11. October 2006.

Former Managing Director Remembered on the 180th Anniversary of Herend Porcelain Manufactory

Dr. Gyula Gulden became managing director of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory in 1923 and he held the position until the nationalisation of the company. In 1923 Hungary was still recovering from the economic aftermath of the Treaty of Trianon and demand for luxurious porcelain pieces was very low. Gulden is credited with reviving the company that was in an extremely difficult situation in the wake of the First World War and the subsequent Great Depression, and earning world-fame for the Manufactory.

From the artistic point of view the most important change was the orchestration of a new programme under which a range of figures was developed. Until the end of the Second World War the most eminent Hungarian sculptors and ceramists designed traditional and modern statues, figurines and plaquettes for Herend. Some of the now classic figurines of the Manufactory, such as Elek Lux's Matyó Madonna, Miklós Ligeti's Déryné or Ede Telcs's Tom Thumb, were created at that time.

Gyula Gulden also signed a contract with the Italian lampshade artist Malagola Cappi and a series of beautiful works were produced: the lamps with a porcelain body decorated in a classic Herend pattern combined with Cappi's shades were extremely well received. He also opened to the public the forerunner of today's Porcelain Museum, featuring old Herend pieces in the company's possession and others that had to be bought back. The Manufactory's series of triumphs began at the Chicago World Exposition of 1933 where it won a prestigious award, followed by a gold medal at the Brussels World Exposition of 1935, a Grand Prix at the Paris World Exposition of 1937 and a Diplome d'Honore at the 7th Milan Triennale in 1940. The resounding success achieved at the New York World Exposition of 1939 was particularly relevant as it opened up a whole new market that remains to this day.

In the 1930s the Manufactory began to attract the interest of an increasingly prestigious clientele: the visit of Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII, then Duke of Windsor) to the Manufactory was highly publicised, and Leopold, King of the Belgians, and Juliana, heir to the Dutch throne also admired Herend porcelain.

Gyula Gulden also did much for the domestic market of the Manufactory: he founded Applied Arts Trading Co in 1943 to cater for its needs.
His extensive international contacts played a key role in the survival of the Manufactory again during the Second World War: he accepted the post of consul in neutral Portugal, from where he was able to re-export Herend Porcelain to several countries at a time when the Manufactory was cut off from its traditional markets. After the war he immigrated to the United States where he died in 1956.
The Herend Porcelain Manufactory honours the memory of Gyula Gulden by unveiling his statue and opening an exhibition on the 180th anniversary of its foundation.

While the unveiling ceremony was dedicated to past achievements, the Herend Porcelain Museum now awaits visitors with an exhibition entitled "The Future of Herend - the Herend of the Future" where ornamental items and services with clean, modern lines characterising the Manufactory's new trend are on show.

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• Gyula Gulden