Paul Reber GmbH & Co. KG

Paul Reber GmbH & Co. KG is a German confectionery company based in Bad Reichenhall, Bavaria, and one of the country's best-known premium chocolate producers. Founded in 1865 by Peter Reber as a confectionery café in Munich, the business has remained in the ownership of the Botzleiner-Reber family since its establishment. Today it is a leading German praline manufacturer and, by its own account, the world's largest producer of Mozartkugeln, making around 500,000 balls per day and marketing them internationally under the brand Echte Reber-Mozartkugeln. The company's historic headquarters is the listed Reber-Stammhaus on Ludwigstraße in Bad Reichenhall, which also houses the Café Reber — one of Bavaria's largest coffee houses, with its Mozart-Passage garden. Production takes place at a facility in the Marzoll district of Bad Reichenhall, expanded in 2021 to six production lines, while a subsidiary confiserie in Rüdesheim specializes in premium alcohol pralines (such as Asbach and Verpoorten pralines) and is described by the company as market leader in that segment. A retail branch operates in the old town of Salzburg, Austria. Reber's product range includes its signature Mozartkugeln, Reber-Constanze-Kugel variants in flavours such as raspberry and lemon, praline pastes, filled chocolate bars, and seasonal items such as chocolate Santa Clauses and Easter eggs. The company emphasizes quality and sustainability: it uses no palm fats, has its products certified by external bodies including IFS Higher Level and UTZ-Certified for cocoa, is a member of the Forum Kakao, and has numerous products regularly checked for kosher compliance by a kashrut expert from the Chief Rabbinate Jerusalem. Reber products have repeatedly received DLG Gold awards from the German Agricultural Society. In 1988 a 1,000 kg Mozartkugel made by Reber was entered into the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest. Reber has also been involved in notable trademark disputes over the Mozartkugel name, including with the Fürst family — descendants of the Salzburg confectioner Paul Fürst, who alone may sell "Original Salzburger Mozartkugeln" — and with the Salzburg manufacturer Mirabell, a dispute that in 1981 led to an attempt by Austrian government officials to secure an agreement reserving Mozartkugel production and worldwide export to Austrian producers; the European Community authorities in Brussels ultimately rejected such an agreement.

The company traces its origins to 1865, when Peter Reber opened the first Reber confectionery café in Munich. That café operated until 1938. In 1936 Reber took over the traditional Café Schiffmann on Ludwigstraße in Bad Reichenhall, which remains the company's headquarters today. Over time the business expanded to include a production facility in the Marzoll district of Bad Reichenhall, a subsidiary with a production site in Rüdesheim, and a retail branch in Salzburg. Reber is a leading German praline producer and, by its own account, the world's largest producer of Mozartkugeln, making around 500,000 balls per day and selling them internationally under the brand Echte Reber-Mozartkugeln. The company has been owned by the Botzleiner-Reber family since its founding in 1865. Reber's Mozartkugeln deliberately differ in shape and content from the original recipe of the Fürst confectionery, the first maker of Mozartkugeln: they are double-coated in Alpine milk chocolate and dark chocolate, filled with fine marzipan made from almonds and pistachios, and have a hazelnut nougat core. For production reasons they also have a flattened side. Today Reber also offers Mozartkugel-style balls in flavours such as raspberry and lemon, produced and marketed exclusively under the trademark Reber-Constanze-Kugel as a homage to W. A. Mozart's wife Constanze. In addition to praline pastes and seasonal products such as chocolate Santa Clauses and Easter eggs, the company makes filled chocolate bars. The listed Reber-Stammhaus with Café Reber, associated retail shop and garden is located on Ludwigstraße in Bad Reichenhall; Café Reber, with its Mozart-Passage garden, is among the largest coffee houses in Bavaria. A sales branch operates in the old town of Salzburg. Production of Reber confectionery, including factory sales, now takes place in the Marzoll district of Bad Reichenhall. After an expansion in 2021 the factory has six production lines in total. Storage of products was also moved from Gotha to the Bad Reichenhall site by early 2022. The Rüdesheim confiserie is a subsidiary that produces alcohol pralines (e.g. Asbach pralines, Verpoorten) and is, according to the company, the market leader in premium alcohol pralines. Reber has been involved in trademark and naming disputes. The brand name Echte Reber-Mozartkugeln followed a legal dispute with the company of descendants of the Salzburg confectioner and original Mozartkugel maker Paul Fürst, who alone may sell their Mozartkugeln under the name Original Salzburger Mozartkugeln. In the late 1970s a legal dispute over trademark rights erupted between the Salzburg Mozartkugel maker Mirabell and Reber, which in 1981 led to an attempt by Austrian government officials to secure an agreement that would entitle only Austrian producers to make and export Mozartkugeln worldwide. In the end, officials of the European Community in Brussels decided the case and rejected such an agreement. Reber Confiserien has its products certified by external bodies such as IFS Higher Level and UTZ-Certified for cocoa according to control, sustainability and social criteria. The Reber Group is also a member of the Forum Kakao, which works for fair trade and sustainability in cocoa production. Reber uses no palm fats. In addition, for numerous Reber products, compliance with Jewish dietary laws regarding production and ingredients is regularly checked by a kashrut expert from the Chief Rabbinate Jerusalem. Reber products have repeatedly received DLG Gold awards from the German Agricultural Society. A 1,000 kg Mozartkugel made by Reber was entered into the Guinness Book of Records in 1988 as the largest in the world.

• 2022

  Product storage is moved from Gotha to the Bad Reichenhall site.

• 2021

  The Bad Reichenhall production site is expanded to six production lines.

• 1988

  A 1,000 kg Mozartkugel made by Reber is entered into the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest.

• 1981

  European Community officials in Brussels reject an agreement that would have reserved Mozartkugel production and export to Austrian producers, resolving a dispute between Mirabell and Reber.

• 1938

  The original Munich café ceases operation.

• 1936

  Reber takes over the traditional Café Schiffmann in Bad Reichenhall, which becomes the company headquarters.

• 1865

  Peter Reber opens the first Reber confectionery café in Munich.

Premium German chocolate and confectionery producer; family-owned heritage brand; world's largest Mozartkugel manufacturer.

• Echte Reber-Mozartkugeln

  Double-coated in Alpine milk chocolate and dark chocolate, filled with fine marzipan of almonds and pistachios and a hazelnut nougat core; deliberately different from the Fürst original recipe and flattened for production reasons.

• Reber-Constanze-Kugel

  Mozartkugel-style balls in flavours such as raspberry and lemon, produced and marketed exclusively as a homage to W. A. Mozart's wife Constanze.

• Alcohol pralines (Rüdesheim subsidiary)

  Produced by the Rüdesheim confiserie subsidiary, including Asbach and Verpoorten pralines; company states it is market leader in premium alcohol pralines.

• Seasonal products

  Chocolate Santa Clauses, Easter eggs and other seasonal confectionery.

• Filled chocolate bars

  Filled chocolate bars produced alongside praline pastes.

1. 1Herzlich Willkommen!reber-spezialitaeten.de
2. 2Paul Reberwikidata.org
3. 3Paul Reber (Unternehmen)de.wikipedia.org