The history of RAKO

When the flood in the Rakovník region in 1882 flooded and destroyed the entire network of promisingly developing bituminous shafts, no-one suspected that such a catastrophe would bring forth the most famous Czech ceramics plants and the most significant industry of the Rakovník region. While it was not possible to restore mining in the shafts, the mine owner, Moravia mining company, decided to use the remaining buildings, siding and some of the technical equipment, which was very good for its time, for the manufacture of ceramics. In what regards starting resources it was possible to use heaps of fire clay (waste rock attached to mined coal) and local clay.

Following preliminary testing, the shaft buildings of St. Mořič were equipped in 1883 with clay processing machines, hydraulic presses, three round kilns and production of refractory bricks gray floor tiles was launched and has not been interrupted since for 125 years.

The factory was purchased at the beginning of 1898 by Messrs Kasalovský and Sommerschuh. Especially Emil Sommerschuh played an important role in the development of the factory and the assortment. He was the son of a well-known Prague ceramist and producer of tiled stones. Thanks to his skills, knowledge and cooperation with several painters, sculptors and architects, the factory’s assortment was soon extended by porous tiles, new types of tiles and tile stoves, mosaic facings a la Persian carpets, ceramic pictures, garden and cemetery ceramics, special relief building facing and façade tiles. Cooperation with top artists led to a high esthetic level of products and apart from commercial successes also brought appraisal at international exhibitions and competitions.

The factory was sold in 1907 to Hans II, Price of Liechtenstein, who already owned a ceramics factory in Poštovná near Břeclav. Through the cooperation of both factories an enterprise of significant importance was created. Emil Sommerschuh was appointed director general. He continued in the already launched developed. Great works of art originated in buildings that serve us to this day, such as the Municipal House in Prague, the recently reopened Imperial Hotel in Na Poříčí Street, the sculptures on the front of the Eastern Bohemia Museum in Hradec Králové and others.

Hans of Liechtenstein sold his ceramics factories in 1920 to Živnobanka, a joint-stock company with controlling interest. Several mechanization innovations were introduced and most of the production halls of the existing department of earthenware tiles were built during the period before WW2. People became more interested in façade facing at the turn of the 1920s and 1930s.

Production was significantly restricted during WW2. It was restored in 1945 when the plant was nationalized and a further 17 plants were attached to the new national enterprise Rakovník-based ceramics plant. Gradual consolidation of production came about as late as 1947.

Three new national enterprises were established in 1949 through reorganization and further reorganization changes were effected in the years to follow. The production of tiles and tile stoves was not restored in Rakovník, nonetheless, increased construction in destroyed Europe required supplies of ceramic floor tiles, especially earthenware tiles. Demands on quantity resulted in a restriction of the technology of more demanding types of products.

At the turn of the 1950s and 1960s, the first major postwar reconstruction and investment actions were taken and later all production divisions underwent modernization.

Tile operation underwent extensive reconstruction during 1961-1964. A dispersal drier was used for the first time to prepare pressing material and the Rakovník ceramics plants became an international pioneer in this technology.

Construction of a new plant called RAKO III in Lubná near Rakovník was completed at the beginning of the 1980s.

In the 1990s, the change in economic and political conditions brought about the enterprise changing from a national enterprise to a joint-stock company (1991), which to this very day still comprises of five plants.

A leading German producer of construction ceramics Deutsche Steinzeug Cremer and Breuer AG was the major shareholder in Rakovník ceramics plants during 1994 – 2002.

He was replaced in 2002 by the LASSELSBERGER family company from Austria, which has incorporated RAKO into their company LASSELSBERGER, a. s.
LASSELSBERGER s.r.o is currently the biggest producer of ceramic facing material in the Czech Republic and is one of the key players on European markets. It preserves and develops the 125 year tradition of the RAKO brand, including its comprehensive offer of housing ceramics, which it enhances each year with a new collection. It provides system solutions of commercial or highly strained non-commercial objects through its own products under the LB OBJECT.