Germany / Bavaria / Rehau:

Porzellfabrik Hertel, Schödl & Co. (1906 until 1912)

The factory was founded in 1906 by the industrial Hertel together with his financial partner Schödl and its product range during the first years included giftware items, vases, storage canisters as well as tea and coffee sets; around 1908 the first full dinner sets were produced. After the initial success, Schödl more and more retired from business leaving Hertel in charge who soon started looking for a more reliable partner to relace him as he could not organize and go through with the planned modernization and expansion of the factory and cope with the normal daily business alone. Hertel found a better partner in Mr. Jacob, who instantly agreed to take over part of the business; each of the two then had their own areas of specialization and the business was restructured and renamed, resulting in the company we know today.

Porzellfabrik Hertel, Jacob & Co. G.m.b.H. (1913 until 1968)

As the moderization and expansion had already started around 1910, it had already lead to smaller results; one of them was that the company by 1913 already employed 250 workers. After the second step howerver and during the following partial automation process, the number of employees dropped to 200 around the year 1930 even if the number of items made for export had constantly increased. The factory remained relatively unharmed during WWII and in the year 1949 it already employed 175 workers that mainly produced tea and coffee sets as well as complete dinner sets, even if the decorations themselves did not reach their pre-war standard.

Even if the following years at first seemed successful, the company relied too much on its conservative designs and fell behind other companies that early enough invested in new molds and decorations. In 1968 the factory was taken over by the 'Melitta' company, a business that was based around the invention of paper filters for brewing coffee and which also produced porcelain filter cones. What at first seemed a good idea soon lead to complications in the 'Melitta' group; the new era of coffee machines and the resulting change in demand saw factory decline rapidly; it was therefore decided that the core company of 'Melitta' should concentrate on filter production.

But 'Melitta' itself still needed filter cones and 'Melitta' branded coffee/tea sets. These were at first still made in the former porcelain factory, but more and more orders went to other companies that not only were able to produce the items cheaper but also employed their own 'modern' designers. Shortly before 1980, the former factory of Hertel, Jacob & Co.' was closed.

Germany / Bavaria / Rehau:

Marks

[1] : Used after 1922. Registered at the R.W.Z.R. as number '283 526' on April 3rd 1922.

[1] : No date known 'H&J CO' over ' BAVARIA'.

[1] : Example of the mark.

[1] : Early form of the leaping deer mark from around 1928. Text reads 'BAVARIA' over 'GERMANY'.

[1] : Used from around 1930 onwards.

[1] : Also used from around 1930 onwards, shows 'GES. GESCH.' over 'KUNSTABTEILUNG' (art department).

[1] : Used between 1946 and 1949.

[2] : Late 1960s, very peculiar: Hertel piece with decoration studio mark used by 'Alboth & Kaiser'.

[2] : Last type of mark used.