Description

History of the Hutschenreuther factory

Karl Mangus Hutschenreuther established one of the first private porcelain decorating factories in Germany in Hohenberg, Bavaria in 1814 after finding kaolin (also called “china clay,” the essential ingredient for porcelain) in north-eastern Bavaria. Here he established his company, which thrived through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The company has always been associated, as it is today, with a rare fusion of state-of-the-art production technology and old-world craftsmanship.

In addition to decorating white ware, Hutchenreuther wanted to produce his own patterns, and after an eight year struggle with the Bavarian Government (which was not interested in creating competition for the state-owned factory), Hutschenreuther received the necessary permission to begin production in 1822. Upon his death in 1845, his son Lorenz founded his own Hutschenreuther Porcelain company in Selb. Son Christian and widow Johanna also worked to carry on the company tradition.

In the early part of the 20th century, Hutschenreuther grew quickly by absorbing factories at Altrohlau (1909), Arzburg (1918) and Tirschenreuth (1927). The branches of the company were united in 1969. Hutschenreuther was a trend-setter and enabled Germany to gain an excellent reputation in the European china industry. The Hutschenreuther “Mark of the Lion” is a symbol of excellence that continues to this day. Since the year 2000 the name that designates this ware is Rosenthal.

CONSTANTIN HOLZER-DEFANTI (1881-1951)

German Sculptress who worked during the early part of the twentieth century for the porcelain factories of Hutschenreuther and Rosenthal.