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Our History

Quality has been a tradition at WMF for 170 years. The company’s initial focus was on pure metal processing, and our name WMF still makes reference to our origins as “Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik”. The portfolio continued to evolve over the course of the company’s history, as did the logo and appearance of our brand.

WMF 1853

The foundation: Metallwarenfabrik Straub & Schweizer

In 1853, mill owner Daniel Straub, together with the Schweizer brothers, established the Straub & Schweizer metal works in Geislingen with a workforce of 16 people. Only a few years later in 1862, Straub & Schweizer silver-plated tableware and serving dishes were awarded medals of distinction at the Great London Exposition. In order to strengthen sales in Northern Germany as well, the first store was founded in Berlin in 1868 – the start of the Group’s present-day network of stores. In 1880, the company merged with Metallwarenfabrik Ritter & Co. from Esslingen to form the public limited company Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik (WMF), with its headquarters in Geislingen.

The founder: Daniel Straub

Shortly before the foundation of WMF, Daniel Straub had founded his first manufacturing company, Maschinenfabrik Geislingen, in connection with his participation in the construction of the Geislinger Steige, the steepest railway line in Europe at the time. As experienced metal spinners, the brothers Friedrich and Louis Schweizer were able to contribute their technical expertise.

“Even as a child I loved to build things and made models of the water wheels and mills of my father.”

Daniel Straub 1853

Our logo

From 1880 onwards, the company logo featured a walking ostrich, presumably Daniel Straub’s family crest. Today’s logo, with its special letter arrangement, first appeared on a brochure in 1907. It was used until 1925 and was subsequently given a makeover in 1965 and 2007 to reflect contemporary styles.

1880

1925

1927

1935

1965

2007

WMF History Brand identity

Our image

WMF’s advertising posters have always captured the trends of the times. This means we have always been able to stand out from the competitive environment without losing sight of the company’s DNA. No matter what the era, WMF advertising has always reflected the company’s principles: the design, production and sale of modern, quality products with a high practical value.
WMF new brand identity

The WMF timeline

1853

Founding of Metallwarenfabrik Straub & Schweizer in Geislingen an der Steige with 16 employees.
WMF 1853

1862

Great London Exposition: medals for “outstanding copperware” and “silver-plated goods”.

1863 – Hepp

Foundation by brothers Carl and Otto Hepp.
WMF 1863

1868

First WMF retail outlet established in Berlin. At the same time, WMF grew with the production of Sheffield goods such as tea kettles, chandeliers and lamps.

WMF 1868

1880

Merger of Straub & Sohn and A. Ritter & Co. to form Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik AG.

1883

Founding of own glassworks with glass cutting and engraving workshop.

1887

Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik AG is floated on the stock exchange.
1892 – Schaerer
Founding of the medical company M. Schaerer AG in Bern.
WMF 1892

1893

Start of serial production for galvanised silver-plated cutlery.
WMF 1893

1894

After purchasing the Galvanoplasty Art Institute and developing the technology further, WMF began making large-scale sculptures starting in 1894, including gravestones, memorials and garden ornaments.
WMF 1894

1912

WMF sets up a fish shop for the workforce and their families in the so-called “Fischhalle”. Selling fish at low prices was an important part of company social policy before the First World War.

1919 – KAISER
Founding of the company in Beierfeld in the Erzgebirge mountains by Wilhelm Ferdinand Kaiser, as a wholesaler of metal goods with 30 employees.
Kaiser Logo

1920

Ikora metal and glass: By developing Ikora crystal, which makes it possible to create colorful glass objects, WMF becomes the market leader for decorative glass.
WMF 1956
1920 – Silit
Production of the first pots under the Silit brand.

1927

Sicomatic: The first WMF pressure cooker is launched. The first series of large coffee machines goes into production.

WMF historie 1927

1929

Production of the first officially declared, gas-powered, large coffee machine made of Cromargan – the 312 model.

1930

Cromargan® – a new material: stainless steel, known at WMF as “Cromargan”. Expansion of the store network up to 1935. Today, products are sold in more than 150 shops in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
WMF 1930

1932

The production of WMF coffee machines is relocated from Göppingen to Geislingen.
WMF 1932

1950

In the 1950s, Wilhelm Wagenfeld had a major influence on WMF products. During this “Wagenfeld period” the WMF product range changed fundamentally.

1953

First major breakthrough in the coffee machine market with model 1000: A robust and user-friendly, large coffee machine.
WMF 1953

1955

Customer service network set up for professional coffee machines. Today this comprises 350 service employees.
WMF 1955

1956 – Silit

Founding of the Riedlingen site.
WMF production site 1956

1963 – KAISER

Relocation to Diez an der Lahn, site of the present head office.

1965

WMF produces kitchen knives in its Hayingen factory, built in 1955.

1968 – KAISER

Kaiser is the first manufacturer in the world to develop non-stick baking pans.

1969

The Programat is unveiled in Hamburg as the first fully automatic, electronically controlled high-volume coffee machine.

1984

WMF Perfect pressure cooker – revolution: The first detachable handle in the world enclosing the entire technology.
WMF pressure cooker

1986 – PCM

The first coffee speciality machine – the Etamat – is launched: a single-cup machine that can prepare café crème and speciality (decaffeinated) coffee using a special manual insert.
WMF coffee maker 1986

1988

Acquisition of HEPP.
HEPP Logo

1989

Acquisition of Silit.
silit Logo

2002

Acquisition of Kaiser.
Kaiser Logo

2006

Acquisition of Schaerer.
schaerer Logo

2008

Entry into the market for consumer electric appliances.
WMF 2008

2009

Cromargan protect®: Further development of Cromargan to ensure maximum scratch resistance.
WMF 2009

2013

Start of Group restructuring as part of the strategic realignment. Centralization of administrative activities at the headquarters in Geislingen.
2014
Performance Cut – innovation for forged knives: extreme sharpness with the best long-lasting cutting properties.

2015

WMF AG is taken off the stock exchange and converted into a GmbH (limited liability company).

2016

WMF becomes part of the French Groupe SEB.

2018

WMF continues to evolve from a pure product manufacturer to a digital solution provider with WMF CoffeeConnect and Schaerer Coffee Link: for the comprehensive collection, analysis and graphical processing of performance and service data from coffee machines.
WMF CoffeeConnect App

2019

Regional Council of the State of Baden-Württemberg declares WMF product archive a cultural monument.
2019
Acquisition of Wilbur Curtis.
curtis Logo

2021

Change of name from WMF Group GmbH to WMF GmbH – WMF is a premium hub within Groupe SEB.
WMF Logo

2022

Launch of the fully automatic coffee machine series WMF Perfection for private households. Face of the campaign: Hollywood actress Diane Kruger

The history’s future: the WMF product archive

Together with the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments, we have preserved an archive of products in our company building in Geislingen (Steige), which includes approx. 11,000 individual pieces from all areas of production – from purely functional goods to high-quality design objects based on the designs of well-known artists. It contains pieces from more than 150 years of artisan and industrial production as well as numerous unique items in the form of test pieces, hand samples or prototypes. All objects are recorded in a database with materials, techniques, dimensions, dates, designers and states of preservation, thus ensuring their long-term preservation and future accessibility.
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