Germany's world-famous Meissen porcelain celebrates 300 years

Feb 11, 2010, 12:35 GMT

Dresden, Germany - The symptoms of porcelain sickness are not precisely known although Saxon count and Polish king August II the Strong (1670-1733) did admit to suffering from what he coined 'Maladie de Porcelaine.'

Today, the condition would be better described as an addiction or a passion for collection but in the case of August II, it led to a collection of 35,000 porcelain pieces, including his very own castle of porcelain.

The king's passion took on a public face on January 23, 1710 when Saxony's royal court issued its highest decree following the discovery of Europe's first hard-paste porcelain and the formation of a manufacturing base for what was considered 'white gold.'

The decree was issued not only in German, but also Latin, French and Dutch, clear evidence that August's passion was, from the start, also based on sound economic considerations.

'Until this time, porcelain had to be imported from Asia - with the accompanying horribly high prices,' explains Christian Kurtzke, CEO of the Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen GmbH, which is still producing porcelain in Meissen today.

Saxony's wish to be no longer dependent on porcelain imports as well as a desire to be held in the same esteem as other royal courts were the main reasons behind the development of the industry.

In 1711, Meissen porcelain was presented for the first time as a gift to Denmark's King Frederick IV with the objective of drumming up business for the fledgling endeavour. Now 300 years later, the crossed swords emblem of this top-quality porcelain is world-renowned and considered an heirloom to be passed down through the generations.

In the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), it was even used at times as a second currency with artists from the West often reimbursed in the form of Meissen products.

The modern German federal state of Saxony continues to honour visiting luminaries with a piece of Meissen. In 2009, for example, US President Barack Obama received a set of porcelain cufflinks.

In the same year, the famous Meissen Zwiebelmuster (Meissen Onion Pattern) celebrated its 270th year of existence although onion is a bit of a misnomer as pomegranates and peaches are actually represented in the pattern as symbols of long life.

The Zwiebelmuster pattern has also been given a modern upgrade in the form of 'Zwiebelmuster-Style,' a sign that the company is not resting on its laurels.

Kurtzke came to Meissen at the end of 2008 with the task of restructuring the company, which had just experienced an annual loss of 6 million euros (8.3 million dollars) due to a shrinking order book.

The stagnation in sales was not only due to a change in customer lifestyles but also to an explosion in the number of single-person households.

'Naturally, these people aren't going to buy six- or 12-piece sets anymore,' says Kurt Biedenkopf, a former president of Saxony and Meissen's board chairman since 1991.

Now Meissen has to figure out how to orientate its manufacturing towards modern times.

Shortly before the anniversary, an internet relaunch was worked on, further evidence that Meissen wants to position itself as a modern company that has as its goal the objective of making porcelain an attractive product for the international designer scene.

Architecture and interior design are to be the new pillars of the company instead of crockery. Kurtzke calls it 'Fine Living & Home Art,' and it includes wall hangings, tiles and figures. After that comes 'Fine Dining' as well as 'Fine Jewellery & Accessories.'

'We decorate rooms, tables and, in particular, people,' says Kurtzke, who also promises 'fireworks of innovation.'

In this way, Kurtzke believes Meissen is keeping true to its illustrious past.

'People here always pushed things to the limit. It's been a part of Meissen's genetic code for centuries,' says the 40-year-old. 'The whole Meissen story is one of pioneers, not settlers.'

The 300th anniversary will be used this year to not only look back at the past but to celebrate the future. 'Of course we want to talk about the past but really want to celebrate the future,' he said.

Biedenkopf, for one, isn't concerned about Meissen's prospects of survival, with the 79-year-old expecting that, like Dresden's Semperoper and Staatskapelle, the company will still be in existence 100 years from now.

'These are exemplars of Saxon culture,' he says.