Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth
| Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth as | |
|---|---|
| legal form | Akciová společnost |
| founding | 1790 |
| Seat | České Budějovice |
| management | Vlastislav Bříza |
| Website | www.Koh-i-Noor.cz |
Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth as is a global manufacturer of writing, painting and drawing articles in České Budějovice (Budweis) in South Bohemia , Czech Republic . The company's pencil production dates back to the 18th century, making it one of the oldest pencil manufacturers in the world.
history
In 1790 the Austrian Joseph Hardtmuth founded a pencil factory in Vienna after he had succeeded in making artificial pencil leads from clay and graphite powder . Up until then, pencil leads had to be cut from much more expensive, whole pieces of graphite imported from England . Hardtmuth's invention was of great importance for Austria, as it made the country independent of the importation of English graphite. In a request to majesty dated April 7, 1812, Joseph Hardtmuth reports on the export of thousands of pencils abroad.
In addition, the Hardthmuth method made it possible to offer pencils in six different degrees of hardness through different mixing ratios. 25 years later, his factory was producing nearly 2.5 million pencils a year, which at the time was 15% of world demand.
After Hardtmuth's death on May 23, 1816, his sons Ludwig and Carl took over the family business and production was relocated to the Bohemian city of Budweis for economic reasons. The factory grew, and in 1869 the area had doubled. The products received awards at world exhibitions in 1855 in New York, 1856, 1900 and 1925 in Paris, 1862 in London, 1882 in Vienna and 1905 in Milan.
Carl's son Franz (January 29, 1832 in Vienna - July 25, 1896 in Budweis) expanded the company's position at home and abroad, and L. & C. Hardtmuth became one of the largest pencil manufacturers in the world. Under his direction the "Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth" pen was developed, a pencil in 12 gradations , which was presented in 1889 at the World Exhibition in Paris. The successful product became the standard for other pencils. Each pencil came in a yellow cedar box. The inspiration for the name was the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond (from Persian: "Mountain of Light") from India. L. & C. Hardtmuth became purveyor to the court .
A cooperation began in 1864 with the Viennese stationery dealer Theodor Theyer. Hardtmuth got into his business to make his pencils and other products easier to sell on the market through this collaboration. From this the company Theyer & Hardtmuth developed .
The family was ennobled by the emperor with the title "Edler von Hardtmuth". Heirs after Franz's death (* January 29, 1832; † July 25, 1896) were his widow Mathilde, his two daughters Irma and Mathilde and his son Franz (d. J.).
The First World War and the end of the monarchy meant losses for the company, but the company was able to recover over time through the establishment of new factories in England, the United States, Yugoslavia, Romania and Poland. Hardtmuth's own factory continued to exist in Austria. The company L. & C. Hardtmuth was one of the supporters of the Prague Secession .
After the Second World War , the company was nationalized by the now communist Czechoslovakia , and the Austrian owners lost the property. Nevertheless, the descendants of Joseph Hardtmuth managed to put the pencil factory in Attnang back into operation and to preserve the rights to the name. In 1980 the company received the state award and was allowed to use the federal coat of arms of Austria in business transactions. The Austrian Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth AG went bankrupt in 1996; their production was partly taken over by the company Cretacolor .
The production facility in Czechoslovakia was privatized again in 1992 and bought by the Gama Group in 1994. After the Austrian Koh-i-Noor Hardmuth AG went bankrupt in 1996 , the successor company Koh-i-Noor Hardmuth Austria GmbH , based in Donnerskirchen, was re-established by the Czech group in November 2006 to re-establish Koh-i-Noor as a brand to establish itself on the Austrian market. Due to the financial crisis that started in 2007 , bankruptcy proceedings were opened on June 26, 2009 against Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth Austria GmbH .
Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth as is a subsidiary of Koh-i-Noor Holding Group as In addition to the traditional pencil segment, stationery is also produced and sold in more than 65 countries. One factory is located in Černá v Pošumaví in southernmost Bohemia, Czech Republic .
Clay from Klingenberg am Main was used in every Koh-i-Noor pencil .
Products
In addition to the Koh-i-Noor pencil , other products are also produced: Versatil is a mechanical pencil, Toison d'or are various letterheads, Progresso are graphite and pastel pencils without a wooden cover , Mondeluz watercolor pencils and Gioconda is a requirement for artists. There are erasers in different degrees of hardness produced.
literature
- The ceramic pencil lead. For the 200th birthday of Joseph Hardtmuth. in: Leaves for the history of technology. 20th issue. Research Institute for the History of Technology, Technical Museum for Industry and Commerce in Vienna. Springer Verlag, 1958. pp. 43-52.
- Ingrid Haslinger: Customer - Kaiser. The story of the former imperial and royal purveyors . Vienna: Schroll, 1996, ISBN 3-85202-129-4
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Franz Edler von Hardtmuth's obituary notice. In: New Free Press . July 27, 1896, p. 7 , accessed November 21, 2009 .
- ↑ Koh-I-Noor Hardtmuth back in Austria. ORF -Burgenland, November 24, 2006, accessed on March 15, 2009 (COMEBACK: Koh-I-Noor Hardtmuth again in Austria).
- ↑ Koh-i-Noor Austria is insolvent. Der Standard , June 29, 2009, accessed on July 7, 2009 (stationery manufacturer is sitting on a mountain of debt of around 239,000 euros).