Royal Bayreuth is a term used by American collectors to refer to ceramics made by the following companies located in Tettau, Bavaria, Germany.
In 1792, Alexander von Humboldt, a German geologist, was appointed by the King of Bavaria to find a location for a ceramic factory in Thuringia. Humboldt selected a site on a hill outside of Tettau.
Johann Schmidt and William Greiner were awarded the permit to establish a factory. The first products were produced in 1794. The factory produced coffee and tea sets and decorative, household, and table porcelains. The firm maintained a close association with the Volkstedt and the Kloster Veilsdorf factories in Thuringia.
From 1852 to 1866, Ferdinand Klaus owned the factory and used the same marks as his predecessors. The factory became Sontag & Brikner from 1866 to 1887 and then Sontag & Söhne from 1887 to 1902. An 1897 fire destroyed the factory, offices, most of the molds, and records of the company. A modern factory was built.
