His dream job was to be a sculptor, and so Heinrich Löffelhardt (1901–1979) got a scholarship to study with Georg Kolbe in Berlin. But in the mid-1920s times weren’t great for aspiring sculptors, so in the early 1930s, his path led him back to the metalware and porcelain industry.
In 1937, Wilhelm Wagenfeld recruited him to his staff as a designer for utility glass. The brief was to produce high-quality but affordable glassware. In 1941, he was drafted into military service, was taken prisoner by the Russians, and was only able to return to his homeland in 1947, severely impaired both mentally and physically. Ultimately, Wagenfeld’s encouragement helped him overcome the crisis. He ensured that Löffelhardt was appointed to the “Rat für Formgebung” (Council for Design) of the State Trade Office in Stuttgart in 1949 and was finally able to take up the position of his mentor in July 1950. In 1952, he was commissioned to take over the design work at the porcelain factories in Arzberg and Schönwald.
Heinrich Löffelhardt, Fotoaltelier Hostrup, Stuttgart
Löffelhardt designed a total of over 15 tableware sets, vases, bowl sets, ashtrays, and much more during his time at Arzberg (until 1971). Thanks to him, the factory rose to the top league of international porcelain manufacturers. In line with his principle that “a form must first be so good that it is worth reproducing,” he provided the best ideas for German industrial design after 1945 and created guidelines for modern porcelain and glass design. Source: Silvia Glaser, Heinrich Löffelhardt und das deutsche Nachkriegsdesign
Arzberg 2025, 1957 and Arzberg 2050, 1959. © GRASSI Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Leipzig. (Foto: Matthias Hildebrand) Lizenz: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
The “Arzberg 1100” set of bowls is one of his most important designs. In post-war Germany, the set was an eloquent example of “gute Form,” which was sent abroad as an ambassador of the young democracy and still impressed an international audience. In 1960, Löffelhardt received the Grand Prix of the Milan Triennale for this set and the certificate of honor from the German Commissioner General of the World Exhibition in Montreal in 1967. This design offered maximum possibilities with a minimum of parts. It consisted of only six different pieces. With an additional small set of bowls, it became a place setting for two people that could be assembled into a cube with eight pieces.
Modell Arzberg 1100, 1960. Porcelain. Photo: Hans Hansen. © Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg. Exhibition Hello Image: The Staging of Things, 4 April 2025 – 12 April 2026
A 1960s advertising brochure stated: “Three flat sizes and three deep sizes offer twenty possible combinations for various household uses. […] Filled bowls can be easily covered and stacked on top of each other to save space. Air permeability under the lids helps keep food fresh.”
The rectangular and square bowls have matching lids that can also be used as coasters or side plates. Several lids could also be combined with coasters to form side bowls. The smaller of the square bowls was exactly half the size of the rectangular bowl, which in turn was exactly half the size of the large square bowl. At the time, Löffelhardt’s design required the highest degree of precision manufacturing and therefore labor-intensive measures. These manufacturing problems could only be solved 30 years later with isostatic pressing and die casting. The set of bowls ensured that all parts could be easily stacked and stored in a particularly space-saving manner, whether in a cupboard, on the table, or in the refrigerator, which became widespread in German households in the early 1960s. Source: Dr. Heide Rezeba-Zabel Design20
Jug Vases, Mod. 5001, Vereinigte Farbenglaswerke, 1950s. Photo Kunstpalast Düsseldorf
Vases Mod. 5031, mid 1950s, Vereinigte Farbenglaswerke. Photo Kunstpalast Düsseldorf
Design is fine. History is mine. 