A new beginning 1946

After the Second World War, Johannes Oertel and his son-in-law, Dr Rolf Neuhäuser with their families, were forced to leave the Sudetenland. They made a fresh start in Welzheim, near Stuttgart. The noble material crystal continued to fascinate them, and they are well aware of the unique abilities of the former employees. They did everything in their power to bring the former skilled workers from Haida to the new site. The glass cutters, engravers and painters returned to work for Oertel. The first collection of the new production was ready in 1947. Oertel built housing for its staff in the early 1950s. In 1955, it brought all the scattered elements together in a new factory. Oertel became a permanent exhibitor at both the Hanover Fair and the Frankfurt Trade Fair.

Oertel’s international reputation for high-quality luxury crystal was soon known throughout the most prominent circles. Oertel was the supplier of choice for royal families worldwide from the 1960s onwards. We supplied the royal houses of Libya, Malaysia and Persia, as well as many heads of state, including Marshal Tito of Yugoslavia. Oertel supplied the crystal chandelier for the Opera House in Stuttgart and the crystal lights that stand today in front of the Baden-Württemberg state parliament.

Johannes Oertel died in 1956. Dr Rolf Neuhäuser, his son-in-law, was the sole proprietor of the business. After his early death in 1967, his widow, Maria Neuhäuser (née Oertel), ran the business and established the core export business of the company. OERTEL has been run by her daughter Petra Schütte since 1978. The company now exports more than 80 per cent of its wares. OERTEL products were proudly showcased at leading international trade fairs in Germany, England, Italy, France, India and the Middle East.