Perhaps no other piece of furniture embodies Ferdinand Kramer’s commitment to design that is both functional and suited to the material as clearly as the B 403 chair developed in 1927. For its realization, Kramer found the ideal partner in the Thonet company. Michael Thonet had already developed around 1840 a very successful process for working wood using steam. This resulted in a stable, elastic, and lightweight construction material that could be used to manufacture a variety of seating furniture. These could be disassembled, packed flat, and shipped worldwide.

Kramer’s B 403 is characterized by an unusually wide, molded seat that is extremely comfortable. The wide-set chair legs ensure that it does not tip over. The chair was used in large numbers in municipal educational institutions like the libraries of the city of Frankfurt. Kramer also furnished the library of the School of Arts and Crafts, which had a very progressive agenda under director Fritz Wichert in the 1920s, with this model in 1928. He had been teaching there since Easter 1926, underscoring the productive collaboration between the school and the building authority.