Your journey to the upper factory
If you are arriving by car, there is a car park directly behind the Tellerbau, Fabrikstraße 5. Access is via Fabrikstraße. You can reach the Obere Fabrik on foot in less than 1 minute.
From Biberach/Baden, take the Ortenau S-Bahn (SWEG) or bus to Zell am Harmersbach. You can reach the Obere Fabrik from the station on foot in about 5 minutes.
Discover the historic Obere Fabrik area and the many facets of its buildings and squares. A lively and varied place for cultural, educational and social interests. In the middle of the small town of Zell am Harmersbach, you can experience a lot along the Fabrikstraße from the round kiln to Villa Haiss. Visit the architectural ensemble of the former Obere Fabrik and be inspired by the special atmosphere!
The historic industrial monument is not only a place to learn about the history of ceramics in Zell. It is also multifunctional and suitable for a wide range of events. Curious?
Previously known as the cultural centre, the plate building makes it possible to host larger events. In the past, the plates of the Zeller ceramics were turned here.
The former manor house of the Haiss family of ceramics manufacturers in Zell is now an impressive museum of contemporary art.
With the open-air museum, art sculptures along the wall invite visitors to explore.
Known in the 1950s as s'Sattlers, it is believed to have been a company-owned saddlery of the Obere Fabrik. From the 1980s, the house was used for residential purposes. The future use of the building has not yet been determined.
Adjacent to the Maier house is a vaulted cellar. This mould cellar was used as a depot for moulds made of plaster. A future use is still open here.
The idyllic park is accessible via the circular kiln and allows time to breathe. The park used to belong to the grounds of the Upper Factory.
The area around the circular kiln was called the Obere Fabrik (Upper Factory) in the days of the Zeller Keramik porcelain production. The Obere Fabrik looks back on an exciting history of over 200 years.
In 1790, Joseph Anton Burger, a citizen of Zell, was allowed to produce faience (painted on glaze) by permission of the Zell town council. Having worked as a potter, he had acquired a broad know-how about the production of painted earthenware.
In 1794 Burger founds a factory for earthenware. Jakob Ferdinand Lenz and Georg Schnitzler join as financially strong business partners. With the financial means, the factory could be expanded to 110 workers. In 1828 Gottfried Ferdinand Lenz and Wilhelm Schnitzler took over the factory.
On 25 April 1837, the social politician Ritter von Buß gave his revolutionary factory speech - a milestone in German social history for more social justice.
In 1839, the porcelain production of Zeller Keramik began in the Upper Factory. The porcelain clay (kaolin) comes from Limoges, central France.
In 1860, Lenz became the sole owner after Schnitzler sold his share in the company. 1869 Lenz sells the factory to Bruno Prössel from Berlin. In 1874, due to Prössel's insolvency, the factory was bought at auction by Carl Schaaff from Lahr. A new period of prosperity began, so that a total of 365 workers and 80 porcelain painters were employed. Firing took place in three porcelain kilns, two earthenware kilns and several muffle kilns.
Georg Schmider owned the Lower Factory, where the world brand "Hahn & Henne" was produced. In 1907 he bought the Upper Factory. The purchase and ownership of both factories created the "Vereinigte Zeller Keramischen Fabriken".
