** Tins of Taste Museum ** within NationalBreadMuseum.org
GERMANY - Index of Companies w/Tins
WELCOME -- to the
only known educational, research-source list of German Lebkuchen companies which sold some Lebkuchen in a tin (between the 1890s till today), and the historical
preservation of some of their German Lebkuchen Tins.
(This museum/archive website is a continual work in progress to eventually document all that's been collected.)
PLUS a list of other German, food-product companies' tins. These are listed first in the ivory section below --
the column on the left.
In the 40-year Tins of Taste cataloging record, there are over 1,000 lithographed tins that once held a food item from Germany. Around 80% of them are German Lebkuchen tins & chests as Germany carved itself out to be the Lebkuchen industry capital of the world since the 1300s. One of the most significant aspects of these tins is that on many of them, much of the exquisite & colorful art work portrayed history of the German people, country, & culture during past centuries. Because of that, they document an incredible historical record.
I would say the 800-or-so Lebkuchen tins in this collection (with most in storage & never photographed, yet, until there is the financial, volunteer, &/or other help) are just a "sampling" because I know there are so many others. I found out, back in 1990, that there was no preservation of Lebkuchen tins by the companies I knew about at that time, connected with, & visited while still living in Germany. There was no computer, no internet, & were no sources available to me in English, etc. I had no idea, back then, about "bread museums" & this museum project. Were there any Germans who had huge, private collections? I didn't then, and still don't know, nor how to find out if there are. And as far as I knew, along with what the people knew whom I met with at the Nürnberg Lebkuchen companies, there wasn't any museum or other source keeping this historical record (really?!?). And has that changed in Germany in the past 35 years? If anyone knows something of this, it would be extremely helpful if you'd connect with me . . . just because I'm curious. Even though I live in the U.S., I believe the value of my collection is for some location in the world to have the "historical preservation of German Lebkuchen tins" that will last beyond my time. These lithographed tins serve a very worthwhile, historical, cultural, & educational purpose, and could provide some significant value of interest to still over 44M Americans who have German ancestral heritage roots, even if there's an ocean between our two countries! From researching documents, Germans have always been the largest historical group of immigrants into the USA.
Some of the background story: Getting to live in Germany for three years (1988-'91), I was buying Lebkuchen tins at the local flohmarkts. After I had a couple dozen "pretty & colorful" Otto Schmidt "Festive Chests," the "collecting" took a turn one morning at a flohmarkt when 2 vendors across from each other had a total of 5 "old" Festive Chests for under $10. I thought, "This is nuts to pass them up just because they aren't very colorful. Already having so many, why don't I try to collect ALL the years if possible?" That put a new emphasis on feeling it was important to collect this specific tin for the sake of German history, even though I'd be going back to the United States. I just figured that even though I'd be across the ocean, someplace there'd be a "home" for them because of the millions of Germans who emigrated to the U.S. in the 18- & first half of the 1900s. And as I noted, today German is still listed as the largest ancestry group of people in the U.S. I learned that from my roots in Wisconsin, & now living in Nebraska, at one time in the 1800s, these were the two largest German-populated states! And if you have a/some German food tins, esp. Lebkuchen, which you don't know what to do with & would consider donating them for this historical record, contact me at breadmuseum@aol.com. Become part of the higher calling of historical preservation so in time, future generations have access to this information.
Blessings, Donna Kozak, Founder
What is Lebkucken?
When "Lebkuchen" is translated into English, it is "gingerbread." But if Americans hear gingerbread, usually they think of a cutout boy- or girl-shaped cookie, or a gingerbread house, and believe me, that "cookie," or even American gingerbread as a cake, is a far cry from Lebkuchen. So, eliminating any translation, German (& other European) Lebkuchen is just to be called "Lebkuchen." (Leb' - long ā sound as in the man's name, Gabe; ku as in boo, who, shoe; chen pronounced like the man's name, Ken . . . Labe' koo ken).
