The Zigarettenfabrik A. Batschari was a German

cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct components: the filler, the binder l ...

and

cigarette A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the opp ...

manufacturer established in 1834 in Baden-Baden by August Batscharis. Along with other cigarette manufacturers of the period like Josef Garbáty and

Manoli Georgia Manoli ( gr, Γεωργία Μανώλη; born April 23, 1983) is a Greek former swimmer, who specialized in freestyle events. She is a single-time Olympian (2004), and a member of Olympiakos Athina. Manoli qualified for the women's 4×2 ...

, Batschari was at the time a patron of the arts, employing famous artists such as

Hans Rudi Erdt Hans Rudi Erdt (31 March 1883 – 24 May 1918) was a German graphic designer, lithographer and commercial artist known for his contributions to the Sachplakat movement created by Lucian Bernhard. His work at the prestigious '' Hollerbaum und Sc ...

, Ivo Puhonny, Lucian Bernhard and

Ludwig Hohlwein Ludwig Hohlwein (27 July 1874 in Wiesbaden – 15 September 1949 in Berchtesgaden) was a German poster artist, a pioneer of the ''Sachplakat'' style. He trained and practiced as an architect in Munich until 1911, when he moved to Berlin and swit ...

to produce advertising material. Today, vintage Batschari enamel signs, glass plates, cigarette boxes and posters are popular collectors' items.

History

Heinrich Reinboldt, August Batscharis' father in law, produced high-quality handmade cigars in a rented house, with some financial success. A short time later he moved production to a small factory. Batscharis subsequently took over the business, increasing the daily production from 110,000 cigarettes per year in 1899 to up to more than three million. Between 1908 and 1909 Batscharis commissioned the construction of a large factory called ''Batscharifabrik'' in Baden-Baden, between the Balzenberg and Mozart streets. The ''ABC'' cigarette marque was by then known beyond

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, and the company had outlets in most major European cities as well as in

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New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. During the period of

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in the early 20th century, Batschari also produced a brand of "

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" radioactive cigarettes. In 1912 the Batscharis family lost control of the company due to what amounted to a hostile takeover by the BAT Company, who purchased a 40% voting stake in their bid to become the dominant tobacco product manufacturer in Germany. Batschari began to encounter financial difficulties in the wake of the global economic crisis of the 1920s, exacerbated by large tax increases and debt, which threatened the existence of the company and forced the city government to subsidize it with public funding to avoid losing its almost 2,000 jobs. The Batschari holdings were subsequently acquired by the Reemtsma Group, which produced the "Mercedes" brand name cigarettes until 1965.

Fate of the ''Batscharifabrik''

The 18,000 square meter Batschari manufacturing facility is considered a landmark in Baden-Baden, and came to be known as ''Batschari Palais''. In the early 20th century it was used by the

Bundeswehr The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...

for clothing storage, until it was abandoned in 2004, precipitating a conservation controversy in the city. In 2006 the building was acquired by the German development company Arcona and refurbished into a luxury hotel.

References

{{Authority control Tobacco companies of Germany 1965 disestablishments in Germany Companies based in Baden-Württemberg Cigar manufacturing companies German companies established in 1834

History

Fate of the ''Batscharifabrik''

See also

References