Carl Anhäuser

Reich u. Wächter / Th. Reich / R. Ufer sonst Th. Reich / R. Ufer Nachf. / Carl Anhäuser vormals R. Ufer Nachf. / Carl Anhäuser

Kreuzgasse 3, Grosse Frauengasse 13 / Badergasse 31, Drehgasse 6, Moritzstraße 13 & 15 / König Johannstraße, Dresden. Saxony. Porzellanmalerei, Glas-, Keramik- und Porzellanwaren Einzelhandel. / Porcelain Painting, Glass, Ceramic & Porcelain Suppliers. The company was supposedly founded in 1822, but no records have yet been found to support this. Heinrich Theodor Reich and Julius Wächter were first recorded in Dresden in 1846, living and trading at Kreuzgasse 3, on the 2nd and ground floors respectively. By 1847 Theodor Reich owned the building and Julius Wächter had moved to another address. In 1848 the company of "Reich und Wächter" was trading out of the ground floor of Kreuzgasse 3. By 1849 Julius Wächter was running a pharmacy from this address as a sole trader. Theodor Reich, having sold Kreuzgasse 3, but still renting the second floor as his private address, started the new company of "Th. Reich", as a Porzellan- und Steinguthandlung on the ground floor of Grosse Frauengasse 13. In 1850 he built an entrance at the back of the shop through to Badergasse. In 1851 he purchased Grosse Ziegelgasse 44, where he lived on the second floor. By 1852 his rear entrance on to Badergasse had become his trading address of Badergasse 31. He moved his living quarters after Easter 1853 from Grosse Ziegelgasse to the 3rd floor of Badergasse 3, and subsequently sold Grosse Ziegelgasse in 1854. In 1856, he opened a new branch at Badergasse 7 as another Porzellan- und Steinguthandlung. He also added an agency in the ground floor of Badergasse 31, selling life insurance and pensions, on behalf of Agentur der Lebens- und Pensions-Versicherungs-Gesellschaft Janus of Hamburg. He had closed the agency, together with Badergasse 7, by 1859. In 1862 Reich sold his company to a newcomer to Dresden, Robert Benjamin Ufer, but lived on the 3rd floor of Badergasse 31 until circa 1865. After this he had various private addresses, but had ceased to appear in the address books by 1874.

The new company of "R. Ufer sonst Th. Reich" continued to trade from Badergasse 31, whilst Ufer himself lived on the third floor of Wilsdrufferstraße 32. In 1864 he moved his living quarters to the 1st floor of Badergasse 28, and again in 1868 to the second floor of Badergasse 31. In 1885 Ufer sold his company to Hermann A. Fischer. The company then traded as "R. Ufer Nachf." from 1886 until 1895. Robert Ufer had disappeared from the address books by 1907.

Hermann A. Fischer was first recorded as living in Dresden at an der Bürgerwiese 22 (3rd floor) in 1886. By 1887 the company had moved to the ground floor of Moritzstraße 13 (*1), whilst Fischer lived on the 1st & 2nd floors on Badergasse 31. He had planned to move to the second floor above the shop in Moritzstraße 13, by Easter. Meanwhile, Dresden resident, Carl Joseph Anhäuser had become a co-proprietor. As he had been living together with M. Josephine Anhäuser (not wife - possibly mother) on the 1st floor of Königstraße 20, they both moved into the Moritzstrasse 13, (second floor) address. Therefore Fischer moved to the 3rd floor of Struvestraße 36 instead. By 1888 the company had expanded to occupy both the ground and first floors of Moritzstraße 13. By 1891 they were claiming to be the largest ceramics retailer in Germany, specialising in wedding dinner services and presents. They purchased various porcelain and stoneware products from, amongst others, Villeroy & Boch, Utzschneider & Co. and Zwickauer Porzellanfabrik (Inhaber Christian Fischer. In 1893 they opened a porcelain decorating shop on the first floor of Drehgasse 6 (*2).

In 1895 Fischer retired and Carl Joseph Anhäuser became the sole proprietor of the company, which until that point had continued to trade officially as "R. Ufer Nachf.". Also in this year he obtained the title of Königlicher Hoflieferant to the King of Saxony. At this time the company's product range was listed thus: Villeroy & Boch, together with Saxon, Bavarian, Bohemian and French Porcelains. Decorating shop and glazing ovens. Specialities: Washing stands and Majolica plates. The new company name was listed as "Carl Anhäuser vormals R. Ufer Nachf." only from 1896. Fischer disappeared from the address books in 1903. By 1897 both Anhäusers had moved their private address to the ground floor at Comenius-Straße 43. In 1898, M. Josephine, now a widow, moved on her own to Zöllnerstraße 25 until 1909 when she disappeared from the records. Meanwhile the porcelain decorating shop at Drehgasse closed, but in 1899 they took over the second floor of Moritzstraße 15. Carl was appointed a deputy judge dealing with commercial matters in 1907, and became a full judge in 1909. He held this position until 1917. By 1915 the business had deteriorated and so Moritzstraße 15 was closed. Due to the King of Saxony's earlier abdication, Carl stopped claiming the title of Königlicher Hoflieferant in 1921. In the same year he appointed co-proprietors, which included his wife Marie, together with Phil. Heinrich Feickert and the widow, An. Martha Ida Pohl. An additional co-proprietor, Dr.phil. Jos. Adam Schreiber had been appointed by 1926. As was the requirement at the time, Carl’s name was re-spelt Karl, but he never changed it for the company records. After 1930 a decision was made to concentrate on selling more Lead Glass Crystal, rather than earthenware. Carl Anhäuser died in 1932. In 1933 the company name was changed to just "Carl Anhäuser", and Phil. Heinrich Feickert ceased to be a co-proprietor. In 1937, an entrance was officially recorded giving access directly onto the prestigeous city centre street of König-Johann-Straße (*3), although the company had been claiming it as their business address since at least 1897. Carl Anhäuser's wife, Marie, probably died in 1941. So by 1942 the wife of Jos. Adam Schreiber, Marianne, together with Cäcilie May had become co-proprietors. There are no records after this date, but in February 1945 this part of Dresden old town was completely destroyed by bombing. It is unknown whether the company restarted after WWII.

*1. Moritzstraße. In 1895 changed to Moritz-Straße and back to Moritzstraße in 1906. *2. Drehgasse. In 1895 changed to Dreh-Gasse and back to Drehgasse in 1906. *3. König Johannstraße. In 1895 changed to König Johann-Straße. In 1911 changed to König-Johann-Straße. It has been incorporated in a wide boulevard now called Wilsdruffer Straße.

Purchased stein bodies from: Reinhold Merkelbach, Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach.  Ph. Rosenthal & Co. A.G.
Hoflieferanten Sr. Majestät des Königs bez. Königl Sächs. Hoflieferanten usw. / Supplier to the Royal Saxon Court.
References: Slub-Dresden 1891- Page 17 Slub-Dresden 1896  Slub Dresden 1897  Wikipedia  Porzellanfabrik Zwickau
  Adressbuch der Hoflieferanten 1904 Adressbuch der Hoflieferanten 1905  Christian Fischer Pgs.156-157  Saxony Address books