European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 23, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse If Ltd a amp ,. I-1 a m 1j� xxv -. A a a. Xiv Isby clockwise from lop Snow lies on a deserted Green in the Center of town Plain modern buildings muscle in on the spa s ornate structures visitors walk along a main Street. Porcelain producer making it in the new world there was no current alternative to the preponderance of one category of tourists. Quot when the town is in perfect condition other guests will come a he said hopefully. But How to restore Mariansky remains anyone s guess u Chytil and others indicated. The properties Are to he sold to the highest bidders next year after similar sales of Small Commerce this Vear. Most of the capital will have to come from abroad since Little is available Here. Potential foreign investors have shown interest but great uncertainty hovers Over the conditions under which foreigners will be allowed to bid against czechoslovak. Many of the most interested czechoslovak Are thought to he Quot Straw men Quot behind whom foreigners Are concealed. Mariansky Lane has found it easier to undo some of the symbols of the communist past than Lay the bases for its future. A liberation memorial remains but the inscription Quot in Honor of the soviet army has been removed because now the truth can be told it was the american army that liberated the town in 1945. Behind the liberation memorial . Ambassador Shirley Temple Black Laid the foundation Stone in 1 990 for a Monument to the real liberators. And among the Many hotels that have adopted new or old names one change symbolizes much of the spa s changing fates. Founded in austrian Days it was called Stern. Under Independent Czechoslovakia this was translated into English to give it International Glamor and called Star. After the communist coup of 1948, it was renamed Krasnaya zvezda or red Star in russian. Its new name is Al veda Star in czech. Several organizations including the Uso sponsor trips to Czechoslovakia that include stops at Karloy vary Carlsbad or Mariansky Lanze Marienbad. Check with base travel groups for details. A display of finished China shows a variety of pieces painted with Meissen s Blue onion Leon mangasarian United press International Europe s oldest porcelain factory founded by a King of Saxony and Poland in 1710 to produce the Royal China is escaping the massive privatization drive that is being held to restructure Eastern Germany s former communist Economy. Japan s Mitsubishi group and Germany s Salamander shoe company had both expressed interest in buying the renowned Meissen China manufacturing firm. But the government decided last summer that ownership of Staat Liche por Zellan Manu fraktur Meissen a the state porcelain manufacturer Meissen a should be transferred to the state of Saxony where the medieval City of Meissen is situated. Quot this was a cultural decision Quot Meissen spokeswoman Bettina schuster said. Quot we Are the oldest mostly Saxon company in existence. I Don t think you can take us away from the unlike Many of the 8,000 former state owned companies being privatized in what once Wax East Germany Meissen is a Success Story. Turnover Lor 1991 is expected to reach 75 million Marks about $47 million and order books Are filled years in at vane e. In Gray factory Halls nestled amid Hills covered with vineyards More than 800 specially trained artists hand paint China dinner services porcelain figures and other gift articles that Are then baked at a score lung 2,64 2 degrees f. More than 2 50,000 different Artu Les Are met lured m Meissen s Catalon ranging from a $40 ashtray to 1 0-pla< e setting of c Hina Worth nearly $100,000. Quot Over 60 pen ent of our Salt s Are of it Hina sirs k sex Quot schuster said. Quot i he most popular services Are the Stoball Blue on while Meissen onion pattern and the Green on White Grapevine Salt s of Meissen pore Elain is largely Cone ent Rale d in Central Europe and the last she said. European while hard paste pern Elain was first manufacture d in 1 707 by Johann Friedric h Boettger a pharmacist and self proct Aimeul alchemist. Augustus the Strong the King of Saxony and Poland heard of Boettger and had him imprisoned until he Back up his claim that he could make Gold. Boettger eventually produced Quot White Gold Quot porcelain and Augustus established the Meissen porcelain works in 1710 As his personal e ourt China Munu Fae Turer. Ever since then the fat tory has been owned by the state but its name was changed on several of us Ion to conform with the turbulent political that Shook Germany in the 20th it entry. With the abolition of the Monari by in 19 1 8, the sultis Quot Royal Quot was dropped from the e company x name alter the division of Ermany in 1945, the t of Muniot government added the suffix Quot people s in company Quot to the name. In 1990 the it company x name reverted Bac k to that of 1918, stale pore Elam Manuwai Turer Meissen. Be Luyster noted that the name it had no Etlee i on the produce i Quot i a Spile two world wars and All the politic Al upheavals m Germany we have never lost a single pore Elain term m our entire history Quot she said. I Here Are now no plans to expand the me Issen pore a Iain Fae tory de spite waiting periods of up to six years for e ample Tion and de livery of orders Quot we have to it one Estrate inv some it or bring up the Standard of the existing Plant Quot be Huster said Quot any visitor e an see that our buildings and mat Hine by e correspond with the bar award standards of former f ast january 2.1, 1992 stripes Magazine 9
