** Tins of Taste Museum ** within NationalBreadMuseum.org
GERMANY - Index of Companies w/Tins
A list of German companies is in the ivory section below -- the column on the left.
In the 40-year Tins of Taste cataloging record, there are over 1,000 tins/chests that once held a food item from Germany. Around 80% of them are German Lebkuchen tins & chests as Germany carved itself out to be the Lebkuchen industry capital of the world since the 1300s. One of the most significant aspects of these tins is that on many of them, much of the exquisite & colorful art work portrayed history of the German people, country, & culture during past centuries. Because of that, they document an incredible historical record.
I would say the 800-or-so Lebkuchen tins in this collection (with most in storage & never photographed, yet, until there is the financial, volunteer, &/or other help) are just a "sampling" because I know there are so many others. I found out, back in 1990, that there was no preservation of Lebkuchen tins by the companies I knew about at that time, connected with, & visited while still living in Germany. There was no computer, no internet, no sources available to me in English, etc. I had no idea, back then, about "bread museums" & this museum project. Were there any Germans who had huge, private collections? I didn't then, and still don't know, nor how to find out if there are. And as far as I knew, along with what the people knew whom I met with at the Nürnberg Lebkuchen companies, there wasn't any museum keeping this historical record. And has that changed in Germany in the past 35 years? If anyone knows something of this, it would be extremely helpful if you'd connect with me . . . just because I'm curious (being in the U.S. & wanting to have a museum for "German Lebkuchen tins") and because they serve a very worthwhile, historical, cultural, & educational purpose and are of significant value to still over 44M Americans regarding their roots of ancestral heritage, even if there's an ocean between us! Germans have always been the largest historical group of immigrants in this country.
Some of the background story: After I had a couple dozen "pretty & colorful" Otto Schmidt "Festive Chests," the "collecting" took a turn one morning at a flohmarkt when 2 vendors across from each other had a total of 5 "old" Festive Chests for under $10. I thought, "This is nuts to pass them up just because they aren't very colorful. Already having so many, why don't I try to collect ALL the years if possible?" That put a new emphasis on feeling it was important to collect them for the sake of German history, even though I'd be going back to the United States. I just figured that even though I'd be across the ocean, someplace there'd be a "home" for them because of the millions of Germans who emigrated to the U.S. in the 18- & first half of the 1900s. And as I noted, today German is still listed as the largest ancestry group of people in the U.S., from my roots in Wisconsin, & now living in Nebraska, at one time in the 1800s, the 2 largest German-populated states! And if you have a/some German food tins, esp. Lebkuchen, which you don't know what to do with & would consider donating them for this historical record, contact me at breadmuseum@aol.com. Become part of the higher calling of historical preservation so in time our future generations have access to this information.
Blessings, Donna Kozak, Founder
This first index has an assortment of beautiful artistic tins used to sell a food-related product, plus a list of German companies which often sold their candy & food in tins.
If the name is underlined & in bold, it has a/some tins on a connecting page. The following are assorted subjects or companies for which there are tins which will, in time, be posted.
_A page of tins of assorted subjects such as _Gummy Bears _Hummels, _Neuschwanstein Castle, _Pied Piper of Hameln, etc.
_Bahlsen Biscuit/Cookie Co.
_Heidel Candy Company
_Heilemann
_Stollwerck (a candy company)
_Windel Candy Company
An index of Lebkuchen Companies
(or a bakery which had an identifiable tin for its Lebkuchen)
--This *# marking at the end of a name means a tin, significant cardboard container, or wooden chest for Lebkuchen has been seen (usually for sale on ebay.de), but none still exists in this collection, sad to say. (If you, or someone you know, lives in Germany, see my "Request Note" following the steins on the right.)
--The companies, bold & in blue with a line under the name, is a link to click on because they have a/some tins posted on a connecting page. They're alphabetized according to the name by which they're most commonly known . . . that is not always the last name.
