Since 2004, we are dedicated to trading and auctioning historical securities. Emerging from the roots of the traditional Galerie Sevogel AG, we combine a passion for collecting with expert knowledge – and preserve history for the future. For us, historical securities are not just commercial objects, but testimonies of the past that need to be preserved and shared.
HIWEPA AG – the name is derived from HIstorische WErtPApiere (historical securities) – was founded in November 2004 out of the shared passion and experience of three specialists in historical securities. The company was established as a result of the liquidation of the long-established Galerie Sevogel AG in Basel. Founded in the early 1980s by Hans-Peter Albisser, one of the great pioneers in the world of historical securities, the gallery shaped the field of collecting for decades. After Albisser's death, however, his company's success could not be sustained and it was finally forced to close.
Together with another partner, Thierry Stäuble and Fritz Ruprecht seized the opportunity to take over the substantial inventory from the insolvent company and to write a new chapter in the company's history now under a new name and new management. The experienced businessmen chose Arlesheim (in the canton of Basel-Landschaft) as the headquarters for HIWEPA AG.
Just a few months after its founding, in June 2005, the first public auction took place – a moment that laid the foundation for many more successful years. Since then, we have had the privilege of managing large collections, but we have also discovered unique individual items and passed them on to enthusiasts all over the world. The name HIWEPA has become synonymous with competence and commitment in our field of collecting.
In the spring of 2023, our co-founder Thierry Stäuble passed away – a painful loss, but one that nevertheless made us determined to continue his passion. Today, we are based in Ittigen near Bern and, as Switzerland's leading dealer and auctioneer of historical securities, we look back with pride on more than two decades of serving collectors and preserving these unique historical documents.
