SS Allach

Very little is known about porcelain manufactured at the SS factory situated at Allach, a small town a few miles outside Munich. Even within Germany itself today very few people have heard of its existence. To the best of the author's knowedge, only three post-war items have appeared in print; two small articles in 'Epoca' and 'Der Spiegel', and two pages in 'Schrihenreihe Der Vierteljahrshefte Fur Zeitgeschichte - Die Wirtschaftlichen Unternehmungen Der S.S.' 1963, and only three contemporary articles; one in the Norwegian S.S. paper 'Hirdmannen' of 22nd February 1941, and another in the German SS paper 'Des Schwarz Korps' of 6th April 1939, and another in the National Socialist official art magazine 'Kunst im Drittenreich'.

Even so, an ever-increasing degree of interest is now being shown, and it is in order to promote this interest in Allach porcelain that this study has been published. All known available information has been carefully studied and relevant excerpts included, as have been photographs of all known pieces. An illustrated catalogue of the items made was published, but has not been obtainable. The pieces shown are by no means the majority of those manufactured, but the most well-known are shown and, together with the others illustrated, present a good crosssection of the items manufactured. Eight of the illustrations are from the Haus Der Deutschen Kunst ( House of German Art) catalogues. Of particular interest is illustration No. 28 which is the painting by Joseph Vietze exhibited at the House of German Art in 1941, of S.S. Brigadefuhrer Reinhard Heydrich with the porcelain fencer in the background. Illustration No. 27 shows the''Fencer'' in the advertisement for Allach porcelain in the same catalog's.

The small porcelain factory situated at Allach was originally concern which was founded in 1935, two years after Hitler's accession to power. In 1936 it was taken over by the Personal Staff Department of the Reichsfuhrer S.S. Heinrich Himmler, and was connected with that department of the Personal Staff headed by S.S. Obersturmbannfuhrer Prof. Diebitsch, which dealt with 'all artistic and architectural questions which interested the Reichsfuhrer'. Fully established as an S.S. economic concern, it was incorporated into the Hauptamt Verwaltung Und Wirtschaft (Main Department for Administration and Economics) in 1939.

Between 1936 and 1939 it was connected with the firm 'Bohemia Ceramic Works', and also held more than half the shares in 'Porcelain Radiators GmbH'. The factory was one of Himmler's favourite concerns, as by the production of beautiful and decorative art pieces, he felt he could influence and better German taste. This would also be achieved through the products of the household crockery and utensil section of the factory. Himmler was particularly fond of the Allach project, and his opinions were shared by his friends in the 'Freundkreis Der R.F.S.S'. In a letter to S.S. Hauptamtchef Pohl, Himmler declared that Allach was, to him, 'one of the few things which are positive' and which gave him pleasure.

As mentioned earlier, the Allach factory was primarily intended for the production of decorative and artistic pieces, to include especially commissioned items for Himmler. But ordinary plates, vases, mugs, etc., were also made in a separate section of the factory. together with jars and other utensils for hospitals and canteens. However, this study is only concerned with the porcelain S.S. pieces, and not the ceramic part of the factory. It is recognised throughout the world that porcelain is one of the best artistic materials to express form and feeling in small pieces ('the noblest ceramic material') , and the German porcelain factories of Berlin, Meissen and Dresden have led the world since the Baroc period when porcelain factories were first founded by the German Princes. Following in this tradition, Himmler decided that the pieces produced at Allach would reflect the art form and feeling of the Third Reich, and of the SS in particular. SS Obersturmbannfuhrer Diebitsch, who became director of Allach, said on opening the new Allach showroom in Berlin at Leipzigerstrasse 13 on 1st April 1939: ' ''No people live longer than the documents of their vurture's. These words of the Fuhrer are a cultural motto for us. We know that all we may produce will be critically examined by those who come after us, and we do not want these later generations to give a poor verdict on our works'.

This was to be a prophetic statement, for SS porcelain is today almost impossible to obtain, but that which is obtainable is of the finest quality.

It was, as we have seen, the definite intention of Himmler to promote 'artistically worthy' hand-made porcelain and ceramic products, 'and to work towards that good example of the high standards of this branch of industry'. For the design work of the pieces the finest artists were recruited: Professors Diebitsch (the director of Allach and SS Obersturmbannfuhrer) , Karner, Wagenfeld, Feaster and Thorak, etc. The director of the State Porcelain Gallery in Dresden. Prof. D. S. Fichter, also worked at Allach. Many of the finer pieces are signed by Prof. T. H. Karner and by Ottmar Obermeier; two of the foremost potters who worked at Allach.

