Herend - Hungary

The biggest porcelain manufacture in the world has been located near the biggest European lake and the green hills of the Bakonyan Forest for nearly 180 years now. The company started its activity in 1826 as a small factory employing only a few people…

In 1826 Vince Single founded a manufacture in Herend. Thirteen years later Mór Fisher began to manage it. For almost two centuries of its existence Herend porcelain manufacture employs the finest masters. Over the years, innovative technological solutions were introduced. Masterpieces of arts were created and subtle, unique decorations were designed. In 1851 Queen Victoria fell in love with the Hungarian products.

In 1874, after Móra Fisher’s retiring, his sons took care of the factory and than – in 1896 – his grandson, Jenő Farkasházy. The year later, the manufacture began to accustom young people to artistic professions. After gaining required skills there was a possibility of employment in the factory.

In 1904 Herend manufacture won a gold medal in the World’s Fair in St Louis. After the fair in Chicago in 1933, overseas markets opened for the factory. And in 1981 the manufacture became an independent company. In 1995 Herend as the first European porcelain manufacture was certified ISO 9001 quality certificate.

Since the beginning of the factory, porcelain from the town of Herend delighted aristocracy and art’s experts soon discovered the magic of hand-made trinkets and became returning customers of Herend. 'The white gold' began to accommodate increasingly also in the imperial and royal courts. The most famous clients of the Hungarian factory in XIX century were: Queen Vistoria, Emperor and Hungarian King Franz Joseph and his wife Queen Elizabeth. Also in XX century the Herend porcelain enjoyed unflagging popularity. Among the worldwide celebrities which were captivated by the unique character of subtle products were inter alia: John Paul II, Benedyct XVI, Princess Diana, Lewis Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Herend workshop can manufacture more than 16000 different forms, about 4000 patterns and three variations of each of those patterns. Therefore, theoretically, there is a possibility of creating abort 64 millions of different products. From the very beginning, Herend manufacture was known as the international deliverer of the most beautiful porcelain. Currently, the company cooperates with 60 states from the whole Word. Yearly, about 100000 people visit the manufacture.

Reaching out visitors’ expectations, the Minimanufacture was opened in 1999. It cooperates with Herend Museum which is opened since 1852 (initially, the place functioned as a showroom – created primarily for commercial issues).

In addition to visiting the manufacture and museum, you can also look at the process of porcelain creating, watch a film about Herend history, but also eat a lunch, have a cup of coffee and do some shopping at the company store of course (but be careful, the prices are knockdown!).

In my collection I have one Herend specimen (porcelain thimble: Herend flowers, Herend – Hungary).

Writing this article I used information found at: Herend manufacture site and Wikipedia.

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Pictures of thimbles used in this article – except manufacture’s panorama (from Wikipedia) – are my property.

I kindly ask for not using my articles and photos without permission.

If you have any questions, just write me.