Cologne, 1949: it is the post-war period between a new beginning and reconstruction. Agnes and Fritz Kemp were a married couple who ran a pawnshop for the municipal pawnbroker in Cologne. After eleven years as pawnbrokers, the couple made a bold decision at that time.
They started their own business in the Sülz district in 1960, laying the foundations for today’s successful company in Cologne. They opened their second branch in Cologne-Kalk on the right bank of the Rhine in 1964 and expanded into Cologne city centre four years later.

In 1974, their only son, Günter Kemp, a trained watchmaker, assumed his parents’ sole proprietorship and has been running the family business ever since. He also holds important positions in the German pawnbroking industry. The Cologne-Ehrenfeld branch was opened in 1986 under his leadership. He converted the company into a limited liability company (GmbH) in 1990. Additional branches were opened in Cologne-Nippes in 1993 and Cologne-Mülheim in 2000.

His grandson Oliver joined the company in 1990. At this point, three generations were working together successfully in the pawnbroking business. In 1993, Oliver Kemp completed his apprenticeship and qualified as a master goldsmith in Germany. He became managing director in 1998 and has been a partner in the company since 2014. The catchment area covers the greater Cologne area, Leverkusen, Bergisch Gladbach, Siegburg, Bonn, Euskirchen, Gummersbach and Düren.