Silver and gold medals dating from the 19th century – awards for ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’
During the years 1844 to 1872, ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ received numerous awards, amongst others at world exhibitions in Paris, London and Moscow. Besides receiving medals, the company received a diploma with historical value of the World Exhibition or the ‘Exposition universelle de 1855’ signed by Napoleon III. Wool and camel hair blankets cement the reputation of ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’.
’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ in the Crystal Palace at the Great Exhibition in London
The event of the year in 1851 was The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations which took place from May until October in London. Only 23 years after its inception ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ presented itself and its products to a broad public and initiated new trade relations. The Crystal Palace was the spectacular exhibition building constructed solely to house the World Fair exhibition.
Weavers from the ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ production line
’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ showed social responsibility for its employees: flats as well as a corporate kindergarten were built for factory workers and employees and a sports and festival hall was donated. Low-interest building loans were granted and a heated factory canteen was put in place. A spring water pipeline was built by ‘zoeppritz since 1828’ including a reservoir which provided the founding location with water free of cost for several decades.
Merchandising display from ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ for international boutiques
Around 1900, ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ was exporting to department stores, shops and boutiques worldwide: roughly 300.000 blankets and nearly 1 million metres of fabric left the factories each year to countries such as Australia, Haiti, Honduras, Kongo, Nicaragua, Sumatra and Uruguay. There was a large focus on the design of the sales material for the retail partners.
’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’s very own rowing club
Already in its founding century, ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ supported the health and leisure time of its employees: the company provided modern bathing huts, mineral baths and a trousseau foundation, among other things. An extensive company library for private reading was brought into being as well as a rowing club for workers and employees. This, all in accordance with the basic idea that “Only the spirit which inspires the individual, can lead as a whole to success.”
“Kapuzenmännle“ – kindergarten children with tiny hooded coats made by ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’
The brothers Jacob and Georg Zoeppritz started a foundation which allowed the establishment of the municipal kindergarten in the company’s home town, Heidenheim, in the middle of the 19th century. Every year in autumn, ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ gave the young children hooded coats. In spring, the children had to return the coats after which they would be cleaned and redistributed to other children the following autumn. This photo was taken in 1903.
In the era of the airships, ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ was the exclusive outfitter for the zeppelins
From the 19th up until the 20th century, Zeppelin airships were renowned for their technical mastery and impressive engineering which represented the dawn of a new age. Only companies with exceptionally high quality products were chosen to be the exclusive outfitters of the airships. One such chosen product was the the camel hair blanket ‘HERO’ by ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’.
The comic strip from LaLaVox Illustration illustrates the mighty rescue of the Graf Zeppelin by ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’
On October 17th 1928, the Graf Zeppelin (LZ 127) took its first intercontinental flight. Midway through its journey the airship met harsh winds which severely damaged the front bow. Eight Zeppelin blankets made by ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ were sewn together and used to cover the damaged area thereby preventing an imminent crash and saving the lives of many passengers. The blankets were aptly named LZ 127.
The front gate at the ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’s Bolheim production site
Starting in the 1920s, ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ significantly expanded its production. Besides a factory in Belgium, one of Europe’s most modern spinning plants was established in Bolheim, only few kilometres away from the founding location. Renowned architects were commissioned with the design of the front gate.
’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ sponsored the Summer Olympics in Munich
In 1972 the Games of the XX Olympiad took place in Munich – the city which would be the new headquarters of ‘zoeppritz since 1828’ 44 years later. Part of the sponsorship of this major sporting occasion was the official blanket designed by ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’.
JAG, the signet of ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’, in 925 sterling silver
At the start of the new millennium, ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ gave its signet JAG a new form of appearance: as an exquisite medallion and chain pendant in 925 sterling silver, but also as a carabiner on zippers. JAG comes from the acronym of the two founders “Jacob And Georg” Zoeppritz.
’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ x severafrahm x Aesthetics Habitat – a collaboration with artistic ambition
In 2012 three brands realized a common project: select blankets by ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ were combined with the photography and art direction of severafrahm, and the creative conceptualisation of Aesthetics Habitat. The result was an extraordinary art project and pictures revealing their secret only at a second glance.
JAG, the signet of ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’, reinterpreted by Ulrich Schröder, Art Director at Disney
Disney meets ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ in the year 2017- an extraordinary collaboration between two brands steeped in tradition. ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ received access to exclusively authorised sketches of the original Mickey Mouse drawings from the Disney artwork archive from the 1920s. The limited product collection combines these old sketches with the own historical brand DNA of ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’. During a live act, Ulrich Schröder, one of only three official Disney illustrators and educated in the Disney Studios in Los Angeles, combined Donald Duck with JAG, the signet of ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’.
Jan Alt for ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’ x Rosenthal
Doing good for a cause close to the heart was central to this collaboration between two German institutions. When added together, the two companies have 331 years of history, which is being commemorated in this collection aptly named #331. The preservation of our environment is central to this collaboration.
A key partner to this project is the global organisation Plant-for-the-Planet, whose ambitious goal it is to fight the climate crisis by planting trees around the world. By selling the collection #331_RAINBOW we enable the planting of 4500 trees and support the education of children and teens in becoming Climate Justice Ambassadors.
The collection was designed by Jan Alt, Creative Director
of ’ZOEPPRITZ 1828’.
