Porzellanfabrik Hertel, Jacob & Co., Rehau, Bavaria | 382

The factory was founded in 1906 by partners Jacob and Schödel. Schödel resigned after a few years of running the business together with Jacob and his place was taken by Hertel. The result was the renaming of the factory to Porzellanfabrik Hertel, Jacob & Co. G.m.b.H. and a restructuring that proved successful, as the quality of Hertel, Jacob & Co. products became comparable to that of Rosenthal. The end of the Second World War and the subsequent modernisation, which brought automation to the production line, brought an end to the successes. Despite better production conditions, the factory no longer produced products of the same high quality as before the war, both technically and decoratively. The year 1968 brought further changes in the form of the takeover of the factory by Melitta, a company that manufactured coffee filters. Under Melitta's wing, the porcelain factory became increasingly unprofitable, this was compounded by Melitta's own financial problems and as a result the Hertel, Jacob & Co. porcelain factory was closed down in 1979.