Hutkönig – the hatter next to the cathedral

A tradition of fancy headdresses

„With us, everyone gets a hat,“ says Robert Nuslan proudly. Because they know a thing or two about hats at the „Hat King. Together with his brother Andreas, he is already the fifth generation to run the store, next to Regensburg’s landmark, the cathedral. Andreas Nuslan is also the only master hatter and milliner in the world. „Unfortunately, this is a dying profession,“ says Robert Nuslan. In Germany, he says, there are only three master hatters left today: „One makes club hats for carnivals, the other for brass bands.“ At „Hutkönig“ (the king of hats), they make „hats primarily for the general public,“ Nuslan emphasizes. You take a bit of hot air, machines that don’t really exist anymore, a lot of handwork, 120g of natural hair, a wooden mold and a pinch of Regensburg, and you’re done! The felt blank then passes through the hands of the master about 80 times within the next three days. The main focus of the handwork is on durability, functionality and visual appearance. After all, a hat from Andreas Nuslan is made for eternity, they are waterproof and do not get out of shape even after years. So if you’re looking for a unique gift idea for eternity, you’ve come to the right place.

What once was a hat supplier for the royals is now a hat manufacturer that runs its own online store

For more than 140 years, everything has been revolving around hats in this family of craftsmen. Together with their 20 employees, the Nuslans have been running the store and hat factory for five generations. Since 1896, the hatters have also been a „Royal Bavarian Court Supplier“. In 1919, the so-called „Hutfassionieranstalt“ was founded in the Waaggäschen in Regensburg. In 1934, the manufactory and residence then moved to Metzer Straße, where they are still located today. The store moved via golden Bärenstraße and Malergasse to its current location at Krauterermarkt 1 until 1968. Since the 1990s, the hat manufactory has also been present on the internet. The whole family is still active in the business and workshop. The Nuslan brothers practically grew up in the store. While Andreas Nuslan took over his father’s craft, Robert Nuslan opted for a commercial apprenticeship. Daughter Bettina Nuslan also works as a hat and cap maker in the family business.

Here you will find prominent headdresses

Directly opposite to the beautiful Regensburg Cathedral you will find the hatter’s store. In addition to the hat manufactory, the hatters also maintain their own hat tailoring shop, thus combining three crafts in one house. Approximately 15,000 headpieces of all kinds for every season offer something for every customer. From the trilby and porkpie shapes, to the perennial favorites in the style of Humphrey Bogart and Indian Jones, to the famous Playboy hat, no wish is left unfulfilled. The hatter at the cathedral has kept all kinds of celebrities as well as over 600 clubs in the in-house file. Some famous customers are for instance the Thai king, princess Gloria von Thurn and Taxis and actor Jan Josef Liefers as well as Pope Benedikt the XVI. Besides, politicians such as Franz Josef Strauß, Edmund Stoiber and Horst Seehofer trust in the hatters craftsmanship, making the hatter a „royal supplier“ even today. The hat manufacturer has made a name for himself far beyond the borders of Regensburg, even as far as Hollywood. For example, the „Hatter“ from the Disney film „Alice in Wonderland“, embodied by none other than Johnny Depp, wears an original made by Andreas Nuslan. A copy of it can be admired in store itself.

In addition to custom-made hats, which start at €98, and handmade models (starting at €49), you can also find lower-priced industrial hats in the store, as well as hats from brand-name manufacturers. However, most customers that start with a cheaper entry-level model soon come back to have a handmade or even custom-made hat made for thm, explains Robert Nuslan.

hutmacher.de

Krauterermarkt 1
93047 Regensburg

0941 51840

Mo – Fr: 10.00 – 18.00 Uhr
Sa: 10.00 – 16.00 Uhr