The Kurfürstliche Fayencerie Poppelsdorf (Poppelsdorf Faience Fabrique) was founded in 1755 by Ferdinand von Stockhausen and his brother-in-law Johan Jacob Kaisin. The founding of the Poppelsdorf (Bonn) manufactory was ordered by the Elector of Cologne, Clemens August of Cologne. Their plan was to discover the secret receipt of porcelain. In 1757, the prince withdrew his subsidy as the research was not successful. The founders had to run the company at their own expense. Only a few examples of production from this first period have survived.
Due to financial problems, tenants and owners changed several times until 1805. In 1805, the manufactory was taken over by Johann Mathias Rosenkranz and his son-in-law Mauritz Wulf. Four years later, they only employed 15 workers, but by 1816 production had expanded and employment had risen to 80 people.
Wilhelm Wessel bought part of the manufactory in 1825 following the bankruptcy of Mathias Rosenkranz. When Rosenkranz died three years later, Wessel acquired a plot of land near the business and built a new faience and earthenware factory. Thanks to his efforts, the new factory became a highly respected and successful company. Further information on the history of the Wessel factory and its marks can be found here.
What remained of the Rosenkranz factory was taken over by Christian von Reth and Vianden in 1829 (both were Rosenkranz's sons-in-law). A new company was named Christian von Reth & Co. In 1836 it was taken over by the creditor von Recklinghausen and the brothers Paul Joseph Mehlem and Everhard Joseph Mehlem. The manufactory was renamed Kurfürstliche Fayencerie Paul Mehlem.
Eventually, the business was moved to newly constructed buildings at a new location, where it was renamed the Steingutfabrik Franz Anton Mehlem (father of the Mehlem brothers). The factory existed in this form until 1884, a time of rapid technological change for the company. Many new kilns and a steam engine were installed in order to compete with Villeroy & Boch in Mettlach. In the early 1850s, von Recklinghausen and, shortly after him, Franz Anton Mehlem and Paul Joseph Mehlem died. Everhard Joseph Mehlem died in 1865. The company was taken over by Ferdinand Frings.
Franz Guilleaume joined the company in 1874 and Frings died soon afterwards. From 1884, the factory traded under the name Steingut-Fabrik und Kunsttöpferei F.A. Mehlem, Inh. F. Guilleaume. In 1890, the word "Royal" and the year "1755" were added to the company mark.
Franz Guilleaume died in 1914 and the factory was sold to Villeroy & Boch in 1920. In 1925, production was switched to sanitary porcelain. In 1931, the Bonn factory was closed due to the ongoing depression.
