In 1909 August Achtenhagen, educated at the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts and later employed at the Royal Porcelain Manufactory in Berlin (K.P.M.), was appointed “the leader” of the painting department at Meissen. In 1910, Achtenhagen was given the responsibility of creating a design for a stein, a wine pouring jug and a becher to be especially created for this celebration.
At 4:30 in the afternoon of 6th June 1910, Friedrich August III, the King of Saxony, arrived at the celebration. After making some very complementary remarks, he received several gifts produced at the factory, possibly (but we don’t know) the original stein, jug and becher designed by Achtenhagen.
One hundred years have now past since that 200th Anniversary Celebration commemorated by this stein. Last year, the Meissen Factory celebrated its 300th year of continuing operation, but there was no commemorative stein produced nor was there a king in attendance to receive such a gift. What a difference one hundred years make.
