WMF (Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik) (1853-present)
WMF, originally named Metallwarenfabrik Straub & Schweizer, began as a metal repair workshop. By 1900, through a series of mergers and acquisitions, it had grown to become the world’s largest producer and exporter of household metalware, particularly in the Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) style. This evolution was led by Albert Mayer, a sculptor and designer who directed the WMF Art Studio from 1884 to 1914.
In 1880, following a merger with another German firm, Metallwarenfabrik Straub & Schweizer was renamed Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik. WMF expanded its reach by acquiring the Polish metalware factory Plewkiewicz in Warsaw in 1886, which became a subsidiary around 1900. At this point, the company employed over 3,500 people. In 1890, WMF acquired the Kunstanstalt für Galvanoplastik München, which specialised in electrotyping and electroforming for decorative applications, later becoming WMF’s Galvanoplastic Division.
unusual Roller Skating Cigarette Case by WMF available at Jacksons Antique
During the 1920s, this division produced reproductions of large-scale Italian Renaissance bronze works for American clients, including a gilt copper reproduction of Ghiberti’s “Gates of Paradise,” exhibited at the International Building Trades Exhibition in Leipzig in 1913. In 1900, WMF acquired the prominent Austrian metalwork company AK & CIE, which distributed WMF products in the Austro-Hungarian market until around 1914. The company also purchased Orivit AG, known for its Jugendstil pewter, in 1905, followed by the Orion Kunstgewerbliche Metallwarenfabrik the next year. WMF effectively marketed products under both its own brand and those of its acquired companies.
During World War I, WMF produced arms for the German military and later certified the destruction of the tools used for this purpose. However, under Hugo Debach’s leadership, the company resumed armament production after Hitler’s rearmament initiatives. By 1940, WMF increasingly relied on forced labor, including Soviet prisoners of war, who made up a third of its workforce. The company also established a concentration camp in 1944 to detain over 900 Hungarian Jewish women for forced labor.
Art Nouveau Silver Plate Swan Decanter WMF
In 1955, WMF began producing commercial coffee machines for restaurants, military mess halls, and cruise ships. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts acquired the company in 2012, and it was sold to Group SEB in 2016. Today, the group, which includes brands like Silit, Kaiser, Schaerer, Hepp, and Curtis, operates in over 40 locations worldwide and has nearly 200 company-owned branches in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. WMF produces a diverse range of household and hotel goods, including cookware, kitchen appliances, cutlery, drinking glasses, and professional coffee machines.