Ritterwerk

Ritterwerk GmbH is a German household-appliance company whose roots date to 1905, when Franz Ritter established F. Ritter & Sohn in Sendling, Munich. The company initially specialized in a patented brush-based machine for cleaning knives and cutlery. Unlike leather-based cleaning devices, which could damage blades, Ritter’s machine used brushes intended to preserve the knife edge. This early emphasis on practical engineering and durable household equipment became a recurring theme in the company’s later product development. The business expanded and moved from Sendling to Pasing in 1912. During the period before the Great Depression, its workforce grew substantially, and more than 100,000 of its knife-cleaning machines had reportedly been sold by the beginning of the 1920s. Economic conditions and the increasing use of stainless steel reduced demand for the original product, prompting Franz Ritter to broaden the range. The company introduced manually operated bread slicers in the early 1930s, beginning with the B50, and subsequently developed additional kitchen tools and small appliances. Ritterwerk’s production was disrupted during both world wars. During the First World War, the company was required to manufacture grenade cartridges for much of the conflict. During the Second World War, household-appliance production again ceased and the business was involved in gas-mask production. After 1945, Ritter returned to kitchen and household products, with bread slicers becoming an important part of its identity. The 1949 Schneidboy, a compact slicer using five circular blades, became one of the company’s most successful products and was later recognized with an iF product-design award. Its reported sales exceeded ten million units. A major technological transition came in 1968, when Ritter introduced both its first electric food slicer and its first built-in food slicer. The latter reflected a distinctive design direction: appliances designed to fit into kitchen drawers or cabinetry, conserving counter space while remaining available for regular use. In 1969, Hans Koch, who had helped lead the company after Franz Ritter’s death, retired. The business was reorganized and sold to the owner of Braun. It later adopted the name Ritterwerk GmbH. In 1982, the company moved with approximately 150 employees from its Pasing premises to Gröbenzell near Munich because the former site had become too small. The old factory buildings were subsequently converted into the Pasinger Fabrik cultural center. Ritterwerk continued to develop food slicers, toasters, kettles, coffee machines, peelers and other kitchen devices, including built-in versions of several products. Its appliances are produced in Germany, a manufacturing characteristic that the company uses as part of its market positioning. The brand is associated with functional, compact and visually restrained industrial design influenced by the Bauhaus tradition. Product designer Karl Dittert created numerous Ritter appliances, while industrial designer Martin Dettinger assumed responsibility for product design from 2010. Ritterwerk products have appeared at international design and consumer-goods fairs and have been displayed in museums of design and everyday culture. The company remains focused on kitchen appliances, particularly food slicers and integrated kitchen systems, while maintaining a design-led and Germany-based manufacturing identity.

