Special events, exhibitions and mini travel packages celebrate the town of Meissen’s manufacturing tradition.
When scientist Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus and alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger created the first porcelain outside the Chinese empire in 1708 in Dresden, they did so at the behest of Augustus II the Strong, Elector of Saxony and a major benefactor of the arts in the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations of the time. Two years later though, production of the much-coveted delicate wares outgrew the Dresden facilities by the Elbe river and moved to the local Margrave’s castle of Albrechtsburg in Meissen, some 30 kilometres downstream.
Three hundred years later, Meissen porcelain still accounts for much of Germany’s reputation in the world of fine china. Now as then, Meissen produces three major lines of design: Fine Dining, with all imaginable manner of tableware; Fine Living and Home Art, including vases, sculptures, chandeliers and wall decorations, and yes, Fine Jewellery and Accessories – for the most avant-garde of fashion designs.
No longer housed in the hilltop castle, today’s Manufaktur Meissen sits on the banks of a small tributary to the Elbe, though this year, Albrechtsburg castle is reliving part of its former role. Until October 31, a mise-en-scène exhibition called ‘White Gold’ combines traditional exhibits, areas for the senses and multimedia interactive displays. Exclusively in honour of the 300th anniversary celebrations, a selection of some of the earliest pieces of Meissen porcelain is returning to its former home, transforming this grand castle yet again into a porcelain palace.
Down the hill, today’s production facility will open its doors to the public on October 23 for all to see that each piece of fine Meissen porcelain is still a unique, handmade object. Aside from the manufactory’s 800 employees hard at work, visitors will see new contemporary creations that acknowledge today’s trends in international dining—new designs for pasta dishes, for example, or sushi plates, or today’s equivalent of the hot chocolate pots and cups of the 18th century to enjoy an espresso or cappuccino. What they won’t get to see is the Meissen colour lab, where the formulas are kept locked up for the 10,000 different hues of paint needed to create the firm’s trademark designs.
All of Meissen, town and manufactury, celebrates 2010 in style, and one event not to miss is surely the September 26 pageant of some 100 town burghers in period costume, 45 of them on horseback. It will recapture grand historic meetings, but also honour the miners who harvested the caolin clay used to produce the renowned china. Adaptations of classic Meissen designs paraded through town will deliver the proper visual context.
If a day visit doesn’t satisfy your curiosity, the Saxon Elbland tourist organization offers a series of porcelain-themed travel packages that includes an ‘Active’ tour along the scenic Elbe Cycle Route with stops in Meissen and Dresden. Starting at €199 per person, double occupancy, the arrangement includes three nights in a 4-star hotel, a one-day bike rental, a meal served on Meissen china in a gourmet restaurant, admission to the Meissen manufactory and Albrechtsburg castle and a complimentary piece of Meissen china as a souvenir.
For more information on these packages, on Meissen’s anniversary events and the town itself, please visit elbland.de. For a free copy of the brochures and general travel information on Germany, please visit germany.travel.
Photo: Meissen porcelain factory since 1710, © Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen GmbH, Photographer: Peter Garten
May 26, 2010 Posted in: Germany
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