The porcelain figurine of the Moriskentänzer "Prophet" (Morris Dancer "The Prophet") represents a fascinating yet deeply problematic chapter in German art history during the Nazi era. This figure was the second in a five-piece series of Morris dancers designed by Richard Förster in 1940 and produced by the Porzellan-Manufaktur Allach.
The Porzellan-Manufaktur Allach (PMA) was founded in 1935 in the Munich suburb of Allach. The history of this manufactory is inextricably linked to the SS and the National Socialist regime. In 1936, the factory was acquired by the SS, and in 1937, the primary production facility was moved to the SS Training and Education Camp, which was adjacent to the Dachau concentration camp. From 1939 onward, the enterprise was operated by the SS using forced labor provided by prisoners from the Dachau concentration camp. Beginning in 1940, Jewish prisoners from the camp were forced to work in the factory.
Heinrich Himmler, the leader of the SS who was known for his obsession with Aryan mysticism, saw in the acquisition of a porcelain factory an opportunity to produce works of art that would be representative, in his eyes, of Germanic culture. Allach porcelain was one of Himmler's favorite projects. It was Himmler's personal office that made a 45,000 Reichsmark investment in the factory, eventually giving him control of 45 percent of its output. Between 1935 and 1945, the manufactory produced a total of over 240 ceramic and porcelain models.
The Moriskentänzer series was based on original figures created by Erasmus Grasser in 1480. Of the originally 16 wooden sculptures that adorned the dance hall in the old town hall of Munich, ten are preserved and displayed today in the Munich Stadtmuseum. The Allach series consisted of five figures: "Mohr", "Prophet", "Burgunder", "Der Gezaddelte", and "Bauer". The first figure, the "Mohr", was designed by Richard Förster in 1939, while the "Prophet" as the second figure followed in 1940.
These Moriskentänzer figurines were commissioned by the city of Munich and were not intended for public sale. They served as gifts for higher-ranking persons from politics and state guests or were presented on special occasions. Of the "Prophet" figure, a total of 540 models were produced in 1940. Since the five Morisken were made exclusively for the city of Munich and the Porzellan-Manufaktur Allach could not satisfy public demand, Richard Förster was commissioned to design similar figures, which resulted in the Gaukler (Juggler) series.
Among the artists who worked for the Allach manufactory were, in addition to Richard Förster, Prof. Benno von Arent, Karl Diebitsch, Prof. Theodor Kärner, Prof. Wilhelm Krieger, Franz Nagy Sr., Wilhelm Neuhäuser, Ottmar Obermaier, Adolf Röhring, and Prof. Willy Zügel.
With the fall of Nazi Germany in 1945, production at the Allach Porcelain manufactory came to an abrupt end. The Allach factory at Dachau continued to run until late April 1945. On April 29, U.S. forces liberated over 32,000 people at Dachau. After the war, the factory was abandoned, and its molds were destroyed or confiscated by Allied forces.
Today, Allach pieces are rare and controversial. Collectors and historians debate their ethical implications, as these objects represent on one hand artisanal craftsmanship, while on the other hand they are inseparably connected to forced labor, the Holocaust, and the criminal Nazi regime. The Moriskentänzer figurines thus remain problematic artifacts of a dark epoch in German history.