In the course of time the factory grew. When room at Allach was no longer sufficient, the plant transferred to nearby Dachau in1937, and was set up in a building in the area of the SS training camp, but outside the confines of the prison camp proper. At the end of 1940 the ceramic section went back to Attach, which had in the meantime been enlarged. The factory then had two plants: the porcelain works at Dachau under R. Dippy, the Sales Manager, and the ceramic works at Allach under the Secretary, Herr Nagy. The Technical Director was Herr Director Hechtfischer of the 'Bohemia' Works, a first-class porcelain connoisseur. Artistic advice was also obtained from Elenore Pohl, wife of SS Hauptamatchef Pohl, as she was a qualified designer. In both works initially only about thirty workers were employed. The employment of the neighbouring camp workers had to be authorized by the Reichsfuhrer, Himmler. ''A few prisoners from Dachau were first employed in 1941, and this number grew to over a hundred in 1943.

Before the war, it was intended to have a new factory built at Allach, where the items could be properly displayed. It also appears that other showrooms were to have been built at Berlin,and later in Posen, Warsaw and Lemberg, of which the total building and equipping cost of three to four hundred thousand Reicbsmarks was out of proportion to the economic prospects of the concerns, and for which supplies of porcelain from the small furnaces at Allach would not have been adequate. (During the course of the war, these plans were abandoned.) It must therefore have been planned to expand the Dachau Plant extensively.

The total turnover of Allach was quite limited: in 1941 it amounted to 560 000 R.M.; in 1942 850 000 R.M.; and in 1943 706 000 R.M. Of the decorative pieces, which are the most important, since they were of the very finest quality, about half were delivered to the Personal Staff Department of the Reichsfuhrer S.S. who had had them commissioned for special presentation use. These were not for sale, although the remainder of the products could be bough by the general public. Items for general sale included the Bust of Hitler, the Fencer, various animals, and also the mounted figures, which included no less than five variations of Frederick the Great. The special presentation pieces were for high-ranking SS and police leaders, as well as specially selected SS men. Some of the outstanding presentation pieces for high personages nominated by Himmler include the following figures: Finnish Bear; Standard Bearer ( see illustration of this piece on the cover of 'the SS 'F.M.' magazine, illustration No. 20) ; Police Officer; and various plates (see illustrations Nos. 77 to 90) . An outstanding 'pair' in this class is the 'Siebenburgische Trachtenfiguren' series, illustration No. 36 which shows two figures in folk costume, together with a presentation card signed by Himmler on 'the occasion of a colleague's birthday'. Certain items were special 'one-off' pieces, as exemplified in the prize plate for the police competition of 1938 ( illustration No. 85). Pieces for the rank and file S.S. included the Jul-Teller (illustrations Nos. 77 to 82) Jul-leuchter and Geburts-leuchter, 'Yuleplates', 'Yule and Birth Candlesticks', respectively. Yule candlesticks were given at Yuletide, 21 st December, and of these Himmler said 'I would have every family of a married SS man to be in possession of a Jul-Leuchter. Even the wife will, when she has left the myths of the church, find something else which her heart and mind can embrace'. Birth candlesticks were given to an SS family on the birth of their fourth and any subsequent child, together with a citation with the words 'In an eternal chain, you are but one link' and 'To you, your parents, your kindred and your people', signed with the facsimile signature of Himmler. The Jul-leuchter was in the form of an earthenware cone with Runic designs.

Two types of Jul-Teller (Yule plates) exist, one for presentation to the SS, and the other for purchase by the general public. The SS plates are in pure white porcelain and bear a National Socialist symbol or emblem. This is in accordance with the field of thought in Germany which feels that pure white porcelain is more desirable than coloured porcelain, and it is for this reason that the presentation pieces are white. The plates available to the public have a coloured design of various winter flowers, applied by transfer. They also have a runic border of the 'Life'rune.

Although practically all pieces were glazed some of the presentation pieces incorporating a badge in their design had the badge left unglazed. The presentation plate showing the N.S. Reichskriegerbund (Ex-servicemen's Association) badge (illustrationNo. 79) , is an example.

A particularly original trademark was designed, which was composed of the two SS runes, one superimposed over the other, (see page 12)

This mark appears in blacks or green, sometimes within an octagon, and will be found on all pieces manufactured at Allach. Sometimes the name Allach also appears. Both the porcelain and ceramic sections used the same mark. Most of the pieces were white, but a few were coloured. A magnificent example of a coloured equestrian figure can be seen in illustration No. 2, which black and while photography cannot do it justice.

SS Allach Porcelain today is almost unobtainable and, when available, commands very high prices. Perhaps the fact that it is eagerly sought after is its finest tribute. It is hoped that by this necessarily limited study, its best points can be the better readily appreciated by those interested.

Michael J. Passmore and Tony L. Oliver: "SS Poecelain Allach", 1972, T.L.O Publications