Moritz Zdekauer Porcelán
Moritz Zdekauer Porcelán is an abandoned porcelain factory in the Czech Republic. For more than 200 years, the famous MZ Czechoslovakia brand has been exported around the world. Today, the old factory buildings tell the story of one of Bohemia’s best-known porcelain makers.
- Built: 1824
- Abandoned: 2013
- Reconverted: 2025
- Visited: 2023
The history of the company began in 1810. Benedict Haßlacher bought land near the Rolava River. He built a pottery factory with a mill, several buildings, and a round kiln. In 1824, Prague businessman Augustin Nowotný bought the factory. He moved the production site and expanded the business.
Around 100 people worked there, and the products were sold in Prague, Vienna, and Pest. In 1836, the factory started making porcelain. Demand grew quickly, and by 1870 almost 800 people worked at the site.
During its long history, the city belonged to several different countries. It was part of the Austrian Empire and later Austria-Hungary until 1918. After the First World War, it became part of Czechoslovakia. Between 1938 and 1945, Nazi Germany annexed the region as part of the Sudetenland. After the war, it returned to Czechoslovakia, and since 1993 it has been part of the Czech Republic.
A Famous Porcelain Brand
The factory faced financial problems in the 1880s. The Moritz Zdekauer Bank in Prague bought the company at auction. Under the new owners, exports grew fast. Porcelain from Stará Role reached North and South America, the Netherlands, and the Dutch colonies.
In 1909, the German porcelain company C. M. Hutschenreuter took over the factory. The famous crowned eagle with the letters “MZ” remained the official trademark. After the Second World War, the factory became state-owned. In 1958 it joined Carlsbad Porcelain. The company was privatized in 1992. Production continued until the financial crisis caused the company to close in 2013. Another company bought the trademark and continued making porcelain under the historic MZ brand. Porcelain is still produced today, although no longer in the old factory.
The Abandoned Factory
The historic factory buildings eventually lost their original purpose. The industrial site changed owners several times. It was first sold to KPCL, later to Imerys, and in 2023 became part of KV Catalysts. The modern company now produces industrial catalysts instead of porcelain.
