Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Stollwerck

Cologne is the fourth-largest city in Germany - and one of the oldest. A Germanic tribe, the Ubii, had a settlement here, this was named by the Romans "Oppidum Ubiorum". In 50 AD, the Romans founded "Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium", the city then became the provincial capital of "Germania Inferior". In 1839 Franz Stollwerck started to produce chocolate and other candy, having particular success with cough drops. His business flourished and over the decades the large factory started a highly sophisticated process in producing chocolate products. His sons expanded the business, which in 1890 had 1500 staff in Cologne, into a multinational corporation. In the 1930s the Great Depression devastated the company´s finances and so marked the end of the family's ownership. In 1949, after WWII, the production was restarted and in the 1970s it was really successful again. It was decided to move out from the old production site to new premises in Köln-Porz. As the result, there were more than 50.000 m² of lands inside the city now "open" for development. Many locals protested against the planning to demolish most of the buildings and in 1980 these were squatted by about 600 people. They stayed in the barricaded factory buildings for 49 days. It took that long to discuss the matter and find a compromise. One of the outcomes was to have the site used for a large public housing project. Inbetween the apartment buildings are some reminders of the past. To cool down the chocolate during the process large compressors were needed. The compressors were driven by these flywheels.

Cologne is the fourth-largest city in Germany - and one of the oldest. A Germanic tribe, the Ubii, had a settlement here, this was named by the Romans "Oppidum Ubiorum". In 50 AD, the Romans founded "Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium", the city then became the provincial capital of "Germania Inferior". In 1839 Franz Stollwerck started to produce chocolate and other candy, having particular success with cough drops. His business flourished and over the decades the large factory started a highly sophisticated process in producing chocolate products. His sons expanded the business, which in 1890 had 1500 staff in Cologne, into a multinational corporation. In the 1930s the Great Depression devastated the company´s finances and so marked the end of the family's ownership. In 1949, after WWII, the production was restarted and in the 1970s it was really successful again. It was decided to move out from the old production site to new premises in Köln-Porz. As the result, there were more than 50.000 m² of lands inside the city now "open" for development. Many locals protested against the planning to demolish most of the buildings and in 1980 these were squatted by about 600 people. It took a very long time to discuss the matter. One of the outcomes was to have the site used for a large public housing project. Inbetween the apartment buildings are some reminders of the past. This round building was once one of the factory´s powerhouses.

Cologne is the fourth-largest city in Germany - and one of the oldest. A Germanic tribe, the Ubii, had a settlement here, this was named by the Romans "Oppidum Ubiorum". In 50 AD, the Romans founded "Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium", the city then became the provincial capital of "Germania Inferior". The founder of the museum was Hans Imhoff, who owned the majority of the Stollwerck AG, one of the leading, historically important chocolate manufacturers worldwide. When in the 1970s the Stollwerck factory was moved out of the centre of the Suedstadt of Cologne, Hans Imhoff ensured that a comprehensive inventory of business records, photos and exhibits documenting the history of the company and the Stollwerck family were preserved. The establishment of the chocolate museum started in 1991, by acquiring a part of the former harbour including the Malakoffturm and a swing bridge. Already two years later, the new building was completed and the opening took place on October 31. 1993. The exhibition shows the history of chocolate, from its beginnings with the Olmec and Maya to today's chocolate products. A miniature production system is installed, which demonstrates the functionality of industrial chocolate production. A special attraction is the 3-metre-high chocolate fountain, where an employee dips wafers into the liquid chocolate and distributes them to the visitors.

Cologne is the fourth-largest city in Germany - and one of the oldest. A Germanic tribe, the Ubii, had a settlement here, this was named by the Romans "Oppidum Ubiorum". In 50 AD, the Romans founded "Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium", the city then became the provincial capital of "Germania Inferior". The founder of the museum was Hans Imhoff, who owned the majority of the Stollwerck AG, one of the leading, historically important chocolate manufacturers worldwide. When in the 1970s the Stollwerck factory was moved out of the centre of the Suedstadt of Cologne, Hans Imhoff ensured that a comprehensive inventory of business records, photos and exhibits documenting the history of the company and the Stollwerck family were preserved. The establishment of the chocolate museum started in 1991, by acquiring a part of the former harbour including the Malakoffturm and a swing bridge. Already two years later, the new building was completed and the opening took place on October 31. 1993. The exhibition shows the history of chocolate, from its beginnings with the Olmec and Maya to today's chocolate products. A miniature production system is installed, which demonstrates the functionality of industrial chocolate production. A special attraction is the 3-metre-high chocolate fountain, where an employee dips wafers into the liquid chocolate and distributes them to the visitors.