Michael Thonet was born in Boppard in 1796 and was a German cabinetmaker and entrepreneur, a pioneer of industrial furniture production. From the 1830s, he experimented with new techniques for bending wood, culminating in the invention of steam-bent wood. After moving to Vienna, he developed a production system that combined craftsmanship with serial manufacturing. With the No. 14 chair, designed for Viennese cafés, Thonet introduced a furniture model tailored for public spaces, laying the foundations of modern design for communal use.