--As information becomes available regarding basic dates, acquisitions, etc., of Lebkuchen companies, it will be posted. If you have knowledge of any information of a former or current Lebkuchen company that had/has a tin, and is not in this list, please email me/Donna at breadmuseum@aol.com. If there are corrections to be made regarding what I've written, please let me know. I strive to have all information as accurate as possible!
==============================================
NOTE: Blue = a link to their Tins of Taste website page;
Green = in business today
*# = Don't have a tin, in case you can donate one 🤗.
Red = the company's online website today
52 Lebkuchen companies discovered so far - by Nov. 2024 - which had a tin, plus, now & then, I'm also finding some full-line bakeries that had/have a tin for their Lebkuchen.
(And today, Nov. 13, 2024, I found a Lebkuchen company,
Metzger & Söhne, in Vienna, Austria, since 1685!!!)
==============================================
Adam Kraft
Anker-Lebkuchen - Nurnberg; connected with R. Ad. Richter & Cie, and possibly, also a stand-alone company - just don't know yet.
August Häusler*# - Nürnberg
BärenSchmidt (a municipality in Mainbernheim)
Bahlsen - July 1889; Hermann Bahlsen Founder in Hanover: "Hannoversche Keksfabrik H. Bahlsen"
DAUSCHER's * FRÄN * KISCHE * LEBKUCHEN - Founded 1876; There is an "FD" in a shield shape on the cover. "Fran" could be "Franconian" which is the Nurnberg area. The cover rim also has Friedr. Dauscher = Friedrich (a man's name), & Windsbach Mfr. - a town 18 miles south of Nurnberg. Don't know if there's any connection to the "Gebr. Dauscher - Nuremberg" company.
Diakoneo Bakery*# in Dinklesbuhl
Düll*# - 1934; https://www.lebkuchen-nuernberg.com
Eckstein - 1955; https://www.lebkuchen-eckstein.de/ueber-eckstein/
F. Ad. Richter & Cie-Lebkuchen Nurnberger - maybe 1884-1913; One online resource article says that at some point the company became part of Schöller Ice Cream (https://www.ankerstein.org/html/CO.HTM ). But something is missing between Richter's 1910 death; his heirs broke within 10 years; Schöller not beginning until 1935 w/ice cream (Wikipedia), & beginning in Lebkuchen in 1957.
Ferd. Stemmler*# - Friedrichsdorf im Taunus
Ferdinand Wolff GmbH & Co. KG - 1839 (in Lambertz group - 1994)
Feyler, Wilhelm in Coburg - 1892; www.Feyler-Lebkuchen.de
Frank Lebkuchen GmbH, Arzberg*#; https://www.frank-lebkuchen.de/ Since 1865.
Fraunholz (1911) & Gebr. Fraunholz (Gebr. = brothers)
Home page: https://www.fraunholz-lebkuchen.de/
Fritz Weghorn*# - (A tin at the German Digital Library- at the bottom of the website, it's one of the 12.)
https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/item/WPESEIB4TQEYS5X5EJQGF4VUVVSOKSJG
Gebr. Dauscher - Nuremberg (The logo on the cover is an intertwined "GD" inside a 4-pointed star of sorts.) (Gebr. = brothers)
Gebr. Koppe*# - A.G. Berlin-Lichtenberg (This name was in small print along the bottom rim of a round, 6-stuck-shaped tin with the "Sarotti" name/emblem on the cover & on the tin itself.) (Gebr. = brothers)
Gebrüder Schmidt*# - Bärenlebkuchen Mainbernheim Bayern (Also see "Schmidt Bros.")
Georg Goess - first mentioned in 1610; https://www.georg-goess.de (Today this company is under Lebkuchen-Schmidt management.)
Grundig Work*# - (Nov. 13, 2024 on German eBay, 1st tin seen for this company.) Translated from the words on the 5- or 6-stuck tin's
cover, it says, "Christmas
greetings from the home of the Grundig work."
