“Can you imagine a time when this place bustled with activity” That is a question. Today we stand amidst the remnants of what was once a vital part of Dresden’s industrial landscape. This is the Überreste Schüttgutverladung VEB Steingutfabrik.
Let’s dive into its past. The VEB Steingutfabrik Dresden was a significant player in the ceramics industry. The factory’s story is intertwined with the broader history of ceramics production in Dresden.
The roots of Dresden’s ceramics industry trace back to the mid-19th century. Villeroy & Boch established the Steingutfabrik Dresden in 1856. Karl Wilkens directed the Dresdner Steingutfabrik from 1878 to 1907. He chronicled the Dresden company’s global rise in 1906.
The factory was innovative. The site contained a raw material storage yard and even a winter garden for the workers to relax. There were cutting-edge machines and the factory included a steam engine. There were also rooms for the different parts of production. The factory included a form-making room and painting rooms. There were separate painting rooms for different colors.
The factory experienced many changes in the 20th century. Dresden became the headquarters in 1923. The Steingutfabrik Dresden was registered as a Villeroy & Boch A. G. branch on October 29, 1923.
Michael Röscher became director of the Dresden headquarters in 1930. The Dresden Steingutfabrik was shut down and upgraded in October 1930. Production resumed in January 1931 with updated technology. The workforce was reduced by nearly 40%.
During World War II, the factory faced numerous challenges. Many employees joined the military. The ceramics business was deemed “not essential to the war effort”. The manufacturing of wall tiles was outlawed. Only floor tiles could be made. Decorations were deemed “unnecessary” and banned. The factory primarily produced sturdy Wehrmacht tableware.
The Steingutfabrik sustained minimal damage during the bombing of Dresden in 1944. It employed around 450 people. About 160 bombs struck the factory on April 17, 1945. Several buildings were destroyed by fire. Finished goods worth 300,000 Reichsmarks were lost.
The Red Army occupied the factory on July 2, 1945. It was completely dismantled under martial law until September. The facilities were shipped to the Soviet Union in 200 railroad cars. This was finished on April 30, 1946.
The Dresden branch of Villeroy & Boch was expropriated on October 1, 1948. This included all of its land. The factory was renamed “Steingutfabrik Dresden”. It became part of the new “Association of Publicly Owned Ceramics Enterprises”. The “VEB Steingutfabrik Dresden” primarily manufactured toilets and sinks.
In 1965, the factory was renamed “VEB Sanitärporzellan”. The “Sanitärporzellan-Dresden GmbH” joined “DURAVIT AG” in 1992. Duravit Sanitärporzellan production was relocated to Meißen in 1994.
The Dresden factory moved to Meißen in late December 1994. The buildings on Leipziger Straße were demolished in January 1995. Klaus-Peter Dyroff documented and dismantled the wall tile work in 1993.
The tile tableaus are still stored at Restaurierungsateliers Dyroff today. The history of this factory, marked by innovation, war, and political change. The Überreste Schüttgutverladung VEB Steingutfabrik stands as a silent witness to Dresden’s transformation.