The figurine "Reclining Bear" Allach No. 8 Germany

Allach Porcelain ManufactoryWhen the National Socialists came to power in Germany in 1933, they began to impose a new ideology on the country. Strict regulation and tight control over all areas of life and activity led to the creation of an extraordinarily precise social structure, which was reflected especially not in monumental art but in small-scale art, decorative objects, and everyday items.A distinctive characteristic of all totalitarian systems is a desire not only to create their own official art, but also to penetrate every area of human life, public and private. For instance, every new married couple was required to purchase "Mein Kampf" and hang a portrait of the Führer in their home upon marriage registration.As everyday objects, things proved to be a remarkably effective tool for manipulating mass consciousness. Even household items were "called into ideological service" for the new order. The choice of themes, forms, motifs, and decoration techniques for such everyday objects had to reflect ideas of the German people's greatness, the military and civil might of the young Nazi state, and its ties to the empire of the ancient Romans.The new regime's ideology was perhaps most clearly expressed in an elaborate system of symbols — the most common were the swastika (an ancient solar symbol, representing the idea of infinite movement and potential energy), the eagle (the companion of Zeus/Jupiter, symbol of empire since Antiquity), the cross (a symbol of the four cardinal directions, four elements, the tree of life, and all power), the oak wreath or leaves (the Germans' symbol of vitality and immortality), and swords (symbolizing military success), along with easily recognizable symbols from different spheres — submarines, torpedo boats, city coat-of-arms motifs, the head of the Greek goddess Athena, and others.The products of the Third Reich porcelain factories, beyond their symbolism, also expressed the regime’s ideas through chosen themes and motifs in small figurative works, votive plates, plaques, candlesticks, and dishware, reflecting both totalitarian political ideology and the period's private lifestyle.Among numerous porcelain factories in Germany at the time, the Allach-Munich manufactory — considered the "SS enterprise" (alongside other SS businesses like the Apollinaris mineral water company, the Edel furniture factory, the Nordland publishing house, and the firm producing SS swords) — held ideological primacy.Officially founded on the direct orders of Heinrich Himmler and his "favored child," the manufactory began full operation on January 3, 1936. However, it had functioned as a private company earlier, as indicated by sample products from 1934 (notably the "Standard Bearer" figure) and invoices dating to 1935. Among its founders were Himmler's friend, artist Karl Diebitsch, sculptor and modeler Theodor Kärner, and two business partners Bruno Galke and Franz Nagy.Up to December 20, 1938, the factory was under the cultural section (managed by Diebitsch) of Himmler’s personal staff, with both Himmler and Diebitsch listed as artistic supervisors. Only in 1938 did Himmler officially become head of the enterprise, when it was transferred to the SS Administrative and Economic Service. The main aim of the manufactory was political propaganda and the "cultural education and taste development of true Aryans," not ordinary Germans, but the SS elite. Economic benefit was secondary, though before the war the company reportedly enjoyed up to 100% profit.During the war years, profitability dropped, especially in the early 1940s, due to funding cuts and worker mobilization — at this time, forced labor from nearby Dachau concentration camp was widely used. By autumn 1941, the number of prisoners working had reached 40-50, and by 1943, 100. They were often assigned significant duties and some survived the Holocaust thanks to their work at the factory. For example, Karl Adolf Gross worked in accounting, while others, such as Polish student Józef Sobczak, painted porcelain. Prisoners also worked in firing, molding, and finishing processes; Hans Landauer was allowed to produce ideologically significant figures.The last years of the manufactory are not well documented; with the end of the war, it ceased to exist as a Nazi enterprise.The best evidence for the history and character of Allach porcelain are the objects themselves. Today, the most significant are rare on the antiques market, owing to limited numbers—except for animal figures made in quantity—wartime bombings, and the deliberate destruction of "political" porcelain figures during the conflict. The original 1936 catalogue listing forty items is the sole surviving complete list but is now inaccessible, held as a classified document in the Library of Congress, formerly part of Hitler's collection. The main sources of information are catalogues from 1937-1939, reminiscences of contemporaries, and the objects themselves, most of which ended up in private collections.The most complete combined list of Allach models comprises around 240 ceramic and porcelain pieces, with small porcelain figurines as the primary output. Often intended as gifts for high-ranking officials, these works reflected core Nazi ideas: military figures from various eras, contemporary heroes, German peasants and craftsmen, bathers and dancers, ancient gods, and heraldic city figures. The SS-commissioned manufactory also produced symbolic award items—decorative plates and plaques with relevant designs, sometimes issued as single unique pieces. Lamp and vase production, likewise ideological, was conducted on a mass scale. Porcelain tableware was rarely made, usually only upon personal request from Himmler or Hitler. All items except the "Fencer" were glazed, some painted, others left white.Ceramics from the Allach factory are also rare. Some of the most important pieces in this technique include an imperial eagle and Hitler’s head, and the “Julleuchter” lamp, a symbol of the new society and most widely produced Allach item. These ceramics, emulating ancient Germanic works, were not glazed.The Glorious PastMajor themes of Allach miniatures included depictions of historic soldiers and famous military personalities, as well as archetypal representations of various troop types, reflecting Nazi ideals of the exemplary soldier. These types of decorated soldiers were produced by numerous German porcelain factories during the 1930s, including Meissen, Nymphenburg, and Rosenthal. Allach, too, employed its best artists for these "porcelain soldiers." Most "military" figures were modeled by Theodor Kärner (especially cavalry) or, occasionally, his student Richard Förster (infantry). After about 1943, Förster is thought to be the sole author. Some 1943–1944 infantry figures were sculpted by Adolf Röhrung.The equestrian monument motif, popular since the 18th century, took on triumphant, heroic significance in Nazi Germany. This form was a favorite of Kärner, whose riders always appear on standing, rather than moving, horses, bestowing a calculated, warlike outlook to figures like Frederick the Great, the "Old Fritz." Nazi mythology cast Frederick as embodying Germanic virtues—love of homeland, people, and culture. Hitler considered himself his spiritual heir and surrounded himself with Frederick’s imagery, as did the regime's visual propaganda.[Content continues with detailed analysis of individual figures, their artistic models and historical references, followed by sections on contemporary "Nazi movement" figures (Standard-bearer, SS members, sportsmen), peasant and allegorical figures, figures of animals, and the manufacture of lamps and vases. The text ends with an overview of market values and collecting advice. Illustrations and full references are noted throughout.]By Anastasia Koroleva, magazine “Antique, Art and Collecting Objects,” No. 57 (May 2008), p.4