Koenigliche Porzellan-Manufaktur
Prussia, Germany, founded 1763
In 1763, King Frederick II of Prussia assumed control of the the porcelain factory of merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky. The King of Prussia gave the company its name and symbol: the royal blue sceptre. KPM remained royal property until Kaiser Wilhelm II's abdication in 1918, when it became a state-owned company.
With the demise of the monarchy in 1918, and no kaiser or king, KPM officially became the Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur. After World War II, responsibility for the company fell to the state of Berlin as its new owner. In 1988, the Berlin Senate decreed that KPM would once again operate under the name of Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin GmbH.
After several attempts, the complete privatisation of the Königlichen Porzellan-Manufaktur was concluded in 2006. The Senate sold the company to the Berlin banker Jörg Woltmann. Since then, the company has undergone steady expansion – particularly in terms of exports. It is creating new jobs and consistently positioning the KPM brand in the highest luxury segment worldwide.