I am more wacker a potter…
When on 02 September 1851 the pottery Frommhold was created by Carl Luis Frommhold, it could not suspect that it into the 5. Generation would continue.

In the year 2001 we celebrated thus the 150-jährige existence of our crafts enterprise.

Our ancestor Carl Luis Frommhold became on 26 June 1825 as 2. Son of the cutter master Ernst Gotthelf Frommhold in Bischofswerda born. Since, as, always the first son was allowed to usually take over the enterprise of the father at that time, Carl Luis will have decided for the occupation of the Töpfers.

It is not delivered, why as location for the pottery the corner Weissbacher road bath way consisting of two properties in king-bridge one had selected. Before a whistle pottery should have been here.

The name “pious wood”, Töpfer, steps in the account of leaning funds at the 1. Octbr. 1851 in the city documents for the first time up.

The city citizen right attained Carl Luis as Töpfermeister on 17 April 1852. Registered under the number 565.

It belonged to already courage, in king-bridges itself as a Töpfer to establish, finally gave it around already 1850 to about 15 potteries, which increased until 1883 to 25.

As efficient and our Töpfermeister admits truely, can in an interesting statement in a hessian publication about table-ware dealers be inferred. The table-ware dealer Ranft (1849-1934) from Beuern when pouring remembers:

“Then a large pottery was in king-bridges (Saxonia) by Luis Frommhold, by the commodity was referred.
This was glazed something and in several sorts in cook, roasting and baking table-ware, Kaffekannen etc., which was from there carried by cars and horse, far until Schleswig-Holstein and until west Prussia. “

The new after railway line king-bridge facilitated since 1884 the trade substantially.

Master C. Luis Frommhold handed the pottery 1896 to his son to Richard over, after in the same year after 44 marriage years his Mrs. Wilhelmine had died geb. captain. It survived it 11 years and died 1907.

Richard Frommhold, geb. on 29 January 1863, learned the Töpferberuf with its father and put 1896 down with 33 years the mastership examination before the Königsbrücker guild.

The assumption of the pottery falls into a difficult time. The rapidly developing industry brought substantially cheaper and more fireproof porcelain, products of stoneware and enamel table-ware on the market. The before vitally necessary sales of everyday clay/tone table-ware decreased/went back substantially and many potteries was forced to the task of their enterprises.
The 1. World war and the still much heavier time of inflation had to be overcome.

After that 1. World war had itself out king-bridges coming artist max of Schleinitz the goal set to provide clay/tone goods with artistic elements. He arranged above all vases and jugs with geometrical lines, which he painted with different blue tones. The pottery granted it right of hospitality and manufactured the containers up to painting.

Into this time important decisions fall for continued the enterprise.

In order to correspond to the requirements of the buyers better, was additionally begun to give the clay/tone commodity another responding appearance.
Thus the conversion from the pure Brauntöpferei falls to the multicolored pottery into the time of the second master.

First the table-ware was filled inside with white burning clay/tone. For the exterior use found cobalt blue. Slowly the “Lausitzer multicolored table-ware” developed. Particularly for pots, cans and jugs, in addition, for dishes a further formative refinement is reached by laying on white points with the mark horn. Since one uses about 1920 for it small Schwämmchen, with which different samples could become pots around 1930aufgetragen.

On white reason many different color and design patterns developed.

While other potteries already used coal for burning, served in the Frommhold pottery until 1935 excluding wood as fuel material. The gloss of the containers produced by the wood fire had many lovers and made for the master the square furnace conversion heavy. Likewise for profitability reasons father and son Fritz (works since 1920 in the pottery with) decided to change over to the coal firing.

A square furnace was built, which is also today still, although unused, received and can be visited.

Upper master Richard Frommhold died 1939, after he had directed 43 years the fate of the pottery.

Fritz Frommhold, geb. to 30.08..1899, took over the enterprise after twenty-year-old common work with the father 1940, after he had already put 1928 down its mastership examination.

Its son Johannes (geb. to 27.08.1929) wanted to begin 1944 its teachings as Töpfer in Naumburg to the Queis. Since the situation at the east front worsened appreciably, it learned in the paternal enterprise.

