Porzellanfabrik Schönwald

Porzellanfabrik Schönwald is a German porcelain manufacturer based in Schönwald, Upper Franconia, Bavaria. Founded in 1879 by Johann Nicol Müller, the factory became a joint-stock company in 1898 and specialized in hotel porcelain toward the end of the 19th century. Today it is a plant and brand of BHS Tabletop AG, the world market leader in professional porcelain, and employs around 650 people at its Schönwald site. The company produces porcelain for hotels, restaurants and communal catering, with a range of over 1,100 articles supplied to customers in more than 100 countries. Schönwald's product philosophy centers on modern, trend-conscious design. The brand offers conceptual answers to changing trends through short assortments, new shapes and fashionable color decors that provide a stage for food presentation. Its "conceptual mix & match" approach allows unusual concepts to be supplemented with individual articles. Main collections include KUMO, Unlimited, Form 98, Fine Dining, Delight, Delight Vibes, Wellcome, Grace, Allure, Shiro, Create, Coffee Tasting and Canvas, alongside side collections such as Form 898, Avanti, Gusto, Event, Generation, Connect, Scandic and Signature. The brand is known for its decors, including Kumo Velvet, Shabby Chic, Bird of Paradise, Boldleaf, Floral Charm, Nature Infused, Komodo, Quiet Luxury, Rim, Mer, Slate, Light Concrete and Maritime Moments. Schönwald has a long history of design innovation. Under artistic directors Hermann Gretsch (1930–1950) and Heinrich Löffelhardt (1952–1971), the company maintained close ties with its sister company Arzberg. In 1936 Gretsch designed the hotel dinnerware Form 98, the first fully developed hotel porcelain series in history, which won a gold medal at the VII Triennale in Milan in 1940 and is still produced today. The company has received numerous design awards, including the iF Design Award, red dot design award, German Design Award and the Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. In November 2025, it was announced that production at Schönwald would be discontinued by the end of 2027 and relocated to Weiden, to the Bauscher porcelain factory. The factory outlet and administration are to remain. Going forward, only the "premium segment" will be manufactured in Germany.

The Porzellanfabrik Schönwald was founded in 1879 by Johann Nicol Müller in Schönwald, a town in Upper Franconia, Bavaria. The establishment of the factory brought economic upswing to the town. The region offered all necessary raw materials for porcelain production: kaolin, feldspar and quartz deposits for the porcelain body, as well as wood for firing the kilns. By 1898 the company employed 340 people, and in the same year the joint-stock company "Porzellanfabrik Schönwald" was formed. Toward the end of the 19th century, Schönwald specialized in the hotel porcelain business. The designs were intended to meet the functional requirements of the catering industry while recalling the style of finer household porcelain. When the overall economic situation deteriorated in the second half of the 1920s, the porcelain industry responded with corporate concentration. The Porzellanfabrik Schönwald was incorporated into the larger Kahla group. Under the artistic directors Hermann Gretsch (1930–1950) and Heinrich Löffelhardt (1952–1971), there was a close connection to the sister company Arzberg. In 1936 Gretsch designed the hotel dinnerware Form 98. For the first time in the history of porcelain, a completely developed hotel dinnerware series was on the market. In 1940 it was awarded the gold medal at the VII Triennale in Milan. It is still produced today. After the division of Germany, the western half of the Kahla group established its headquarters in Schönwald in 1949. With designs by Heinrich Löffelhardt, the company consolidated its reputation for combining functionality and good form. In the 1970s, designer Hans Theo Baumann continued this tradition. In 1972 the Schönwald parent Kahla merged with Lorenz Hutschenreuther to form Hutschenreuther AG. This was restructured in 1998 and has since operated as BHS Tabletop. At the Schönwald site, investments were made primarily in production and logistics; in 2009 a fully fibered fast-firing kiln was put into operation. At a press conference on November 18, 2025, it was announced that production in Schönwald would be discontinued by the end of 2027 and relocated to Weiden, to the Bauscher porcelain factory. The factory outlet and administration are to remain. Going forward, only the "premium segment" will be manufactured in Germany.

• 2025

  It was announced that production in Schönwald would be discontinued by the end of 2027 and relocated to Weiden.

• 2018

  Islands received the German Design Award.

• 2016

  Allure received the Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland Special.

• 2011

  Grace received the iF Design Award.

• 2009

  A fully fibered fast-firing kiln was put into operation at the Schönwald site.

• 2008

  Wellcome received the red dot design award.

• 2005

  Signature received the iF Design Award.

• 2002

  Event received the red dot design award.

• 1999

  Premiere received the iF Design Award.

• 1998

  Hutschenreuther AG was restructured and has since operated as BHS Tabletop.

• 1976

  Hotel dinnerware 898 was introduced.

• 1973

  Rastergeschirr 2298 received the Bundespreis Gute Form.

• 1972

  Schönwald parent Kahla merged with Lorenz Hutschenreuther to form Hutschenreuther AG.

• 1967

  Hotel dinnerware 498 received the Premio Macef.

• 1964

  Form 611 was introduced.

• 1961

  Hotel dinnerware 498 received the Premio internazionale Vicenza.

• 1957

  Form 511 received the gold medal at the XI Triennale in Milan.

• 1949

  After the division of Germany, the western half of the Kahla group established its headquarters in Schönwald.

• 1940

  Form 98 was awarded the gold medal at the VII Triennale in Milan.

• 1936

  Hermann Gretsch designed the hotel dinnerware Form 98, the first fully developed hotel porcelain series.

• 1898

  The joint-stock company "Porzellanfabrik Schönwald" was formed; the company employed 340 people.

• 1879

  Johann Nicol Müller founded a porcelain factory in Schönwald.

Modern, trend-conscious porcelain for the hospitality industry, offering conceptual mix & match and short assortments with vibrant colors and modern decors.

• Form 98

  Hotel dinnerware designed by Hermann Gretsch in 1936, the first fully developed hotel porcelain series, awarded gold medal at the VII Triennale in Milan in 1940, still produced today.

• KUMO

  Main collection offering fine dining items for impressive table settings.

• Unlimited

  Main collection.

• Fine Dining

  Main collection.

• Delight

  Main collection.

• Delight Vibes

  Main collection.

• Wellcome

  Main collection, received red dot design award in 2008.

• Grace

  Main collection, received iF Design Award in 2011.

• Allure

  Main collection, received Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland Special in 2016.

• Shiro

  Main collection.

• Create

  Main collection.

• Coffee Tasting

  Main collection.

• Canvas

  Main collection.

• Form 898

  Side collection.

• Avanti

  Side collection.

• Gusto

  Side collection.

• Event

  Side collection, received red dot design award in 2002.

• Generation

  Side collection.

• Connect

  Side collection.

• Scandic

  Side collection.

• Signature

  Side collection, received iF Design Award in 2005.

1. 1Schönwald | BHS-Tabletopbhs-tabletop.com
2. 2Brands | BHS-Tabletopbhs-tabletop.com
3. 3The right product line for you in our BHS tabletop Onlineshop | BHS-Tabletopbhs-tabletop.com
4. 4Looking for the right tableware style? | BHS-Tabletopbhs-tabletop.com
5. 5Porzellanfabrik Schönwaldwikidata.org
6. 6Porzellanfabrik Schönwaldde.wikipedia.org