Moritz Zdekauer [M.Z. AUSTRIA] - was originally established by Benedict Haßlacher in 1810 in Altrolau, Austria - (now Stara Role, Czech Republic.)
Bought by Augustin Novotny in 1824. Under his management employment rose to 100 workers. He also established three warehouses in Prague, Vienna, and Pest. In 1836 Novotny started anufacturing porcelain. In 1870 it employed 800 workers.
In the 1880's the company ran into financial hardship and was sold at auction to Mr. Moritz Zdekauer in 1884.
From 1884-1909 the company expanded and sold pieces to North + South America, Holland, and Dutch Colonies.
In 1909 M.Z. Austria was purchased by well known porcelain maker C.M. Hutschenreuther; The company operated under the name “Altrolau Porcelain Factories” from 1909-1945. The maker’s mark retained the familiar crowned eagle mark, and the “M.Z.” marking from Moritz Zdekauer, adding to the mark “Altrolau” –
(town name.)
After the World War 2 the company was nationalized and went under several reorganizations, eventually becoming apart of the Carlsbad Porcelain group of companies.
In November 1992 the factory was privatized as a joint-stock company called Starorolský Porcelán Moritz Zdekauer, A. S., which continued to produce porcelain under the mark of a crowned eagle with initials MZ. The company managed to remain in operation as Starorolský Porcelán Moritz Zdekauer, A. S. until 2013, when the company was reformed again as a limited company, Bohemia Porcelán Moritz Zdekauer 1810 s.r.o. The traditional brand featuring a crowned eagle with stretched wings and initials “MZ” has been retained and is still used on Stará Role porcelain today.
The company’s focus today is mainly in the production of utility and hotel porcelain, but it still produces lines of decorative porcelain for domestic use.