Haeberlein - 1598
Haeberlein-Metzger - 1920 merger (1976 sold to Schöller; 1998 sold to the Lambertz Group); https://www.haeberlein-metzger.de
Hans Schneider*# - Nürnberg
Hildebrand's*# - (A tin at the German Digital Library- at the bottom of the website, it's one of the 12.)
https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/item/WPESEIB4TQEYS5X5EJQGF4VUVVSOKSJG
J. F. Kisskalt - 1801
JGH Lotter*# - (A tin at the German Digital Library - at the bottom of the website, it's one of the 12.)
https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/item/WPESEIB4TQEYS5X5EJQGF4VUVVSOKSJG
Jospeh Wolf
KARL B*A*R (logo had a bear with Z K B)
Keim & Co.
Konditerei ALBRECHT*# -- I saw a 6-stuck tin for sale on the German eBay (8-20-2024). The seller's stick-on label on the cover says the business was at 85 Nurnberg, Aussere Sulzbacher Strasse 32; Telefon 59 51 18. Online research, today, says there is a business by this name, but it is in the town of Burglengenfeld, Germany, so that's as far as I can go. The tin might have been used for one season, or many --- don't know!
Kreutzkamm GmbH, Conditorei*#; Munchen/Munich; https://kreutzkamm.de/en (Saw a 2007 lime green & brown 6-stuck tin)
Lambertz - est. 1688 (1820?/1831? Henry Lambertz created his version of Printe (a kind of Lebkuchen/cookie); Company remains in family ownership today; has acquired many older Lebkuchen companies related to Lebkuchen tins: Ferdinand Wolff; Haeberlein-Metzger; Schöller; Schulmann; Seim; Türmer; Weiss; https://www.lambertz.us/history/
Lebkuchen-Schmidt (Since 1926, had been under the name of E. Otto Schmidt, better known until 1990/91 as the Otto Schmidt Lebkuchen Company; location: Nürnberg) https://www.lebkuchen-schmidt.com/
Acquired Georg Goess ???; Gottfried "Wicklein" in 2015. Both in production by their recipes for Lebkuchen, but no tins by Goess.
Mark Graf
Martin Wirsing - Bayreuth*#
Matthias Stielfried; https://www.lebkuchengeschenke.de This company is the retailer for 12 different German confection/cookie/Lebkuchen, etc. companies, both independents and subsidiary-owned name brands. They are usually the major online source for "most" of the Haeberlein-Metzger tins.
Metzger (F. G.) - as a pre-1920 name on it's own. (Haeberlein-Metzger & today's owner (Lambertz Group) have made tins through the decades in the sole name of "F. G. Metzger" which are not pre-1920! There should/would be a small H-M symbol on these tins.)
Michael Stich - Dinkelsbühl
Nusselt - 1888; https://www.nusselt-lebkuchen.de
Oskar Wagner (his name on an August Häusler tin; also 1 with only his own name & the "owa" symbol on a 6-stuck)
Oswald Stengel*# G.M.B.H. of Wilkau-Haßlau, a town in Sachsen (i.e. Saxony) – a German State; Began ???; was in the Lebkuchenfabrik business at least by April 25, 1928, till ???
E. Otto Schmidt (today known as Lebkuchen-Schmidt) 1926 till now, in Nürnberg; https://www.lebkuchen-schmidt.com/
Acquired Wicklein in 2015; Goess, date unknown)
PILLIPP*# (LEBKÜCHNEREI u.
KONDITOREI PILLIPP in Zirndorf by Furth since 1953) today:
RÜGER HANSI*#
Sarotti - Berlin*# - (A tin at the German Digital Library - at the bottom of the website, it's one of the 12.) https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/item/WPESEIB4TQEYS5X5EJQGF4VUVVSOKSJG
Schmidt Bros. (Also see: Gebrüder Schmidt) - Mainbernheim*#, 1863-1902 https://mainbernheim.de/page/?p=94
Schöller, Theo -- Schöller Lebensmittel GmbH & Co KG, began 1957;
(Wikipedia: b. 1917, d. 2004; Began with ice cream in 1935. To provide for year-round employment, in 1957, Theo Schöller began gingerbread by buying the Scheidacker gingerbread factory in Furth; took over Haeberlein-Metzger in 1976; Gebrüder Seim in 1985; the Aachen Printen and gingerbread manufacturer Kinkartz KG from Würselen in 1991; then sold all of the baked goods division to the Lambertz Group in 1998.)
