Raise your glasses! 300 Years of European Porcelain

The alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger wanted to manufacture gold from worthless materials at the beginning of the 18th century. But he was not particularly successful. After several more experiments, the moment of birth of ‘so-called’ white gold was struck. The history porcelain manufacture in Europe began with the ensuing foundation of the Meissen Porcelain Manufacture in Saxony in 1710. Since then, further centres of world-famous porcelain production were established throughout Germany. Many of these may now be experienced by tourists via factory sales shops, museums and visitor workshops. Some of them are available as stylish backdrops for meetings and conferences. It is not only worth looking into the museum cabinets and display cases of porcelain land Germany in this anniversary year, they are all worth a visit at anytime.

The Meissen Porcelain Manufacture has been an incomparable success story over its 300 years. The crossed blue swords are also a household name. The onion pattern alone has a tradition going back some 270 years. One of the largest collections of Meissen porcelain worldwide may be admired in Meissen’s own ‘Museum of Meissen Art’. Visitors may experience important stages in the production of Meissen porcelain up close. Porcelain will is being presented by the Meissen Manufacture in all its wonderful facets in this anniversary year. And conference guests will also receive their money’s worth:  the Meissen museum also offers space for seminars, workshops, conferences and events.

The largest special museum for porcelain manufacture in Europe is the Porzellanikon in Upper Franconia with four buildings in two locations. The Porzellanikon Hohenberg – German Porcelain Museum, the Porzellanikon Selb – European Industrial Museum for Porcelain, the European Museum for Technical Ceramics and the Rosenthal Museum (in the heart of the most important porcelain region in Europe and located in traditional buildings which are representative of the German porcelain aristocracy) all offer a superb range of artistic and interesting perspectives. The Porzellanikon Selb also has a modern conference room in the historic background of its old ovens. On the occasion of this year’s anniversary, the museum is presenting an overview of the theme never seen before:  items on loan from leading European institutions are on display in an exhibition entitled, ‘Royal Dreams and Mass Produce – 300 Years of European Porcelain’.

Interested persons can really get to the bottom of 300 years of porcelain history here: a ‘Porcelain Trail’ stretches for some 550 kilometres through north-eastern Bavaria.  Museums and manufactures are also linked like pearls in a necklace in Thuringia. Gotha is situated on a 340 kilometre-long Thuringia Porcelain Trail. Friedenstein Palace celebrates 250 years of Thuringia porcelain with an exhibition entitled, ‘An awful lot of cups – 19th century Gotha Porcelain’.

Further and renowned porcelain manufacturers from throughout Germany such as the Royal Porcelain Manufacture Berlin (KMP) and the Palace Manufacture Ludwigsburg provide valuable insights in their museums into the history and production of porcelain. And Villeroy & Boch in Mettlach offers, besides their Ceramics Museum, a whole centre of experience involving art, gastronomy and an academy.

Museums and Manufacture

www.meissen.com
www.porzellanikon.org
www.koenigstraumundmassenware.org
www.porzellanstrasse.de
www.thueringerporzellanstrasse.de
www.stiftungfriedenstein.de
www.kpm.de
www.schlossmanufaktur-ludwigsburg.de
www.villeroy-boch.com

Exhibition Highlights 2010
• ‘All Nations are Welcome. 300 Years of Manufacture MEISSEN® as a bridge between cultures, nations and religions“. Special exhibition in the Manufacture MEISSEN, until 31st December 2010
• ‘Royal Dreams and Mass Produce. 300 Years of European Porcelain“ Special exhibition in the porcelain icon Selb and Hohenberg an der Eger, until 2nd November 2010
• ‘Triumph of the Blue Swords. Meissen Porcelain for Aristocrats and the Bourgeoisie 1710 – 1815“, Special exhibition of the State Art Collections Dresden, Porcelain Collection in the Japanese Palace Dresden, until 29th August 2010
• The Magic of Fragility. Masterpieces of European Porcelain Art“  Special exhibition of the State Art Collections Dresden, Porcelain Collection in the Ephraim-Palace Berlin, until 29th August 2010