Antique GEROLD PORZELLAN BAVARIA Porcelain POLAR BEARS Ashtray #5418 Blue Mint.

About 5” x 3”

Made in 1937. Mark was used 1937 - 1949.

The original company, Neue Porzellanfabrik e.G.m.b.H. founded in 1904 rose to prominence for its exquisite, Dresden-style figurines and its hand-painted birds, vases, ashtrays and an assortment of other household items until it closed in 1997.

In 1904, after an argument broke out at the old Tettauer Porcelain Factory, a new factory was built at the upper end of the village in Tettau. The founder along with three traders and former workers of the Tettauer Porcelain Factory, namely: Bernhard Gerold, Master Butcher, Nicol Kraus, butcher, August Gerold, porcelain painter, Wilhelm Döbrich, porcelain painter, Albert Stauch, porcelain painter, Wilhelm Brandenstein, porcelain painter, Albert Spindler, porcelain painter, Christian Bock, porcelain caster, all from Tettau and Christian Stauch, carton maker from Neuenbau. Hans Püls managed the company from 1905 - 1913.

Before the war there were about 80 people who worked in the factory. Until 1924 cheap bisque (unglazed) items were produced, but by 1925 they turned toward better quality to compete with the North American marketplace. The products of the factory improved from year to year and were supplying mainly to North America. By 1924 the former cooperative was converted into a public limited company and known as the Neue Porzellanfabrik Tettau A.G. Ernst Büttner managed the company from 1913 - 1925.

Karl Ernst Gerold (Fritz)From 1925, the son of co-founder Bernhard Gerold, Fritz Gerold, at the age of 21, took over the management of the factory and in 1937, the registered cooperative was converted into a limited partnership of the Neue Porzellanfabrik Tettau, Gerold & Company earning them world-wide recognition. The operation had not only widened and upgraded, but its brand of mostly luxury china had much artistic quality. In 1933 the operation had approximately 120 employees.

During the Second World War (1939 - 1945), the number of employees went down in 1948 to 84 people. The military had taken over departments of the factory for the production of ammunition, which was led by a Wiesbaden-based defense contractor. After the invasion of American troops (04/13/1945) and during the occupation, those machines were removed.