Kamenz, Museum Stadt Kamenz, Malzhaus
• 2004 – Dauerausstellung – Stadtgeschichte Eilenburg, Stadtmuseum Eilenburg
• 2005 – Dauerausstellung – Der Sächsische Prinzenraub zu Altenburg, Residenzschloss Altenburg
• 2005 – Dauerausstellung – Stadtgeschichte Bad Schandau, Museum Bad Schandau
• 2005 – Sonderausstellung – Le grand pillage – Ausgeraubt, Musée d'histoire de la ville de Luxembourg
• 2006 – Sonderausstellung – Herr der Regeln – Der Fußball Referee, Ausstellung zur FIFA WM 2006 in Leipzig, Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig
• 2006 – Dauerausstellung – Leben und Wirken von Wilhelm Ostwald, Wilhelm Ostwald Museum Großbothen
• 2006 – Dauerausstellung – Schlossgeschichte Burg Schönfels, Museum Burg Schönfels
• 2006 – Dauerausstellung – Stadtgeschichte Mittweida, Museum Alte Pfarrhäuser Mittweida
• 2007–2008 – Sonderausstellung – Scoutland – Die wunderbare Welt der Pfadfinder, Musée d'histoire de la ville de Luxembourg
• 2012 – Wanderausstellung – ABC Luxemburg für Anfänger und Fortgeschrittene, Musée d'histoire de la ville de Luxembourg
• 2012 – Sonderausstellung – L' art à tout prix, Villa Vauban – Musée d'Art de la Ville de Luxembourg
• 2011–2012 – Sonderausstellung – Armes Luxemburg? Pauvre Luxembourg?, Musée d'histoire de la ville de Luxembourg
• 2011 – Wanderausstellung – Mord und Totschlag – Eine Ausstellung über das Leben, Bernisches Historisches Museum, Schweiz
• 2010 – Wanderausstellung – Mord und Totschlag – Eine Ausstellung über das Leben, Wasserschloss Klaffenbach bei Chemnitz
• 2010 – Sonderausstellung – 25 Jahre Schengener Abkommen, Expo 2010 Shanghai im Pavillon Luxemburg
• 2010 – Sonderausstellung – 25 Jahre Schengener Abkommen, Europäisches Museum Schengen
• 2009–2010 – Sonderausstellung – A pleine voile, Villa Vauban – Musée d'Art de la Ville de Luxembourg
• 2009–2010 – Wanderausstellung – Mord und Totschlag – Eine Ausstellung über das Leben, Musée d'histoire de la ville de Luxembourg
• 2010 – Sonderausstellung – The Golden Age Reloaded, Villa Vauban – Musée d'Art de la Ville de Luxembourg
• 2009 – Dauerausstellung – Johannes Schilling, Johannes-Schilling-Haus, Mittweida
• 2009 – Sonderausstellung – Der Leipziger Mendelssohn, Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig
• 1996 – Dauerausstellung – Bergbaugeschichte Altenberg , Bergbaumuseum Altenberg/Erzgebirge