Strehla

History

“Strehla Keramik” was a prominent East German pottery manufacturer, founded in 1828 in Dresden, likely named after the nearby town of Strehla in Saxony. The company is included here as its ceramics share many stylistic and technical similarities with West German art pottery from the same era. Strehla’s decorative vases and lava glazes were exported widely and are often collected alongside West German pieces, reflecting the broader trends in German ceramic design from the 1950s to the 1980s.
After World War II, Strehla became part of the German Democratic Republic and operated as “VEB Steingutfabrik Strehla” (Volkseigener Betrieb), a state-owned enterprise. The factory became known for its subdued, often brown clay vases and flower pots, which featured hand-applied glazes

Forms:
1211 | 1293 | 9004

Decors:

Strehla Marks

Strehla ceramics are typically identified by a “Strehla Keramik” mark within a triangle on the base, either ink stamped (in white or black) or moulded. Many pieces also include “Made in GDR,” “VEB,” or “Import handgemalt,” and often have a moulded form number in a hand-writing font. The pottery is usually made from white or light brown clay and features hand-applied glazes or lava textures.