Annaburg Porzellan

Annaburg Porzellan was a German manufacturer of household and hotel porcelain based in Annaburg, Saxony-Anhalt. Its origins reach back to 1874, when a stoneware (Steingut) manufactory was founded by a Mr. Böttcher, producing kitchen sets fired in round coal-heated kilns. After financial difficulties and temporary closure, the works were taken over in 1883 by Adolph Heckmann with ten workers and re-founded as the Annaburger Steingutfabrik. Under Heckmann the plant expanded rapidly, adding kilns and modern equipment, and employment rose to several hundred. In 1895 Heckmann sold the works, together with a second plant in Magdeburg-Neustadt, to a joint-stock company; the Annaburger Steingutfabrik AG was formed with substantial landholdings and twelve kilns producing high-quality stoneware, art pottery and sculptures. The company weathered the economic crisis of 1899–1901 by narrowing its range to kitchen and washing sets, milk pots and plates, and by 1906 employed around 600 people. A fire that year destroyed part of the works, leading to new painting and sorting facilities, and in 1909 the plant acquired its first tunnel kiln, enabling higher-quality stoneware. Employment fluctuated with the interwar economy, falling after World War I and again during the Great Depression. The company continued as a joint-stock company through World War II, when production was maintained with prisoner-of-war labour, and effectively ended with the suicide of owner Hans Untucht on 9 July 1945. In the post-war Soviet zone and the German Democratic Republic the works were nationalized and passed through a succession of state-owned identities, including VEB Steingutwerk Annaburg, VEB Porzellankombinat Colditz, VEB Sintolanwerk Annaburg and VEB Vereinigte Porzellanwerke Colditz. After German reunification it was detached from the Colditz combine and continued under the Treuhandanstalt as Annaburg Porzellan GmbH. Privatization to Ceraplan GmbH followed on 1 July 1992, securing the company's survival after a planned closure at the end of 1991. Annaburg Porzellan remained until 2015 the only tableware porcelain producer in Saxony-Anhalt. It reoriented its product range toward domestic and foreign markets, specialized in hotel and catering porcelain, and could produce individual items in small batches thanks to its machinery. It also developed and registered a fire-resistant material under the trademark Cordoflam in December 2010. The company maintained a small factory museum and offered courses in overglaze and underglaze porcelain painting. In May 2015 an insolvency application was filed at the competent court in Dessau-Roßlau, and production ceased at the end of July 2015. The heritage of the works is now maintained by the Förderverein Annaburger Porzellaneum e.V., which runs a hands-on museum, painting studio and cultural events at Torgauer Straße 68 in Annaburg.

The history of Annaburg Porzellan begins in 1874, when a stoneware (Steingut) manufactory was founded by a Mr. Böttcher. Two round coal-fired kilns with a capacity of 50–60 m³ were built, and the mixing equipment for preparing the clay body was still driven by a horse- or ox-drawn gin. The early products were kitchen sets. The business ran into trouble: after a first bankruptcy in 1877 following stock-market speculation, Böttcher filed for bankruptcy a second time on 1 April 1878, and the stoneware factory had to close temporarily in 1879; the younger Böttcher emigrated to America. In 1883 the works were taken over by Adolph Heckmann with ten workers and re-founded as the Annaburger Steingutfabrik. This marked the beginning of sustained growth. Another round kiln was built, technical innovations were introduced, and employment rose to 325. In the summer of 1887 Heckmann enlarged the factory, building over the site and adding another kiln, with 130 men employed; labour became so scarce that local farmers and craftsmen struggled to find day labourers. In 1890 four round kilns of 80 m³ each were installed in one section, giving the enterprise the character of a factory. On 1 July 1895 Heckmann sold the stoneware works, which also included another company in Magdeburg-Neustadt, to a joint-stock company. The Annaburger Steingutfabrik was converted into an AG. The purchase price for the Heckmann stoneware factory was 1 million gold marks; the property comprised 220,322 m² including official and workers' housing. There were already twelve kilns firing high-quality stoneware dishes, art pottery and sculptures. The registered main shareholders were Carl Untucht & Co. of Berlin and the merchants Gustav Müller and Hans Untucht, both of Annaburg. During the economic crisis of 1899 to 1901 sales collapsed; wages were cut and the range was reduced to two kitchen sets, a washing set, milk pots and plates. By 1906 the workforce had grown to about 600. A fire in that year partially destroyed the works, making it necessary to build a new painting shop and a new sorting room. In 1909 the plant received its first tunnel kiln and was thereafter able to produce high-quality stoneware. After World War I, employment fell to around 300 in 1918, but rose again to over 600 between 1924 and 1928 during a boom. The unemployment that set in at the end of 1928, caused by the world economic crisis of 1928 to 1932, hit the stoneware works directly, and the workforce was halved. Before and during World War II the company continued as a joint-stock company under director Schäfer and the later owner Hans Untucht; production was maintained during the war years by prisoners of war. The end of Annaburger Steingut AG was sealed by the suicide of Hans Untucht on 9 July 1945. From the end of the war until the opening of the border, the Annaburg works produced under a succession of names: Annaburger Steingutfabrik (1946); Industrie-Werk Sachsen, Annaburger Steingutwerk (1947); Vereinigung volkseigener Betriebe der Bau- und Baustoffindustrie Sachsen-Anhalt, Annaburger Steingutfabrik, Annaburg/Kreis Torgau (1948); Vereinigung volkseigener Betriebe (G) Baustoffe Sachsen-Anhalt, Annaburger Steingutfabrik, Kreis Torgau (1949); VVB Keramik, Annaburger Steingutfabrik, Annaburg/Kreis Torgau (1950); VEB Steingutwerk Annaburg/Kreis Jessen (1953); VEB Porzellankombinat Colditz, Werk Annaburg (1970); VEB Sintolanwerk Annaburg, Betrieb des VEB Porzellankombinat Colditz (1973); and VEB Vereinigte Porzellanwerke Colditz, Werk Annaburg (1980). With German reunification the works were detached from the combine association Kahla and the Vereinigte Porzellanwerk Colditz and continued under the authority of the Treuhandanstalt Berlin as an independent operation, Annaburg Porzellan GmbH. On 1 July 1992 privatization by the Treuhandanstalt to Ceraplan GmbH took place, securing the survival of the traditional company, which the Treuhandanstalt and the state had planned to close on 31 December 1991. Annaburg Porzellan was until 2015 the only tableware porcelain producer in Saxony-Anhalt. The product range was completely changed and adapted to the needs of domestic and foreign markets. Thanks to its machinery the plant could manufacture individual products even in small batch sizes. Specialization in the hotel and catering sectors was as important a pillar as the development and trademark registration of a specially developed fire-resistant material; the Cordoflam brand had been a registered trademark of Annaburg Porzellan since December 2010. The company had a small factory museum presenting the history of Annaburg porcelain, where courses in overglaze and underglaze painting on porcelain were offered. In May 2015 the insolvency application was filed at the competent insolvency court in Dessau-Roßlau. At the end of July 2015 the operation of Annaburg Porzellan was discontinued. The site's heritage is now maintained by the Förderverein Annaburger Porzellaneum e.V., which operates a hands-on museum, a painting studio and cultural events in Annaburg.