Ritterwerk was founded in 1905 in Sendling, a district of Munich, by Franz Ritter under the name F. Ritter & Sohn. Its first important product was a patented brush-based knife-cleaning machine. The device was designed to remove rust and residue from cutlery without damaging the blades, distinguishing it from machines that relied on leather cleaning surfaces. This product gave the young company an initial technical specialization in household equipment. As the business expanded, it moved to Pasing in 1912. Between 1914 and the late 1920s, the workforce grew from roughly 25 to approximately 130 employees. The First World War interrupted ordinary production, and the company was directed for much of the conflict toward manufacturing grenade cartridges. After the war, household production resumed, and sales of the knife-cleaning machine reached substantial levels in the early 1920s. The Great Depression sharply reduced employment, leaving the company with only a small workforce. At the same time, stainless steel made the original knife-cleaning device less necessary. Franz Ritter responded by developing alternative household products. The company’s first hand-operated bread slicer, the B50, appeared in 1932. Additional kitchen tools followed, helping Ritterwerk move from a single-purpose cleaning machine toward a broader kitchen-appliance portfolio. Franz Ritter died in 1938. His daughter and son-in-law, Hans Koch, assumed leadership and continued developing the business. During the Second World War, household-appliance manufacturing was again suspended, and the company was required to support gas-mask production. After the war, Ritterwerk rebuilt its consumer business around bread slicers and other kitchen implements. In 1949 it introduced the Schneidboy, a compact slicer with five circular blades. The product became a major commercial success, was recognized with an iF product-design award and reportedly sold more than ten million units. The company entered the electrical-appliance era in 1968 with its first electric food slicer and first built-in food slicer. These products established a long-term direction for Ritterwerk: combining food preparation with compact, integrated kitchen installation. In 1969, Hans Koch retired. The company was reorganized and sold to the owner of Braun, after which it adopted the Ritterwerk GmbH name. In 1982, insufficient space at the Pasing factory led to a move to Gröbenzell near Munich. Around 150 employees relocated with the business. The former factory buildings later became the Pasinger Fabrik cultural center. Ritterwerk continued to develop tabletop and built-in food slicers, along with toasters, kettles, coffee machines, hand blenders and smaller kitchen tools. The Ritter peeler became particularly popular in Asian markets, including Japan, according to the company’s historical account. Design has remained a central part of Ritterwerk’s identity. Karl Dittert designed many of the company’s appliances, whose restrained forms and practical construction are associated with the functionalist tradition of 1920s Bauhaus design. From 2010, industrial designer Martin Dettinger took responsibility for product design. Ritterwerk products have received awards from organizations and programs including iF, Red Dot, design centers in Stuttgart and North Rhine-Westphalia, the German design institutions associated with the Gute Form tradition, and the Blue Angel environmental label. The company continues to manufacture appliances in Germany and to present products at international design and consumer-goods fairs. Its products have also been exhibited in museums such as the Red Dot Design Museums, the Deutsches Historisches Museum and several museums of applied arts. Ritterwerk’s continuing proposition is based on durable kitchen functionality, German production, compact installation and design-led household equipment.

• 2010

  Martin Dettinger leads product design

  [1]Ritterwerken.wikipedia.org

  Industrial designer Martin Dettinger assumed responsibility for the design of Ritter appliances.

• 1982

  Relocation to Gröbenzell

  [1]Ritterwerken.wikipedia.org

  Ritterwerk moved from Pasing to Gröbenzell near Munich with approximately 150 employees.

• 1969

  Reorganization and ownership change

  [1]Ritterwerken.wikipedia.org

  Following Hans Koch’s retirement, the company was reorganized and sold to the owner of Braun.

• 1968

  First electric and built-in food slicers

  [1]Ritterwerken.wikipedia.org

  Ritter brought its first electric food slicer and first built-in food slicer into production.

• 1949

  Schneidboy presented

  [1]Ritterwerken.wikipedia.org

  The five-blade Schneidboy slicer was introduced and later became one of Ritterwerk’s most successful products.

• 1938

  Leadership passes to the next generation

  [1]Ritterwerken.wikipedia.org

  After Franz Ritter’s death, his daughter and son-in-law Hans Koch took over management.

• 1932

  B50 bread slicer introduced

  [1]Ritterwerken.wikipedia.org

  Ritter introduced its first hand-operated bread slicer, beginning a major product direction for the company.

• 1915

  Wartime cartridge production

  [1]Ritterwerken.wikipedia.org

  During the First World War, household-appliance production was displaced by the manufacture of grenade cartridges.

• 1912

  Move to Pasing

  [1]Ritterwerken.wikipedia.org

  The growing company relocated from Sendling to Pasing.

• 1905

  Company founded in Sendling

  [1]Ritterwerken.wikipedia.org

  Franz Ritter established F. Ritter & Sohn in Sendling, Munich, beginning the business that later became Ritterwerk.

