Rosenthal

Rosenthal Bio /  Information

Rosenthal GmbH, a German porcelain and household goods manufacturer, originated in 1879 in Selb, Bavaria. Since 2009, it has been under the ownership of the Italian company Sambonet Paderno Industrie (Arcturus Group).

History:

Founded as a family business in 1879 by Philipp Rosenthal, the enterprise began in Werl, North Rhine-Westphalia, and later moved to Selb. In 1897, Philipp established Bauer, Rosenthal & Co. in Kronach and Philipp Rosenthal & Co. AG. Acquisitions followed, including Thomas in Marktredwitz (1908) and Zeidler & Co. (1917). The Krister Porzellanmanufaktur in Wałbrzych was acquired in 1921, although it closed in 1945 and revived in 1951 until 1971.

During the Nazi era, Philipp Rosenthal, due to his Jewish origin, withdrew from the enterprise in 1934. His death in 1937 allowed his grandchildren to take over. Rosenthal continued acquiring Waldershof and Thomas in Weidenberg-Sophienthal (1936) and established Rosenthal Isolatoren GmbH (RIG) in 1939. In 1941, the Nazi regime forced the discontinuation of the Jewish company, but the management of time (not appointed by the Rosenthal family), with Joseph Goebbels’ intervention, continued using the Rosenthal brand name.

Philip Rosenthal’s return in 1950 marked a pioneering role in modern product design. The Rosenthal Studiohaus opened in Nuremberg in 1960, leading to the world’s first design chain. In 1965, the company became Rosenthal Glas & Porzellan AG, later shortened to Rosenthal AG in 1969. The furniture factory Rosenthal Einrichtung, founded by Philip in 1972 in Espelkamp, underwent name changes in 2009 to Philip Möbelmanufaktur GmbH and in 2013 to Fröscher GmbH & CO. KG. Collaborating with designers like Raymond Loewy and Verner Panton, Rosenthal produced notable products, including Walter Gropius’ tea service TAC.

In 1997, the British-Irish Waterford Wedgwood Group owned 90% of Rosenthal AG, it was at the time Germany’s market leader in high-quality porcelain and glassware. In 2000, Rosenthal acquired the Hutschenreuther brand and Hutschenreuther-Werk B in Selb.

Facing insolvency in 2009 due to Waterford Wedgwood’s collapse, Rosenthal filed for insolvency. On July 20, 2009, it was sold to Sambonet Paderno Industrie (Arcturus Group), becoming an independent part of the group. The company’s headquarters remain in Selb under the management of Pierluigi Coppo.

The Rosenthal Archive, featuring 15,000 exhibits spanning 130 years, was acquired by the Oberfranken Foundation in 2009. It is now permanently on loan to the Porzellanikon, the State Museum of Porcelain in Hohenberg an der Eger, Selb. The archive includes designs from the company’s inception to the present, featuring works by artists like Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, Wilhelm Wagenfeld, and Walter Gropius.

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