• Founding of the Steingut (stoneware) manufactory by Mr. Böttcher; two round coal-fired kilns built.

• First bankruptcy of Böttcher after stock-market speculation.

• Böttcher files for bankruptcy a second time; factory temporarily closed in 1879.

• Adolph Heckmann takes over the works with 10 workers and founds Annaburger Steingutfabrik.

• Heckmann enlarges the factory, adding another kiln; 130 men employed.

• Four round kilns of 80 m³ each installed; enterprise takes on factory character.

• Heckmann sells the works (and a Magdeburg-Neustadt company) to a joint-stock company; Annaburger Steingutfabrik AG formed.

• Economic crisis; sales collapse, wages cut, range reduced to kitchen and washing sets, milk pots and plates.

• Workforce reaches about 600; a fire partially destroys the works, leading to new painting and sorting rooms.

• First tunnel kiln acquired, enabling high-quality stoneware production.

• Employment falls to around 300 after World War I.

• Boom period; workforce rises again to over 600.

• World economic crisis; workforce halved.

• Suicide of owner Hans Untucht seals the end of Annaburger Steingut AG.

• Succession of state-owned names and combines in East Germany, ending as VEB Vereinigte Porzellanwerke Colditz, Werk Annaburg (1980).

• Detached from Colditz combine; continued under Treuhandanstalt as Annaburg Porzellan GmbH.

• Privatization by Treuhandanstalt to Ceraplan GmbH, securing survival after planned 1991 closure.

• Cordoflam becomes a registered trademark of Annaburg Porzellan.

• Insolvency application filed at the court in Dessau-Roßlau.

• Production discontinued at Annaburg Porzellan.

Traditional German porcelain and stoneware manufacturer, later specializing in hotel and catering porcelain and small-batch production; the only tableware porcelain producer in Saxony-Anhalt until 2015.

• Kitchen sets

  Early main product of the Steingut manufactory, 1874–1876.

• Washing sets

  Produced after the 1899–1901 crisis as part of the reduced range.

• Milk pots and plates

  Part of the reduced range after the 1899–1901 crisis.

• High-quality stoneware dishes, art pottery and sculptures

  Fired in twelve kilns at the time of the 1895 takeover.

• Hotel and catering porcelain

  A key specialization after 1992 privatization.

• Cordoflam fire-resistant material

  Specially developed fire-resistant material; registered trademark since December 2010.

1. 1Home - Annaburger Porzellaneum e.V.annaburg-porzellan.de
2. 2Werksgeschichte - Annaburger Porzellaneum e.V.annaburg-porzellan.de
3. 3Geschichtenfrühstück - Die Entstehung der Stadt Annaburgannaburg-porzellan.de
4. 4Annaburg Porzellan - Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5Annaburg Porzellan - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org