Roland Blaettler, Rudolph Schnyder 2014

In 1927, Alfred von der Mühll, an entrepreneur from Basel, purchased the public limited company “Thonwarenfabrik Aedermannsdorf” (Aedermannsdorf Pottery Factory), which was in financial trouble at the time. The company had been forced to reduce its workforce since 1926. While initially the situation improved under the new ownership, the world economic crisis began to have an impact on the company too. In 1934, an art department was established under the leadership of the Bern ceramicist Benno Geiger. When crockery imports from neighbouring countries ceased during the Second World War, the factory experienced an upswing, and new lines of production were added to the traditional brown manganese-glaze ware. After 1947, the factory had to once again hold its own against an increasing number of competitors from abroad.

In 1960, the factory was sold to the industrialist Emil Rössler from Ersigen in the Emmental valley. The new public limited company, Rössler AG, now specialised in producing refined white earthenware and, from 1963 onwards, porcelain. Production at Aedermannsdorf ceased in 2004.

Translation Sandy Haemmerle

References

Blaettler/Schnyder 2014
Roland Blaettler/Rudolf Schnyder, CERAMICA CH II: Solothurn (Nationales Inventar der Keramik in den öffentlichen Sammlungen der Schweiz, 1500-1950), Sulgen 2014, 16–17.

Schwab 1927
Fernand Schwab, Die industrielle Entwicklung des Kantons Solothurn und ihr Einfluss auf die Volkswirtschaft. Festschrift zum fünfzigjährigen Bestehen des solothurnischen Handels- und Industrievereins. Solothurn 1927.

Vogt 2000
Albert Vogt, Die Geschichte der keramischen Industrie in Matzendorf und Aedermannsdorf 1798-1998. In: Verein «Freunde der Matzendorfer Keramik» (Hsg.), 200 Jahre keramische Industrie in Matzendorf und Aedermannsdorf 1798-1998. Matzendorf, 9-90.