Ritterwerk positions itself around German-made kitchen appliances that combine functional engineering, compact form factors, built-in installation options and design-conscious styling. Food slicers are central to the brand’s identity, while the company’s drawer-integrated appliances address kitchens where counter space is limited. Its historical association with Bauhaus-influenced product design, specialist design awards and domestic production reinforces a quality- and design-oriented proposition rather than a mass-market appliance image.

• Manual bread slicer · 1932

  B50

  Introduced in 1932, the B50 was Ritterwerk’s first hand-operated bread slicer. It represented the company’s shift away from its original knife-cleaning equipment and established bread and food slicing as a durable part of its product identity.

• Manual food slicer · 1949

  Schneidboy

  Presented in 1949, the Schneidboy used five circular blades and was marketed for slicing foods including vegetables. It became a major commercial success, received an iF product-design award and reportedly sold more than ten million units.

• Tabletop and built-in kitchen appliance · 1968

  Food slicers

  Food slicers are Ritterwerk’s signature modern product category. The range includes electric tabletop models and systems designed for installation in kitchen drawers or cabinetry. The products emphasize compact storage, controlled slicing and functional industrial design.

• Electric food slicer

  Contura3

  The Contura3 is an electric food slicer associated with Ritterwerk’s design-focused appliance range. It received a Red Dot design award in 2008 and represents the brand’s combination of food-preparation functionality and visually restrained construction.

• Electric food slicer

  Icaro7

  The Icaro7 is an electric food slicer recognized with an iF DESIGN AWARD in 2015. It belongs to Ritterwerk’s contemporary slicer family, which extends the company’s long-standing expertise in compact slicing equipment.

• Electric food slicer

  Sono5

  The Sono5 is a Ritterwerk food slicer that received a Red Dot Award for Product Design in 2015. It reflects the brand’s emphasis on practical kitchen machinery with a design-conscious appearance.

• Toaster

  Volcano5

  The Volcano5 is a Ritter toaster included among the company’s design and environmental award recipients. It received an iF product-design award in 2011 and Blue Angel recognition in 2014 and again in 2018.

• Electric kettle

  Fontana5

  The Fontana5 is an electric kettle recognized by Red Dot and iF design programs and by the Blue Angel environmental label. It illustrates Ritterwerk’s extension from slicers into coordinated small kitchen appliances.

• Coffee machine

  Cafena5

  The Cafena5 is a Ritterwerk coffee machine that received Blue Angel recognition in 2016. It forms part of the company’s broader range of countertop and kitchen-integrated household appliances.

• Manual kitchen tool

  Ritter peeler

  The Ritter peeler is a small kitchen utensil that became particularly popular in Asian markets, including Japan. The company’s historical material states that it sold more than 100,000 units annually, although no specific period is provided.

• 2010

  Continuation of design-led product developmentStrategy

  Background

  Ritterwerk had a long history of collaborating with designers and receiving recognition for functional household-appliance design.

  Action taken

  Industrial designer Martin Dettinger took responsibility for the design of Ritter appliances.

  Aftermath

  The company continued presenting design-oriented appliances at international fairs and receiving product and environmental design distinctions.

  Source

• 1982

  Relocation to GröbenzellStrategy

  Background

  The Pasing factory had become too small for the company’s operations and workforce.

  Action taken

  Ritterwerk moved its production and approximately 150 employees to Gröbenzell near Munich.

  Aftermath

  The company continued German-based appliance production from Gröbenzell, while the former Pasing factory buildings were later converted into the Pasinger Fabrik cultural center.

  Source

• 1968

  Entry into electric and built-in food slicingProduct launch

  Background

  Ritterwerk’s earlier manual slicers had established food preparation as a core business, while changing kitchens created demand for electrically powered and space-efficient equipment.

  Action taken

  The company introduced its first electric food slicer and first built-in food slicer, both entering production during the year.

  Aftermath

  The move established the product architecture that later defined Ritterwerk’s tabletop and drawer-integrated appliance ranges.

  Source

1. 1Ritterwerken.wikipedia.org