Adler Schwarzwald

Hans Adler is the historic name of Adler Schwarzwald, a family-owned meat-processing and food brand based in Bonndorf in Germany’s Black Forest region. The business began in 1920, when Michael and Margarethe Adler took over an inn and adjoining butcher’s shop in Bonndorf. From this local hospitality and butchery operation, the family developed a producer of regional sausages, cured meats, and smoked ham specialties. The company’s development was closely connected with the economic activity of the southern Black Forest. During construction of the Schluchsee reservoir in the late 1920s, Adler supplied food to facilities serving construction workers, which increased demand and helped the business expand. From 1935, the founders’ son Hans Adler and his wife managed the operation and broadened its product range. The company began distributing canned products beyond its immediate locality, including Bonndorfer Würstchen, a sausage associated with Bonndorf. In the 1950s Adler began selling Black Forest smoked specialties by mail order, extending its reach beyond the local retail market. In 1959 Hans Adler introduced the production and retail sale of Original Black Forest ham, a product that became central to the company’s identity. The family later invested in dedicated industrial facilities: the original inn was closed in 1963, and an abattoir and meat-cutting operation were established at the company’s present premises. Hans Adler OHG Schwarzwälder Fleischwaren was formed in 1964, with Hans Adler’s son Peter joining as a partner and helping develop the smoked-products business. The company continued to modernize while retaining its family ownership and regional positioning. After Hans Adler retired in 1974, his son Hansjörg became a partner. In 1975 Adler introduced sliced Black Forest ham in self-service packaging, an important adaptation to changing supermarket purchasing habits. The same year it added Alemannian ham, an air-cured specialty, to its range. This combination of traditional curing methods and more convenient retail formats became characteristic of the brand. Adler expanded through acquisitions in the 1980s, purchasing Kinzigtäler Fleischwaren GmbH in Haslach and Schwarzwaldrauch GmbH in Achern in 1985. These businesses were subsequently brought together under the Schwarzwaldfleisch name. From the 1990s onward, Adler placed greater emphasis on ham production, establishing a dedicated ham operation in Achern and founding Schinkenhof GmbH & Co. KG. The broader portfolio also came to include regional products such as Landjäger, Schäufele, and traditional varieties of Wurstsalat sold under the Schnelle Küche brand. In 2010, Schwarzwaldfleisch introduced SchwarzwaldArt as a brand for Adler specialties and gift products. Adler is also identified with the protected regional tradition of Black Forest ham and was a founding member of the Association of Black Forest Ham Manufacturers. Today, Adler Schwarzwald represents a substantial meat-processing business in south-western Germany, combining Black Forest provenance, smoking and curing expertise, sausage production, and packaged retail products. The available reference material does not establish a separate international corporate structure, public listing, or current executive roster.

A regional German meat and charcuterie specialist centered on Black Forest origin, traditional smoking and curing, family ownership, and retail-ready packaged specialties.

Product categories. Black Forest ham · Smoked ham and cured meat specialties · Regional sausages · Bonndorfer Würstchen · Landjäger · Schäufele · Wurstsalat · Alemannian ham · Canned meat products · Gift assortments and regional specialties