Today there are a great many kinds, shapes, & varieties of Lebkuchen, & there are dozens of recipes online. I am most familiar with the "individual pieces" (which is what we'd call a cookie), vs. the cake or bar-type version baked in a jelly roll pan. And that's because almost all the Lebkuchen I've had these past 40 years was packaged & sold in a tin. In order to get an accurate texture and flavor of honey-nuts-spices, you might want to buy a commercial package in a paper container/box wrapped in cellophane (maybe 5-7 round Lebkuchen) (1) which are sold in Aldi's or World Market stores around Nov.-Dec. You might be paying somewhere around $1.50-$2 average per Lebkuchen. Some smaller-cut varieties, with various flavors, glazes, shapes, etc., are also in a bag. (2) Some tins are sold by a few German-food-importers online, or possibly there's a specialty store in your area which might have an item or two. (3) If you have the benefit of a military commissary, overseas or in the U.S., most will sell some current issue chests, tins, pkgs., etc. in Nov.-Dec. (4) If you have a German-American Society in your area, or possibly a Christkindlesmarkt, they might also sell imported Lebkuchen from Germany at their German holiday event.
The following link has quite a history on the Story of Nüremberg Lebkuchen. I'd suggest to continue scrolling down through this web page first to get an overview of the info available, & then come back to read through this article to have a great grasp on The World of Nürnberg Lebkuchen👍.
https://nuernberginfos.de/nuernberger-spezialitaeten/nuernberger-lebkuchen.php
This first index is an assortment of beautiful artistic tins, from non-Lebkuchen companies, which were used to sell a food-related product. They are listed either by a well-known subject or a German company which often sold or still sells their candy & food in tins.
If the name is underlined & in bold, it has a/some tins on a connecting page, which will, in time, be posted.
A page of tins of assorted subjects such as _Gummy Bears _Hummels, _Neuschwanstein Castle, _Pied Piper of Hameln, etc.
COMPANIES:
_Bahlsen Biscuit/Cookie Co. (also in the Lebkuchen list)
_Heidel Candy Company
_Heilemann
_Stollwerck (a candy company)
_Windel Candy Company
An index of Lebkuchen Companies
(or a bakery or other which had an identifiable tin for its Lebkuchen)
--This *# marking at the end of a name means a tin, significant cardboard container, or wooden chest for Lebkuchen has been seen (usually for sale on ebay.de), but none still exists in this collection, sad to say. (If you, or someone you know, lives in Germany, see my "Request Note" following the steins on the right.)
--The bold & in blue with a line under the company name means it's a link to click on because there are a/some tins posted on a connecting page. The companies are alphabetized according to the name by which they're most commonly known. That is not always the last name.
--As information becomes available regarding basic dates, acquisitions, etc., of Lebkuchen companies, it will be posted. If you have knowledge of any information of a former or current Lebkuchen company that had/has a tin, and is not in this list, please email me/Donna at breadmuseum@aol.com. If there are corrections to be made regarding what I've written, please let me know. I strive to have all information as accurate as possible!
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NOTE: Blue = a link to their Tins of Taste website page;
Green = in business today
*# = Don't have a tin, in case you can donate one 🤗.
Red = the company's online website today
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NOTE: August 2025 - found & added 2 more Lebkuchen companies (or sometimes a specialized Lebkuchen bakery) with a tin(s) at one time or another (since the 1890s) designed to sell their Lebkuchen. There are 77 so far in the following Historical Lebkuchen Tin Archive list of Germany.
(Recently I've also found an Austrian Lebkuchen company that had a tin: Metzger & Söhne, in Vienna, Austria, open since 1685!!!*#)
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Adam Kraft
Alois Buchner - Straubing in Bavaria
Anker-Lebkuchen - Nurnberg; connected with F. Ad. Richter & Cie, and possibly, also a stand-alone company - just don't know yet.
There's a mention of Anker & Richter in this:
https://nuernberginfos.de/traditionsfirmen-aus-nuernberg/seim-lebkuchenfabrik.php
APPEL & VON SAZENHOFEN, NURNBERG-N. - This is the name in extremely small print along the bottom of the tin, along the rim right before the seam.
ARKO, although the name is all in lower case letters on the cover.
August Häusler - Nürnberg (This name is on a tin with the name, "Oskar Wagner, Owner.")
