The Shop
"Livraria Buchholz" was founded in 1943 by German bookseller, gallerist, and art dealer Karl Buchholz, with financial support from Henrique Lehrfeld, an important automobile racing driver from the 1930s who, in April 1930, brought a Bugatti Grand Prix to Lisbon, which is still on display at the Caramulo Museum.
The bookstore/gallery opened on July 22, 1943, at number. 50 Avenida da Liberdade, where it remained until 1965. That year, it moved to number 4 of a new building on Rua Duque de Palmela.
On June 5, 1965, “Livraria Buchholz, Lda.” was established. The shareholders were Karl Moritz Buchholz-Roeper, Katharina Marie Braun (the bookstore's manager), and Karl Buchholz's two children – Karl Albert Buchholz-Blumel and Rose Godula Buchholz-Blumel.
Karl Buchholz never settled in Lisbon. When he left for Bogotá in the 1950s to open another bookstore, he left Buchholz Lisbon under the management of Katharina Braun, a bookseller and daughter of booksellers, known for her extensive knowledge and strong personality, becoming a legendary figure in Lisbon’s literary circles. Between 1983 and 2005, German-born Karin Sousa Ferreira took over from Katharina, later replaced by José Leal Loureiro, an editor and bookseller who managed the store until 2006.
After Karl Buchholz's death in 1992, his son Albert Buchholz took over the bookstore until his death in 1998. On May 29, 2000, official changes to the company were registered, with the new shareholders being Karl Buchholz’s daughter, Godula Rose Buchholz-Liebig, the then-manager Karin Renate Paul de Sousa Ferreira, and João Luís Quininha Pena.
In 2005, the bookstore was on the brink of bankruptcy, closing on April 3, 2008. On January 22, 2009, its insolvency was declared. It was then auctioned and purchased by “Coimbra Editora,” reopening in April 2010 under this publisher and Leya Editorial Group. With Coimbra Editora’s insolvency, Leya assumed full responsibility for the bookstore, which was renovated in 2023 with "a careful return to its original DNA, including independent curation of books, music, and art."
"Livraria Buchholz" is a reference point and, for many, the “cult bookstore” of the city. Since its opening on Avenida da Liberdade, it stood out, as Karl Buchholz introduced innovations: "foreign books, not just French ones, themed window displays, visual arts exhibitions – Carlos Botelho was the first to exhibit, followed by Júlio and Hein Semke, another German settled here."
When it moved to Rua Duque de Palmela, Buchholz maintained its unique character, now in "a vast space divided into three floors with bookshelves, tables filled with new arrivals, thousands of tempting books, records, and art exhibitions."
The Leya Editorial Group chose the Buchholz Bookstore as its "flagship space." It has been renovated and restored, but its uniqueness and dynamism remain: "A multifaceted cultural space, standing out as a center for literature, music, art, and history, using various communication strategies." Special events such as book launches and reading sessions are regularly held.
