Kurfürstliche Fayencerie Poppelsdorf (Poppelsdorf Faience Fabrique) was founded in 1755 by Ferdinand von Stockhausen and his brother-in-law Johan Jacob Kaisin. Establishement of the Poppelsdorf (Bonn) manufacture was ordered by the prince elector of Cologne, Clemens August von Köln. Their plan was to discover the secret receipt of porcelain. In 1757 the prince withdrew his subvention as their research was not succesful. Founders had to run the business at their own expense. Only very few examples of production from this first period still exist.
Because of financial problems, until 1805 tenants and owners changed several times. In 1805 the manufacture was taken over by Johann Mathias Rosenkranz and his son-in-law Mauritz Wulf. Four years later they still employed just 15 workers but till 1816 production expanded and employment rose to 80 persons.
Wilhelm Wessel bought a part of the manufactory in 1825 following the bankruptcy of Mathias Rosenkranz. When Rosenkranz died three years later, Wessel purchased land near the business and built a new faience and earthenware factory. Thanks to his efforts, the new factory became highly respected and succesful.
Ludwig Wessel died in 1838. The company was taken over by his son Franz Joseph Wessel and his brother-in-law Karl von Thielmann. Karl von Thielmann decided to leave the company in 1842. Franz Joseph Wessel ruled the company till 1868 when the management was transferred to his two sons: Nikolaus Joseph Wessel and Carl Ludwig Wessel.
After Nikolaus died, his brother transferred the company in 1888 into a limited company. The company had serious problems during the Great Depression. Additionally in 1926, the fire almost completely destroyed the Poppelsdorf factory.
As a result, the enterprise was bought by Friedrich Butzke from Berlin. The company concentrated solely on producing sanitary ware. After World War II, the Poppelsdorf company was renamed Wessel Keramische Werke AG. The production was completely stopped in 1969.