Bahlsen - July 1889; Hermann Bahlsen Founder in Hanover: "Hannoversche Keksfabrik H. Bahlsen"
Barde-Lebkuchen C. Bardeleben Lebkuchen-Fabrik
Founded 1851 ANGERMÜNDE (a town about 43 miles N.E. of Berlin)*# - A tin is in the German Historical Museum's German Digital Library; There's a page of 70 items, mostly Lebkuchen tins. Put lebkuchen dose in the search bar. Change Page View to 100 items & scroll to find it. https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/
BärenSchmidt (a municipality in Mainbernheim)
DAUSCHER's * FRÄN * KISCHE * LEBKUCHEN - Founded 1876; There is an "FD" in a shield shape on the cover. "Fran" could be "Franconian" which is the Nurnberg area. The cover rim also has Friedr. Dauscher = Friedrich (a man's name), & Windsbach Mfr. - a town 18 miles south of Nurnberg. Don't know if there's any connection to the "Gebr. Dauscher - Nuremberg" company.
DELIKATESS-LEBKUCHEN XOX"*#; A tin is in the German Historical Museum's German Digital Library; There's a page of 70 items, mostly Lebkuchen tins. Put lebkuchen dose in the search bar. Change Page View to 100 items & & scroll to find it. https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/
Diakoneo Bakery*# in Dinklesbuhl
Düll - 1934; https://www.lebkuchen-nuernberg.com
Eckstein - 1955; https://www.lebkuchen-eckstein.de/ueber-eckstein/
F. Ad. Richter & Cie-Lebkuchen Nurnberger - maybe 1884-1913; One online resource (URL no longer works) article says that at some point the company became part of Schöller Ice Cream. But something is missing between Richter's 1910 death; his heirs were broke within 10 years; Schöller began w/ice cream in 1935 (Wikipedia), & didn't begin with Lebkuchen until 1957. There's a mention of Anker & Richter in this:
https://nuernberginfos.de/traditionsfirmen-aus-nuernberg/seim-lebkuchenfabrik.php
Ferd. Stemler*# - Friedrichsdorf in Taunus
https://hessischeswirtschaftsarchiv.de/bestandsinfos/texte/0103.html
Ferdinand Wolff GmbH & Co. KG - 1839 (in Lambertz group - 1994)
Some old tins have both Türmer & Ferdinand Wolff's names on them.
Feurich-Keks*# - founded in 1880; sold to Bahlsen in 1963.
Feyler, Wilhelm in Coburg - 1892; www.Feyler-Lebkuchen.de
Frank Lebkuchen GmbH, Arzberg*#;
https://www.frank-lebkuchen.de/ Since 1865.
Franz Leonhardt*# (April 29, 2025 - 1st time seeing a tin w/this name.)
Fraunholz (1911) & Gebr. Fraunholz (Gebr. = brothers)
Home page: https://www.fraunholz-lebkuchen.de/
Fritz Weghorn Schwabach*# - A tin is in the German Historical Museum's German Digital Library; There's a page of 70 items, mostly Lebkuchen tins. Put lebkuchen dose in the search bar. Change Page View to 100 items & scroll to find it. https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/
G. Cyliax BERLIN*# - A tin is in the German Historical Museum's German Digital Library; There's a page of 70 items, mostly Lebkuchen tins. Put lebkuchen dose in the search bar. Change Page View to 100 items & scroll to find it. https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/
Gebr. Dauscher - Nuremberg (The logo on the cover is an intertwined "GD" inside a 4-pointed star of sorts.) (Gebr. = brothers)
Gebr. Koppe*# - A.G. Berlin-Lichtenberg (This name was in small print along the bottom rim of a round, 6-stuck-shaped tin with the "Sarotti" name/emblem on the cover & on the tin itself.) (Gebr. = brothers)
Gebrüder Schmidt*# - Bärenlebkuchen Mainbernheim Bayern (Also see "Schmidt Bros.")
Georg Goess - first mentioned in 1610; https://www.georg-goess.de (Today this company is under Lebkuchen-Schmidt management.)
