© Porzellanmanufaktur Fürstenberg

Museum Schloss Fürstenberg

Porcelain and table culture

The fascination of porcelain

The castle ensemble of the Fürstenberg porcelain manufactory stands for 300 years of porcelain art in the Weserbergland. At many stations in the museum, the motto is quite deliberately: "Touching allowed". Have you ever asked yourself "How does the handle get on the cup?" and "Why does porcelain have to be fired several times?" - Experienced porcelain makers and decorators will be happy to answer these questions in the visitor workshop. Here you can even take the fine material into your own hands and try out the delicate craftsmanship for yourself. And if you feel like painting a piece of tableware for yourself or your loved ones, you can do that too. After your visit, it will be fired and then sent to you.

What to expect in Fürstenberg

History of the porcelain manufactory

Fürstenberg Castle

Fürstenberg Castle is first mentioned in a list of goods belonging to Corvey Abbey. The castle complex has two towers and a gate tower as well as a walled courtyard.

The birth of the manufactory

Duke Carl I of Brunswick-Lüneburg draws up a decree on the establishment of a porcelain manufactory in Fürstenberg Castle.

The first successful porcelain firing

Unfortunately, this remains a one-off success and the manufactory director Johann Georg von Langen has a hard time with the charlatan Johann Christoph Glaser. Although he presented himself as an expert, he was unable to keep his promise to set up porcelain production.

Successful production

After the dismissal of the fraudster Glaser, the arcanist Johann Kilian Benckgraff is recruited from the Höchst porcelain manufactory to Fürstenberg in 1753. Thanks to his knowledge, production can finally be successfully established.

The porcelain with the "F"

Duke Carl I decrees that every piece of porcelain from Fürstenberg should be marked with an "F". Now that the manufactory is finally working properly, he immediately orders a dinner service for his own use. Meanwhile, a branch for porcelain painting and sales is set up in Brunswick.

New manufacturing director

After turning a profit for the first time in 1775, the manufactory found itself in an economic crisis just 20 years later. In 1797, the management was therefore handed over to the French porcelain painter and entrepreneur Louis Victor Gerverot. By improving the production processes and raising the artistic standard, he was able to help the manufactory to a new upswing.

Manufacture Royale

After Napoleon Bonaparte's conquests, he formed the new Kingdom of Westphalia. Under the rule of his brother Jérôme, "King Lustik", Fürstenberg becomes a manufacture royale and is thus able to survive.

Privatization

The ducal manufactory is privatized and leased to entrepreneurs. As a result, the quality of the porcelain decreases in terms of design and workmanship.

Public limited company

The company is converted into a public limited company. This form of company still exists today.

The 'rediscovery' of Fürstenberg

The 150th anniversary in 1897 marked the beginning of Fürstenberg's "rediscovery" as one of the few old porcelain manufactories to have survived since the 18th century. In 1902, the Old Fürstenberg product line, the new production of historical mold and figurine models, is intended to commemorate the glorious past of the former ducal manufactory.

The crowned "F"

The crowned F mark is introduced as a general trademark on all Fürstenberg porcelain.

Wilhelm Wagenfeld

The porcelain manufactory engages the product designer and Bauhaus student Wilhelm Wagenfeld and thus consistently implements a radical change in design towards objective functionality. The Bauhaus shape WAGENFELD is still an important part of the FÜRSTENBERG collection today.

A museum is created

The Fürstenberg porcelain manufactory opens the Fürstenberg Palace Museum.

New owner

Braunschweigische Staatsbank acquires the majority of shares in the manufactory. After the bank merges with other banks in Lower Saxony to form Nord/LB, the latter becomes the owner of the manufactory. The district of Holzminden retains two percent of the company shares.

Fire in the castle

The castle building catches fire due to a technical defect. The roof and tower were severely damaged and the valuable half-timbered staircase was almost destroyed. After the fire, the 19th century buildings covering the castle are demolished, the castle is restored and completely converted into a museum.

Redesign of the castle ensemble

The manufactory develops a master plan for the redesign of the Fürstenberg Castle ensemble and the museum exhibition and implements it in the following years. After two years of planning and construction, the redesigned Museum Schloss Fürstenberg reopened in March 2017. From now on, the motto in many parts of the museum is: touch and feel!