Katzhutte Hertwig Figurines
Porcelain factory Hertwig & Co. was established by Christoph Hertwig, Benjamin Beyermann and Carl Birkner. First they owned in Großbreitenbach a porcelain shop. Their application for a concession to start a porcelain factory in the town was rejected.
Finally they got lucky in the principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. In 1864 they started construction of a porcelain factory in Katzhütte. Porcelain items produced in Katzhütte were decorated in Großbreitenbach. Production included doll heads, pipe stubs and figurines especially Art Deco.
In 1868 Christoph Hertwig became the only owner of the factory. Rapidly developing factory around 1890 employed 300 workers at the site and 600 homeworkers. In 1911 they opened a branch in Meuselbach. WWI and World Economic Crises enforced reduction of product range to fine earthenware. In 1930s the company was already run by Ernst and Hans Hertwig, the sons of Karl and Friedrich
After WWII the company was in communist East Germany. Ernst Friedrich Hertwig, the great-grandson of the company’s founder, led the company until 1958. Two years later, the company was converted into a state-owned company, the VEB Zierkeramik Katzhütte. The product range was cut back to decoration ceramics only. In 1990 the factory was closed.