Gottfried Tobias Thomas*#
Grundig Work*# - (Nov. 13, 2024 on German eBay, 1st tin seen for this company.) Translated from the words on the 5- or 6-stuck tin's
cover, it says, "Christmas
greetings from the home of the Grundig work."
Haeberlein - 1598
Haeberlein-Metzger - 1920 merger (1976 sold to Schöller; 1998 sold to the Lambertz Group); https://www.haeberlein-metzger.de
An interesting history article: https://nuernberginfos.de/traditionsfirmen-aus-nuernberg/haeberlein-metzger.php
Hans Schneider*# - Nürnberg
Hildebrand's*# - Two tins are in the German Historical Museum's German Digital Library; There's a page of 70 items, mostly Lebkuchen tins. Put lebkuchen dose in the search bar. Change Page View to 100 items & scroll to find it. https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/ (1 is red; 1 is ivory-dark green)
JGH Lotter*# - (A tin at the German Digital Library - at the bottom of the website, it's one of the 12.)
https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/item/WPESEIB4TQEYS5X5EJQGF4VUVVSOKSJG
Jospeh Wolf
KARL B*A*R (logo had a bear with Z K B) Also, this is the Zucker Bar Lebkuchen Company.
Keim & Co.
Komm, Urlich (Tin on TTM page.) Scroll down to Urlich Komm.
Konditerei ALBRECHT*# -- I saw a 6-stuck tin for sale on the German eBay (8-20-2024). The seller's stick-on label on the cover says the business was at 85 Nurnberg, Aussere Sulzbacher Strasse 32; Telefon 59 51 18. Online research, today, says there is a business by this name, but it is in the town of Burglengenfeld, Germany, so that's as far as I can go. The tin might have been used for one season, or many --- don't know!
Kremmling*# - A tin is in the German Historical Museum's German Digital Library for their product of Zwieback, & it mentions Lebkuchen on the tin as one of several products - so don't know if a specific Lebkuchen tin was made; There's a page of 70 items, mostly Lebkuchen tins. Put lebkuchen dose in the search bar. Change Page View to 100 items & scroll to find it.
https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/
Kreutzkamm GmbH, Conditorei*#; Munchen/Munich; https://kreutzkamm.de/en (Saw a 2007 lime green & brown 6-stuck tin)
Lambertz - est. 1688 in Aachen -- 1820?/1831? Henry Lambertz created his version of Printe/Printen (a kind of Lebkuchen/cookie); Company remains in family ownership today; has acquired many older Lebkuchen companies related to Lebkuchen tins: Ferdinand Wolff; Haeberlein-Metzger; Schöller; Schulmann; Seim; Türmer; Weiss; https://www.lambertz.us/history/
Lebe Gesund - Translated, this means to "Live Healthy." It's a vegan-product website. https://www.lebegesund.de/
Acquired Georg Goess ???; Gottfried "Wicklein" in 2015. Both in production by their recipes for Lebkuchen, but no tins by Goess.
https://nuernberginfos.de/traditionsfirmen-aus-nuernberg/lebkuchen-schmidt.php
Leupoldt (Franz H.) - Manufaktur seit (since) 1905 of feinen Oblaten-Lebkuchen; Konditorie & Café, Weissenstadt (N.E. of Nurnberg) https://www.leupoldt.de/ (P. 44 of the 2024 catalog has a picture of 2 tins with the Leupoldt name on them.)
Mark Graf
Martin Wirsing - Bayreuth*#
Matthias Stielfried; https://www.lebkuchengeschenke.de (Inactive in 2024-25.) This company is the retailer for 12 different German confection/cookie/ Lebkuchen, etc. companies, both independents and subsidiary-owned name brands. They are usually the major online source for "most" of the Haeberlein-Metzger tins. (P.S. in 2025 - A logo they used is on the spezi-haus.de website, but I don't know the affiliation, if any, of the two businesses.)
Metzger (F. G.) - as a pre-1920 name on it's own. (Haeberlein-Metzger & today's owner (Lambertz Group) have made tins through the decades in the sole name of "F. G. Metzger" which are not pre-1920! There should/would be a small H-M symbol on these tins.)