Schuhmann - 1938; acquired by the Lambertz Group in 2015
Seim (Gebr. Seim) (began???; 1985 sold to Schöller; 1998 Schöller & its Lebkuchen companies were sold to the Lambertz Group)
Türmer - part of Lambertz: https://www.lambertz.us/history
Weiss, Max - 1925 (Weiss Spezialitäten owned by Lambertz Group 1994)
Weissella (part of Weiss?)
Wicklein, Gottfried - 1615; 2015 Bought by Lebkuchen-Schmidt https://wicklein.de
Woitinek, Wolfgang (baeckerei-Woitinek.de) in Nurnberg
Wölfel, Georg (WÖLFEL KG Nürnberg - Furth)
Wolff - Go up to Ferdinand Wolff GmbH & Co. KG - 1839 (in Lambertz group - 1994)
- Unknown company, Lebkuchen tins -
Index of Stollen Companies
Dresdner Stollen
Oebel Stollen
Reimann Stollen
The German people had a huge & significant impact on the United States Bread Culture & Cultural Heritage.
Online resources say 5,000,000 German people immigrated to the United States in the 1800s & 2M+ more in the 1st half of the 1900s. There were "30 millions of citizens of German birth or descent in this country" by 1916. (A personal note to understand this, is that most families averaged 5-10+ children during the 1865 - 1915 years in the U.S.)
An amazing historical resource of the German influx into the USA: the book, THEIR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE by Gustavus Ohlinger with a Forward by Owen Wister; pub. by The Macmillan Company, New York, June 1916, with reprints June 1916 & March 1917; (c) 1916.
A German Identity - the Stein
The following stein is a most unusual tin with a plastic handle. It was from a candy company in La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA, and pre-1989 because it was made in West Germany. Wisconsin is one of the states in which the greatest percentage of the population is/was? of German heritage. In fact, today, German is still the largest ancestry group of Americans - over 44 million (2023). And Milwaukee had the famed Karl Ratzsch's German Restaurant for 113 years (1904-2017), & still has the equally reknowned 1902 Mader's German Restaurant.
"Request Note" -- the SHORT of it - - With no family now living in Germany, I'm in need of a volunteer friend/helper who will receive tins I'd buy off of the German or other European country's ebay.de, keep them until there's about an 8kg or 17kg amount (10 kg & 20kg limits to mail/ship a box), & your choice to repack tins in tins to help lessen the size of a large box, & then take it to DHL or UPS International to mail to me. I'd pay for the tins via PayPal, & reimburse/pay for the shipping. (It's about 80 EUR per 10kg, or 150 Euro per 20kg box in 2024.) You'd volunteer to keep a box & have tape😉, to join me in my volunteer effort of the historical preservation of German Lebkuchen tins. Please send an email to me, Donna, at breadmuseum@aol.com.
~ The STORY Behind the Scenes ~
I had no idea back in 1988-91, when going to 1-5 flohmarkts a week, & buying the Lebkuchen tins I saw, that it would lead to this historical preservation project. At that time, I just enjoyed "the tin collection" (which began during the previous 6 years in England). You figure, at that time, people didn't have computers. There was no "www." There were no cell phones, texting, etc.
In 2019, at the age of 73, I was told about "webnode.com" & taught myself how to build this website to give Americans an idea of what a Bread Museum was in Europe, & would be in the United States with my German & American artifact collection related to home baking. Gleaned from 1-5 flohmarkts a week during the 1988-'91 years, I ended up with around 1,000 home baking-related artifacts which I've since seen in 10-11 European Bread Museums in four countries. So that's for the "Bread Museum" part of this website.
