Chronicle of the Apotheker Hermann Zwetz Company

1846 - 20. June: Hermann Eduard Zwetz born in Blankenhain / Thuringia
1860-65: Training as chemist
1876 - 16. Ma: Hermann Eduard Zwetz and a chemist's daughter Minna Christiana Amalie Mohrstedt (born 10 Jan. 1854) marry in the church in Zörbig.
1877: Chemist Zwetz and his wife assume the management of the Löwen-Apotheke (chemistry) in Zörbig near Halle. Up to that point, the chemistry had been managed by the chemist Gustav Heinrich Mohrstedt. At the same time, Hermann Zwetz manages the Markt-Apotheke in his home town of Auma (15 km North of Schleiz) until 1879. In Auma, he receives the resident civil right on 16.11.1877.
1878 - 14. Nov.: Their daughter, Else Minna Anna is born in Zörbig
1884: Sale of the Löwen-Apotheke in Zörbig.
1888: The factory building in Schleiz about 1888
The address book of the city of Schleiz registers Vorländer and Zwetz under the trade classification "chemical compounds". Acquisition of the property set to become the company's home.
1889: Zwetz takes over the production line of the chemist Vorländer after the latter relinquished the manufacture of incense in Möschlitz in 1887 and shifts the operation as a chemical-technical laboratory to Schleiz.
1893 - 20. März: First entry in the trade register by the registration court of Schleiz (the keeping of a trade register was first started in approx. 1890 onwards).
1893 - 9.May: In the public meeting of the community council, approval is given to the request of the chemist Mr Zwetz following the lease of a 2 m wide strip of the hospital field and the lease of 48 m2 at the price of 2M per m2. The application is unanimously accepted and the wish is stated to the committee that the good earth located on the strip in question remain in the hospital possession.
1895 - 1. March: Member of the "Geschichts- und altertumsforschender Verein zu Schleiz" (Society of Historical and Antique Research concerning Schleiz). In a celebratory declaration from the society dating back to 1902, a presentation by the chemist Zwetz on the history of pharmacy is mentioned.
1902: In the city of Schleiz's address book, the chemist Hermann Zwetz is registered under the address Greizer Str. 28. The company register makes mention of a "smoke agent and smouldering material factory". Hermann Zwetz is also named as a chemist under the business and commercial tradesman.
1915: The "Adreßbuch der Landgemeinden des Fürstentums Reuß jüngerer Linie" (Address book for the rural communities of the Reuss principality) refers to Hermann Zwetz as a house owner and citizen. The "fabrication and trade of pharmaceutical products" is also mentioned.
1919 - 24. Dec.: Karl Bayer, a chemist in Schleiz, becomes the company's proprietor
1923 - 10. Nov.: The chemist Hermann Zwetz dies at age 77. His burial takes place on the upper cemetery. With that, he outlived his wife by two years. She died on 21.9.1921 at the age of 65.
1926: In the branch register, the smoking agent factory is registered under the chemist Carl Bayer. Else Zwetz, a private teacher, lives at Greizer Str. 28.
1949: Karl Bayer is presumed to have died in World War II. The resident book for the county of Schleiz only makes mention of a widowed Else Bayer. In the trade register, Elisabeth Bayer, born Winkebach (?) is registered on the date 7 April 1949 as the owner of the smoking agent factory.
1952: Mrs Bayer surrenders the company. From that time on, it functions as storage for the GHG (Wholesale Cooperative for Fruits and Vegetables) and for the KONSUM. The building slowly began to deteriorate.
1946: Erich Koch (chemical businessman in Dresden) took on the task of manufacturing chemical-technical preparations including tobacco refiner's A&O, soap powder, perfumes, soap bubble tinctures for children and much more. After the war, he continued his operations in Mohorn.
1952 - 31. May: Erich Koch purchases the Schleiz smoking agents factory Apotheker Hermann Zwetz, owner Carl Bayer and transfer the operations to Mohorn-Grund in the "Niedermühle" (at Tharandter Wald 10). Packaging is still carried out in Bayer's manor in Mohorn (demolished in 1994 !).
1953 - 15. Jan.: Transcription of the commercial register at the district office of Freital.
1958: The brand name KNOX is inaugurated.
1961: The new factory grounds in 1961
Construction of an office and packaging barrack in Grund (present day location). Starting in the mid-sixties, primarily production of incense. Export has become an important volume. Furthermore, regular participation in Leipzig trade shows.
1974 - 15. February 9:00 am: A fire almost completely destroys the production hall. The production is resumed step by step in one barrack. The remainders of the main building are roofed on a provisional basis and continue to serve as a warehouse for raw materials. Building materials were practically unavailable in the former East Germany.
1978 - 5. Sept: Matthias Koch is registered as the owner of the company in the trade register.
1984 - 01. Dec.: Marion Koch receives the permit for the further management of commercial operations for the manufacture of smoking agents.
1986 - 28. Jan: Marion Koch is registered in the trade register as the business owner at the district office of Freital.
1986 - Aug.: Andreas Brodien (mechanical engineer by profession) becomes the managing director.
1989: The company survives the turbulent times surrounding the political and economic transition.
1990: Expansion of the production halls and warehouses used to date.
1990 - 1995: Augmentation of productivity, among other things through the introduction of new technology, in order to adjust the company to the realities of the economic market. Increase in margins particularly in the first years of political transition.
1994: Construction of a warehouse
1997 - Jan.-Aug.: The present day head office
New construction of the modern production and office building.
1999: Inauguration of a museum with a permanent exhibit detailing the history of the Apotheker Hermann Zwetz company and the tradition of incense.

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