Zsolnay Porcelain Manufactory
| Zsolnay Porcelánmanufaktúra | |
|---|---|
| legal form | Zrt. |
| founding | 1852 |
| Seat | Pécs , Hungary |
| Branch | Ceramics |
| Website | zsolnay.hu |
Zsolnay Porzellanmanufaktur AG is a porcelain and majolica manufacturer in Hungary . For more than 160 years, the Zsolnay porcelain factory has been a symbol of the city of Pecs and Hungary. The aesthetic quality is achieved through the individually developed technologies used in the production. Various well-known artists, such as József Rippl-Rónai, Ferenc Martyn, Victor Vasarely or Ödön Lechner contributed to the success of the factory.
history
1852 Miklos Zsolnay acquired a on the outskirts of Pécs located ceramics factory . At that time, clay pots, ceramic products for buildings, and water pipes were made. In 1854 his son Ignac Zsolnay and finally in 1865 his brother Vilmos Zsolnay (1828–1900) took over the plant. This marked the beginning of the company's development into a porcelain manufacturer.
After Vilmos Zsolnay's death, Miklós Zsolnay the Elder took over. J. took over the management of the manufactory in March 1900. Industrial production gained the upper hand under his leadership .
In the years of the First World War , the production of art and building ceramics almost came to a standstill, but industrial porcelain, especially electrical insulators, was produced for war purposes. The Zsolnay factory was also affected by the general crisis of the post-war period, the impoverishment and the loss of material sources as a result of the new political and customs borders.
After the death of Miklós Zsolnay in 1922, his heirs, who had previously held posts in the factory, took over the management of the company. The gradual development after the First World War began with a restructuring of the company, with the planned expansion of electrification and the cessation of production of porcelain faience and the introduction of porcelain production. Because the continued existence could only be ensured by converting to porcelain, the manufacture of tableware began in addition to insulating bodies . In the years of the Great Depression from 1929 to 1933, the company narrowly escaped bankruptcy. Numerous workers had to be laid off and production was cut back to three days a week. At the end of the 1930s the company became competitive again both domestically and on the world market. During the Second World War , production came to a standstill again. Due to difficulties in resuming production after the end of the war, the company became state property in 1948 and industrial porcelain was again produced.
From 1953 the production of everyday objects and art porcelain began. In 1955, the production of tiles and building ceramics started up again. In 1963 the factory lost its independence and, as the Pécs porcelain factory, was subordinated to the state company for the fine ceramics industry. Due to an agreement with Margit Mattyasovszky-Zsolnay, the factory used the name and trademark Zsolnay again from 1974. In 1982 the company became independent again and in 1991 it was converted into a stock corporation.
In 1995 the factory was privatized again, with the Hungarian Investment and Development Bank becoming the main owner. At the end of 1999 the company was split into three independent companies. On the one hand, there is Zsolnay Porzellanfabrik AG for industrial porcelain, whose area of responsibility is the supply of materials and energy as well as the rental of real estate that is not listed as a historical monument . Zsolnay Porzellanmanufaktur AG emerged from the merger of the pyrogranite area and the production area for tableware and ornaments. The third company, Zsolnay Örökség Kht. (Zsolnay Estate Administration of the Charitable Society) is responsible for the administration and renovation of the monuments and listed buildings on the factory site. All three companies work at the location of the former Zsolnay Porzellanfabrik AG; The company is owned by the state trust company.
particularities
The artistic execution and the special technique have made the ornamental vessels of the Zsolnay ceramic factory so popular and unique. The manufactory's ceramics are coated with a special glaze and are named after the Greek word for daybreak "Eosin". The manufacture's technical inventions can be traced back to the founder of the Zsolnay manufacture, Miklos Zsolnay. Examples of the well-known works are for example the porcelain faience, which was awarded the gold medal at the Paris World Exhibition, the pyrogranite that adorns public and private buildings, and the eosin glaze
museum
The museum's ceramic collection, which can be viewed at 2 Káptalan Street, builds on the exhibition on the 100th anniversary of the Zsolnay factory. The exhibition was organized and set up by Vilmos Zsolnay's daughter Therese and his granddaughter Margit Matyasovszky-Zsolnay. The museum has a total of six rooms in which the architectural ceramics, the high-flame enamel technique, the eosin glaze, and in the large room the ceramics collected by Vilmos Zsolnay in Persia and Egypt are exhibited. The exhibits in the museum are presented in chronological order and thus show the change in the production of company production through these historical documents.
literature
- Constantin von Wurzbach : Zsolnay, Julie . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 60th part. Kaiserlich-Königliche Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna 1891, p. 284 ( digitized version ).
Web links
- Zsolnay's website
- Budapest Information Zsolnay [1]
- Hungarikum Info Zsolnay [2]