Michael Stich - Dinkelsbühl
Nusselt - 1888; https://www.nusselt-lebkuchen.de
Oskar Wagner (August Häusler's name is on a cover, & also, Oskar Wagner with the word, "Owner." Also, one 6-stuck tin has only the Oskar Wagner name & the "owa" symbol.)
Oswald Stengel*# G.M.B.H. of Wilkau-Haßlau, a town in Sachsen (i.e. Saxony) – a German State; Began ???; was in the Lebkuchenfabrik business at least by April 25, 1928, till ???
E. Otto Schmidt (today known as Lebkuchen-Schmidt) 1926 till now, in Nürnberg; https://www.lebkuchen-schmidt.com/
Acquired Wicklein in 2015; Goess, date unknown)
Pfeffer & Frost GmbH - since 1905; in the town northeast of Nurnberg: Burgebrach (no "tinplate" containers today, only paper) https://pfefferundfrost.de/en/blogs/lebkuchenwissen/die-geschichte-des-lebkuchens This website is another informative "History of Lebkuchen."
PILLIPP*# (LEBKÜCHNEREI u.
KONDITOREI PILLIPP in Zirndorf by Furth since 1953) today:
RÜGER HANSI*#
Sarotti - Berlin*# - (A tin at the German Digital Library - at the bottom of the website, it's one of the 12.) https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/item/WPESEIB4TQEYS5X5EJQGF4VUVVSOKSJG
Schmidt Bros. (Also see: Gebrüder Schmidt) - Mainbernheim*#, 1863-1902 https://mainbernheim.de/page/?p=94
Schöller, Theo -- Schöller Lebensmittel GmbH & Co KG, began 1957;
(Wikipedia: b. 1917, d. 2004; Began with ice cream in 1935. To provide for year-round employment, in 1957, Theo Schöller began gingerbread by buying the Scheidacker gingerbread factory in Furth; took over Haeberlein-Metzger in 1976; Gebrüder Seim in 1985; the Aachen Printen and gingerbread manufacturer Kinkartz KG from Würselen in 1991; then sold all of the baked goods division to the Lambertz Group in 1998.)
Schuhmann - 1938; Also known as IFRI Siegfried Schuhmann which "took over the traditional Nuremberg nougat manufacturer Wendler back in 1972 ." The Lambertz Group acquired Schuhmann in 2015.
Seim (Gebr. Seim) (began???; 1985 sold to Schöller; 1998 Schöller & its Lebkuchen companies were sold to the Lambertz Group)
https://nuernberginfos.de/traditionsfirmen-aus-nuernberg/seim-lebkuchenfabrik.php
Türmer - part of Lambertz: https://www.lambertz.us/history
Some old tins have both Türmer & Ferdinand Wolff's names on them.
Ulrich Komm in Ettal (since 1921 - 4th generation in 2025) https://baeckerei-komm-ettal.de/ueber-uns/
Weiss, Max - 1925 (Weiss Spezialitäten owned by Lambertz Group 1994)
Weissella (part of Max Weiss)
https://nuernberginfos.de/traditionsfirmen-aus-nuernberg/wicklein-lebkuchen.php
Witte
Woitinek, Wolfgang (baeckerei-Woitinek.de) in Nurnberg
Wölfel, Georg (WÖLFEL KG Nürnberg - Furth)
Wolff - Go up to Ferdinand Wolff GmbH & Co. KG - 1839 (in Lambertz group - 1994)
Zucker-Bär - An interesting history article: https://nuernberginfos.de/bauwerke-nuernberg/zucker-baer-nuernberg.php
- Unknown companies which used unmarked Lebkuchen tins -
Index of Stollen Companies
Dresdner Stollen
Oebel Stollen
Reimann Stollen
The German people had a huge & significant impact on the United States Bread Culture & Cultural Heritage.
German immigration began by the 1700s. Online resources say 5,000,000 German people immigrated to the United States in the 1800s & 2M+ more in the 1st half of the 1900s. There were "30 millions of citizens of German birth or descent in this country" by 1916, out of around 100M. (A personal note to understand this, is that most families averaged 5-10+ children during the 1865 - 1915 years in the U.S.) Also, ". . . by 1890, over 1,000 German-language newspapers were being published in the United States." (Note: The website resource is too convoluted with pop-ups of "acceptance, sign-ins, cookies, etc.!")
