The style known today as Biedermeier was popular in the early 19th Century throughout most of Northern Europe, particularly in Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, as well as Scandinavia and the Baltic States. Officially, Biedermeier was only produced between 1810 and 1835. Revival periods include 1860, late 19th Century and again in the 1920's. Most of the furniture from that era remain anonymous and dateless, in character with the modest craftsmen who created the style. But the impact of its unfussy style and clean lines is still felt today.

Many assume that Biedermeier is the name of a celebrated cabinetmaker of the time, but the name is commonly attributed to a satirical cartoon popular in early 19th Century Europe. The cartoon characters of the Biedermeier family symbolized the rich indolent German Bourgeois of the day.