SS Porzellanmanufaktur Allach - Table Candelabra for 3 Candles

This three-armed table candlestick Model No. 87 originates from the Porzellan-Manufaktur Allach, a production facility founded in January 1936 by Franz Nagy, Theodor Kärner, Karl Diebitsch, and Bruno Galke. The manufactory was established on land that Nagy had owned since 1925. In the same founding year of 1936, the company was acquired by the SS, with Heinrich Himmler's personal office investing 45,000 Reichsmark and controlling 45 percent of the output.

The manufactory was part of Himmler's broader cultural project to produce works representing “Germanic culture” and supporting National Socialist ideology. As production expanded, a second facility was established near the Dachau concentration camp in 1937, where the majority of porcelain production was relocated. From 1940 onward, approximately 25 to 30 civilians and consistently about 50 Dachau prisoners produced porcelain items. By October 1943, the number of concentration camp prisoners employed had risen to 93.

The design of this candlestick comes from Karl Diebitsch (1899–1985), an SS-Obersturmbannführer and Himmler's personal referent on art matters. Diebitsch not only designed SS uniforms, daggers, and other SS regalia, but also served as artistic director of Allach from 1936. In 1939, Hitler awarded him the honorary title of Professor. His designs for the manufactory followed the “new German style of architecture” in contrast to the Baroque-style works of Franz Nagy. This stylistic orientation is clearly evident in his various candleholder models, which include, in addition to the present Model No. 87, the famous Model No. 89 (Geburtsleuchter or birth candleholder) and Model No. 119 (another three-candle variant with a height of 10 cm).

The present example is made of white glazed porcelain and stands 12.7 cm tall. The reverse bears the characteristic green Allach mark under glaze, which was used between 1936 and 1945. This mark consists of embossed SS runes in an octagon with the designation “Allach,” supplemented by the artist signature “C. Diebitsch” and the model number 87. The design reflects the Art Deco and new German architectural style characteristic of Diebitsch's work. The majority of candleholders were produced in white glazed porcelain; gilded versions existed until the war, then were replaced by ocher-colored variants.

Candleholders were among the most frequently produced Allach items, with above-average production numbers. These household objects were used for traditional purposes in dining culture and as household decoration in German homes during the Third Reich period. The varying styles and low costs—made possible through forced labor—allowed Germans of every social class to own them. Distribution occurred through SS showrooms in Berlin, Posen, Warsaw, and Lemberg rather than traditional retail channels. Two-thirds of production went to the SS, Police, and Wehrmacht, with SS members receiving substantial discounts.

Overall, the manufactory produced over 240 ceramic models. Production ceased in 1945 with liberation by Allied forces. The Dachau concentration camp was liberated on April 29, 1945, by U.S. forces, and the Allach factories were shut down and never reopened as an SS enterprise. Some post-war activity occurred: Franz Nagy may have restarted limited production, as some post-war stoneware pieces bear an Allach mark with the letter “N” for Nagy instead of SS runes. Theodor Kärner reused some Allach molds while working at Eschenbach in the U.S.-controlled zone of Germany. Oscar Schaller & Co. Nachfolger in Windischeschenbach was allowed to use normal (non-Nazi-related) Allach molds for ornamental plates and tableware after World War II.

Today, Allach porcelain is collected as historical artifacts, though trade in items bearing Nazi symbols is subject to strict legal restrictions in Germany, permitted only for educational, research, or historical purposes. The ethical dimensions of collecting items produced by forced concentration camp labor remain controversial.