Timeframe

Welcome to a special exploration of the roots, essence and ideas of STIHL. STIHL is at home in meadows, forests and cities. And it is in those very places that our ideas that prosper. Some of our stories have remained “untold” so far – and are now being revealed for the first time. Every one of them illustrates what we are made of.
More to come: In our 2026 anniversary year we will be sharing new stories from 100 years of STIHL here.

Search by category

All History Nature People Technology Untold

Sort by

The 1936 STIHL trade fair stand; black and white photo.

A big push to reach the global market

The newest development from the Andreas Stihl machine factory heralds a revolution in forestry: A portable gasoline-powered chainsaw which can be used for felling trees. Attendees at the Leipzig Spring Fair 1930 are set to be amazed. Except for the fact that the few tools already manufactured are out of stock – there are no models to exhibit. How will customers be persuaded to buy the tool without a demonstration?

Collage of black and white photos of power tools that STIHL has produced over the years: Forestry cart, ice saw, debarker, go-kart, tractor, washing machine.

Unlikely hero products

They all have a place in the company history and have contributed to the present-day STIHL focus on core specialties: Surprising products, unexpected diversions into unfamiliar areas, pragmatic developments – projects arising from necessity or brought to life out of passion. Take a look inside the curiosity cabinet of past product heros.

The Pioneer Ambassador

From the very beginning STIHL takes a very personal approach to gaining an international footing. Certainly company founder Andreas Stihl gets an early start on traveling for business, and his children Hans Peter Stihl and Eva Mayr-Stihl go on to set the right course for a worldwide presence. But individual employees also contribute to the company’s international profile. Most prominently Chief Instructor Julius Wörz, a former brand ambassador who took the chainsaw to the world.

The “STIHL Hobby” advertising character: An illustrated gnome wearing a red pointed hat, a green outfit, and holding a white flower.

The winsome garden gnome campaign

The early 1970s sees the introduction of a new product line and reaches out to a new target audience: “STIHL Hobby.” This was illustrated with a cute gnome which was tentatively aimed at leisure gardeners in 1973, before disappearing back into obscurity. Who can tell us anything about him today? Say hello again to the hobby gnome.

Entrance to the STIHL factory site in Bad Cannstatt; black and white photo.

A look at our roots

Even the mightiest tree was once a seedling. STIHL started small too, as a one-man operation in the heart of Stuttgart. From that base the company expanded its reach further and further. These historic images take a journey into our origins and visit the birthplace of the STIHL chainsaw – with some paths continuing right up to the present day.

Lifesavers

To save lives you need the right equipment: A tool that can successfully clear a path and provide access at the crucial moment. Since 2000, the STIHL rescue chainsaw has been supporting the work of the fire service and the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (Technisches Hilfswerk, THW) throughout Germany. Michael Fuchs, volunteer firefighter in Waiblingen and employee of STIHL, gives us an insight into a volunteer job that is technically demanding, to say the least.