An amazing historical resource of the German influx into the USA & "some" having the idea of making this country into a "new" Germany: the book, THEIR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE by Gustavus Ohlinger with a Forward by Owen Wister; pub. by The Macmillan Company, New York, June 1916, with reprints June 1916 & March 1917; (c) 1916. (The "German influence" eventually died out with the U.S. entrance into WWI, Prohibition which began in 1920, and because the older generations died. The "German-American" identity gave way to "Americanism.")
A German Identity - the Stein
The following stein is a most unusual tin with a plastic handle. It was from a candy company in La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA, and pre-1989 because it was made in West Germany. Wisconsin is one of the states in which the greatest percentage of the population is/was(?) of German heritage. In fact, today, German is still the largest ancestry group of Americans - over 44 million (2023). And Milwaukee had the famed Karl Ratzsch's German Restaurant for 113 years (1904-2017), & still has the equally reknowned 1902 Mader's German Restaurant.
"A Request Note" -- the SHORT of it - - Even though I live in the United States, I have a strong love of trying to help with the preservation of tins associated with historic German Lebkuchen. I am a wife-mom-grandmother who is doing this as a voluntary personal interest with no financial help or other benefit to do so. While I am currently in the process of obtaining the support and funding to create this museum on land in order to donate all the artifacts & tins for the core collections of the National Bread Museum - Tins of Taste Museum - & Cultural Heritage Museum, I am continually trying to increase the Lebkuchen tin collection. But I'm finding it's increasingly challenging now, without someone like a family member or friend living in Germany who will help me.
Currently (2025) I'm in need of a volunteer who would be my Tins of Taste Museum partner who lives in Germany. One of my goals is to find & be able to afford to buy (or receive as a gift), at least one tin for each Lebkuchen company that's existed & had a tin. A second goal is to find & buy the 5 missing Otto Schmidt Festive Chests. The third goal is to buy tins representing significant historic events, and the oldest tins possible (& affordable), of companies even if I already have one or more tins of that company. Many times I can afford the tin & shipping within Germany, but cannot afford the postage of tins being mailed to me individually.
As a volunteer partner, if I'm not blocked from making the online purchase & payment, I would buy & have the tin sent to you. If I'm blocked (very rare today), I'd ask you to make the purchase (on ebay.de). I'd ask that you keep the tins until there is a 10 or 20 kg weight, & then ship the larger box to me (maybe 80 or 150 Eur respectfully). I would be paying all of the costs of the 1) purchase, 2) postage to you, & 3) postage to me. I'd need you to find a shipping box, & at the 10 or 20 kg weight limit, take it to where you'd mail it. We'd discuss my payments to you, to pay you before or after you'd ship the larger box to me.
So, if you're in Germany & reading this, maybe you'd be willing to volunteer to help and join with me in this quest.
If so, please send me an email at breadmuseum@aol.com - Thanks.
Donna Kozak, Founder
Worth Noting: Most of the following company brand names seem to have been connected with some product of "gingerbread, i.e. Lebkuchen of some sort." From available information, they were all acquired by the Lambertz Group during the past 50 years, but I don't believe all still have product lines in the retail market today.
In 1991, "Aachen Printen" and gingerbread manufacturer "Kinkartz KG" were bought by Scholler* from "Würselen." Today all three are part of the Lambertz Group*, as is Feinbackerei Otten, Heemann (Heemann Lebkuchen-und Süßwaren-Spezialitäten GmbH - founded in 1839), Otto Scharschmidt Marzipan, Türmer*, Weiss*, and Ferdinand Wolff*.
* These companies are in the Lebkuchen list on this page and had one or more Lebkuchen tins in their name in past years. Lebkuchen by Weiss was currently made in 2023 (no tin that I know of), and also Lambertz (had tins), but I don't know about Lebkuchen (& tins) under the names of Scholler, Türmer, & Wolff.
Search "Aachen Printen in Germany" for a vast list of resources to learn more about the cookie, "Printen."