Then, because of the tin collection, I created the Tins of Taste Museum. Because my heart is connected with the love of the German Lebkuchen tins, their history & the history of Lebkuchen companies, & because I came back to the U.S. with several hundred Lebkuchen tins, I believed it was incumbent upon me to contribute to the historical record of German Lebkuchen because of the vast number of Lebkuchen tins I had. Even though I'm in the U.S., & don't have access to resources in Germany, I don't believe the research of German Lebkuchen companies, like the list on the left, has been done by anyone else (at least I have found no such information online).
Today one of my goals is to now have an on-the-land museum as soon as possible. During the interim, regarding the Lebkuchen tins, I would hope to eventually have at least ONE tin representing each Lebkuchen company I discover, for the historical record.
Now just in these past two days, I've seen 3 Lebkuchen tins on ebay.de which represent companies for which I don't have a tin, & they're all affordable (within my purchase & donation limits for a tin) with shipping in Germany! The problem is that I don't have a museum helper who lives in Germany!
And also, at times, I see some amazingly significant Lebkuchen tins of old, or since 1991, which I've never seen before. And this is where I'm requesting help from someone who lives in Germany -- whether it's an American or a German who knows English -- who would be a volunteer helper with me in this pursuit. Because ultimately this isn't for me . . . I am voluntarily donating the collection to the public for the historical preservation & educational benefit for all in the world, and I would also like the photographic record of all on the website.
So here's what I need . . . . .
When I see a tin on the German ebay.de site, & buying the tin is within my budget range, I need to have my volunteer helper's address in Germany in order for me to buy & pay for the tin via PayPal so it can be shipped to a German address. I would let you know by email or text each time I buy a tin. I'm also on WhatsApp in order to have phone calls.
My helper would store up my purchases, & when the weight is near 10 or 20kg (the general blocks of weight for a box to be shipped by DHL, or there's also an international UPS system today, or maybe the regular German post office), the helper would box up all the tins (probably packing tins inside tins), & ship the box to me. I would reimburse for the postage, so I'm asking for someone to volunteer their time to receive the packages I buy, keep them till mailing, get them packed in a large box, & mail the box to me.
If you wonder if I know what I'm asking of a volunteer in order to help me, the answer is yes. I packed & mailed myself the 400 tins I had when we moved from England to Germany. In Germany, I packed & mailed 1,500 pounds of weight to myself when we moved back to the U.S. In our last move in the U.S., I packed an entire U-Haul truck of our household goods! So I've been there & now am hoping for someone to help me with some 10-20kg boxes🤣.
Are museums important? I definitely believe so! They are treasuries like no other experience can offer. So I'm doing what I am able to do to help German Lebkuchen become known to a greater number of people throughout the world❣ And I'm hoping if you're in Germany & reading this, maybe you'd join with me in this quest.
Please send me an email at breadmuseum@aol.com - Thanks.
Donna Kozak, Founder
Worth Noting: Most of the following company brand names seem to have been connected with some product of "gingerbread, i.e. Lebkuchen of some sort." From available information, they were all acquired by the Lambertz Group during the past 50 years, but I don't believe all still have product lines in the retail market today.
In 1991, "Aachen Printen" and gingerbread manufacturer "Kinkartz KG" were bought by Scholler* from "Würselen." Today all three are part of the Lambertz Group*, as is Feinbackerei Otten, Heemann (Heemann Lebkuchen-und Süßwaren-Spezialitäten GmbH - founded in 1839), Otto Scharschmidt Marzipan, Türmer*, Weiss*, and Ferdinand Wolff*.
* These companies are in the Lebkuchen list on this page and had one or more Lebkuchen tins in their name in past years. Lebkuchen by Weiss was currently made in 2023 (no tin that I know of), and also Lambertz (had tins), but I don't know about Lebkuchen (& tins) under the names of Scholler, Türmer, & Wolff.
Search "Aachen Printen in Germany" for a vast list of resources to learn more about the cookie, "Printen."