My Unexpected Discovery Inside a 100-Year-Old Antique Store in Germany

When I first moved to Germany, I wanted something simple: a piece of art to fill the blank wall in the living room. I had relocated from the states following a career opportunity, and when I say I purged a lot, I purged it all. I didn't even bring holiday decorations over (except a few heirloom treasures).

I had invited some new friends over. It feels better nesting a bit before new people come over, doesn't it? I just didn’t expect that my casual search for antiques would lead me to rediscovering a Munich artist couple (she was 6 years older then he was and was his student!) who I would soon become obsessed with researching (try reading through records in a language you can't read!), only to soon uncover the dramamic lives they led through two World Wars. Why was no one talking about this couple?? Her'es how it began...

Discovering a Hidden Antique Store

On Friday, May 16, 2025, I searched online for antique stores nearby. A shop popped up just a few kilometers away, tucked in an industrial area I had not yet explored. When I arrived, the small parking lot was empty. I wondered if I even had the right place.

The entrance was a heavy metal door that creaked SO loudly when I opened it. I hadn't quite become exactly comfortable in public overseas just yet so the loud noise made me immediately feel embarassed.

I called out the German greeting, “Hallo..?” (yes, so advanced in my German at this point) and a scruffy elderly man appeared from around the corner, walking towards me with an old German walking cane (the kind with 20 or so small metal plaques on it, likely annotating all the places he's visited).

Our conversation was a mix of my broken German and his broken English. He told me his parents had opened the store before World War II, and now he ran it with his daughter, who was on vacation in the United States. At 84 years old, he had spent his entire life in this shop. He shared that during World War II, the building served as a bomb shelter for the village. Woah...

He invited me to look around.

Exploring the Antique Treasure Trove

The store was unlike any antique shop I had seen before. From a large central room, around ten smaller rooms branched out, each packed with items stacked higher than I could reach. There were vases, dishware sets, furniture, gorgeous dresses, hats, old radios, and just dozens of paintings lining the walls. Some were signed, others faded and dusty, some were ugly, some not. Hmm...

One painting caught my eye, but it was not on the wall. It was a large oil on canvas resting on a dusty chaise lounge in the middle of the large room. I would walk through a side room, then come back to the main room again, naturally passing it, and each time I took a look. It was beautiful.

The scene showed two draft horses resting at a trough, with a yellow half-timbered house in the background. The light in the painting seemed to glow, and I felt a calmness wash over me, like arriving at a peaceful countryside after a long journey. I saw a video on TikTok of an artist who once described a framed painting as a window back in time. I was drawn into that painting, I could almost smell the sweet air, feel a breeze on my cheek as it rustled through the trees, and hear the chickens pecking at the floor.

The First Discovered Tiedjen Painting

The Story Behind the Painting

I asked the shop owner about the painting. It had a signature but I couldn't really read it beyond the "W. Ti.." He explained that it was created by Willy Tiedjen. He encouraged me to look him up online, said he was a special painter from Southern Germany. Hmm...

I asked him how much it was. He said, "1,600€" Ouch... "Well," I thought, with my business brain kicking in, "if he's asking 1,600, maybe I can break the ice and get him closer to 1,000 or 1,200."

My husband and I don't really make purchases that size without talking with eachother, so I asked if I could take a few photos of it to show him. He agreed, let me snap a few photos with my phone, and then turned it around to show me the back. There was more writing, more clues about where this painting came from. (I later learned in the art world that's called provenance, and yes, I said that in my head in a fancy French accent.)

"If I walk away today," I thought, "that will give me time to talk with my husband, and also research this painting, this artist... was this just overpriced or was there something special here?"

I spent a few minutes looking at the painting and wandered to the shelves towards the front entrance, picking out two small blue and tan stoneware vases and checking out with him. I didn’t really need the vases, but I thought breaking the ice with him could be a good gesture if I want to come back and negotiate. I could fill them with flowers and show him a picture when I returned, show him I was a good caretaker of things.

He carefully wrapped the vases up in newspaper and placed them in a box.

He got the door for me, I carried the box to the car, and I placed the box in the back seat, strapping them in with a seatbelt (don't judge me), and headed home, mind still lingering on that Willy Tiedjen painting. Why did that guy think he was special?

How Art Became a Bridge to Home

Moving to a new country felt isolating. When I landed, I couldn't read anything, or talk to anyone. At least, that's how I felt, but I later learned that many Germans were incredibly kind and switched to English if you requested. That would help me until I caught up on my chapters on Duolingo.

But, the unfamiliar customs and distance from family make it hard to feel settled. But this painting felt like I was connected to something here. It was probably over 100 years old, and I had the chance to be its caretaker. It just gave me a sense of being at the right place at the right time, of being a good steward with my time here as a guest in another country, of giving back to a society that had welcomed me moving here, and for the painter, Willy Tiedjen, I was keeping his story alive. Why had his story gone so quiet? I was starting to get more questions than answers.

Tips for Finding Meaningful Art in Unexpected Places

If you’re looking to add art to your home that carries more than just aesthetic value, consider these tips:

• Explore local antique shops and markets. These places often hold pieces with rich histories tied to the area.

• Talk to the owners or sellers. They can share stories about the items that bring them to life.

• Look beyond th e obvious. Sometimes the most meaningful pieces are not the most polished or famous but those that resonate personally.

• Consider the story behind the art. A painting or object with a connection to the local culture or history can deepen your sense of place.

• Trust your feelings. If a piece makes you feel calm, happy, or connected, it’s likely the right choice.

  
  

Bringing History and Heart Into Your Home

The painting of the draft horses now hangs on our family room wall. It’s a daily reminder of the journey we took to find a new home and the unexpected ways art can help us feel rooted. The antique store, with its creaky doors and dusty treasures, became more than a shop. It became a bridge between past and present, between strangers and neighbors.

If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, searching for something to fill a space or a feeling, don’t overlook the quiet places where history lives. Sometimes, the best discoveries happen when you step through an old door and listen to the stories waiting inside.