Beginning of the 40's gave it in king-bridges only two potteries, which produced with few people. The Töpfern was permitted during the war years only the production of Gebrauchsgeschirr.

Had nevertheless succeeded still acquiring 1940 a pivoting spindle with belt drive. Thus pivoting of different pots and dishes in Gipsformen became possible.

Since in the meantime everything was scarce, the commodity could be well set off. Coal from the close pits of the Lausitz and the clay/tone from the Thonberg were to be still received.

The clay/tone side dressing in the own workshop made likewise 1940 purchased electrical clay/tone cutters possible. With fate to hold, master Fritz in the course of its working life had indeed learned the enterprise over water.

Entangled at the end of the war the city king-bridge in fighting. Hardest it met thereby our pottery. When airplanes fired at the city on 21 April 1945 with tracer ammunition, the pottery as well as two bordering smaller houses burned out completely. the extent explains itself by the storage of tar barrels in the adjoining house. Except few belongings nothing had remained for the family. It was still particularly painful that the guild drawer with the valuable documents, kept in the pottery, became also a victim of the flames.

The family did not give up however. When after end of war of the masters of the city administration was asked to begin its work in the abandoned pottery black in Marktgäs again it could not be begged.

In the meantime the emergency was rather large in the country. Products of pottery were urgently in demand. Production started briskly.


At the same time was begun to develop the burned out master enterprise again and the load house supplement at the same time.
It cannot be mediated, which were to be overcome resistances thereby. But it was created.

On 4 November 1948 the enterprise could work again on the master seat.

In the meantime the general living conditions of the inhabitants of our country had improved. Now the western restaurant miracle world in separate Germany one nachgeeifert. The simple clay/tone commodity from the mode and the paragraph came worsened. A trade with the old customers abroad West Germany and was nearly impossible by the rigid formalities in the German one Democratic Republic. Even the purchase of raw material prepared ever more problems.

Durchstehvermögen was in demand. It was found always way, which made the further existence possible of the enterprise. The family worked heavily.

Nevertheless an attendance was into the Töpferwerkstatt an experience at each time. Everyone came was friendly taken up. Some forgot with humming the turntable and the dry humor of the Töpfer its concerns and in the bank before the cosy tiled stove in the workshop body and soul warmed up.

Painter RentschViele inspired connoisseurs and friends of the Töpferkunst out near and far turned gladly here in. They enjoyed about the beautiful products developed again and again again.

With this working climate also the coworkers received important impulses and joy in the handicraft with all daily work happening. Many associate by their being able at the turntable the enterprise also to reputation help. that applied also to the painters, who made the Auszier of the articles with much creativity. Some apprentice, who learned the handicraft with Frommhold, became later a stood and recognized master.

But further in family history:

1979 master Fritz survived the sudden death of his wife and Mitstreiterin Maria in the summer bent. It was already bedded to 02.10.1980 beside it.

1980 took over Johannes Frommhold, geb. to 27.08.1929, the enterprise.
Its life way differs little from that of its father. As already mentioned he learned the associating examination starting from 1944 in the paternal enterprise and put 1947 down. 1957 he married Marianne Bischoff out scorch-chews. The sons Lutz (geb. 22.08.1961) and Jens (28.08.1964) come of to their marriage.
The mastership examination put Johannes down Frommhold 1970.

In the work happening could change after the death of the father only little. It and its wife were firmly merged and grown in all the common years into the work happening of the pottery.
They had learned to grant itself because the family business did not permit large jumps. With few workers it was alive held.

Finally the pottery had then nevertheless some more luck, when handling toner certifications came again into mode. By the general economic uncoupling of our country humans had furnished themselves. That applied also to the handicraft.

With Kraft, Kreativität in addition, joy Jens Frommhold took over 1994 of the father the enterprise.

Now the old master, like also the Vorväter, brings his experience into business operations.

The Frommhold Töpferfamilie held out 150 years at the place and all Widerwärtigkeiten defied.
That was a cause, in order to commit proudly and full joy the operating anniversary.

In the meantime the commodity from our pottery is again world-wide sold and has many trailers.

Excerpts from the brochure pottery in king-bridge from the association for local history king-bridge