Oscar Schlegelmilch was born in a German town Suhl as a son of known porcelain manufacturer Leonhard Schlegelmilch. Being 29 he bought a few properties in a town of Langewiesen located in Thuringia, Germany. He built there the porcelain factory. The firm was registered in 1891. Already in 1892 200 employes started production. In 1905 Theodor Conrad Hinrichs became an equal partner in the factory.
In 1914 enlarged factory exported its products to North America, South America, Nordic countries and Balkans. Employment rose to 300 workers.
The Great Depression seriously limited export as well as domestic sale. In 1936 Oscar schlegelmilch retired from the business. Sole owner of the factory became Hans Schlegelmilch, Oscar's nephew.
Oscar Schlegelmilch died in 1938 in Köln. The factory inherited his widow. In 1952 administration of the business was overtaken by the state (GDR). In 1959 a limited partner in the company became a state owned VEB Porzellanwerk "Graf von Henneberg" Ilmenau. New partner decided in 1971 to close the Langewiesen factory.
In June 2010 the porcelain museum was opened in factory buildings.
