Szczecin Konzerthaus champagne cooling bucket

The champagne cooling bucket comes from the equipment of one of the catering establishments of the Szczecin Konzerthaus, located at 48 Augustastraße (now ul. Małopolska ). The vessel was ordered from the Sächsische Metallwaren Fabrik Aug. Wellner Söhne A. G., founded in the Saxon town of Aue in 1854 by Christian Gottlieb Wellner (1795-1857). As early as before the First World War, Wellner had become an international brand and one of the largest German manufacturers of silver-plated cutlery and tableware for the hotel and catering industry. Its products were known worldwide for their high quality and fine style. The factory stocked many European luxury hotels, including the Lido de Venezia Grand Hotel, the Kempinski Hotel in Berlin, the Kurhaus in Davos, the Maloja Palace Hotel in St. Moritz, and prominent passenger liners such as the Titanic and SS Imperator. After the end of the Second World War, the tradition of Wellner cutlery production was resumed under a new name of Auer Besteck- und Silberwarenwerke (ABS). Since around 1993, a successor company has continued to operate, producing parts from the previous line in a new factory in the neighbouring town of Schneeberg since 2001. Anna Lew-Machniak