History of the Chocolate Industry in the Czech Republic

Chocolate has been brought to the Czech Republic from Western European countries where drinking of chocolate was very popular already in the 17th century. The first known chocolate trader was Filip Watze living in the end of the 18th century in the house called Black Sun. This is an interesting fact, because the Choco-Story Museum was established in the next-door house.

The oldest producers:

Luna Praha, established by Frantisek Cernoch in Kozi Street in 1839, is supposed to be the oldest producer of chocolate. Its first product has been called Chocolate with Indian. Deli Lovosice was established in 1806 by August Tschinkel for production of coffee imitation. They started to produce chocolate in 1858. Fiedor Opava (nowadays Opavia) was established in 1840, for the production of biscuits and later also chocolate. Their well-known specialty Fidorka is popular even nowadays.

Period 1850 - 1900:

Many companies were established in the second half of the 19th century, amongst which the most popular were: Ph. Kneisl- renamed Sfinx Vsetuly-Holesov in Moravia, founded in 1863. Their trade mark Sfinx is still on the market. Velim ve Velimi was established by a Hungarian aristocrat in 1869 A. Marsner, Praha-Vinohrady, started before 1890. Today is called Orion - best selling chocolate in the Czech Republic. Zora Olomouc - established in 1898. Today the biggest Czech chocolate factory is owned by Nestle. Diana-Hartwig a Vogel, Podmokly - Decin (est. in 1893) Stolwerck Brothers Bratislava (est. in 1896) nowadays Figaro Bratislava, owned by Kraft Foods.

Period 1901 - 1920

In this period the following companies and many more started production: Standard, Brothers Kroupa Praha-Vokovice, in 1903 Kolinea Kolin - in 1906 Fischer Trnava, Slovakia, in 1906, since 1934 the company uses the trade mark Figaro. Koukol and Michera, Kutna Hora , established in 1912, trade mark Lidka was well known. Rupa Praha - established in 1914 by Rudolf Pachl, nationalized after 1945, since 1996 the name is used again by a newly established company.

Period after 1920

There were over 100 factories in former Czechoslovakia between 1920-1940. Some of them were:

Bonbonia Bratri Makalove Kolin - est. 1920

Marysa Hodonin - est. 1920

Deva Trebisov - est. 1951, the only chocolate factory built during communist era.

You can find more about the history of the Czechoslovak chocolate factories in the book Kniha o cokolade available in the museums shop with English and German summary. The main topic is a history of 50 Czechoslovak chocolate and confectionery companies. Most valuable are more than 400 pictures of documents, packaging and ads from the collections of both authors - Stanislav Kramsky and Josef Feitl. Interesting is also additional information about chocolate museums and festivals and topics about chocolate.