Company history

1899		Edmund Oswald Müller and his wife Lina establish their firm at 8 Schindelberg, Seiffen. That lays foundation for a long-
		standing family-run business. Using wooden material only, they mainly make miniature figurines, match-box size miniatures,
		toy vehicles, toy aeroplanes, and decorative boxes.

1914		They buy a plot at 132 Hauptstraße, Seiffen and builds a residental house with a workshop.

1918		A timber yard is erected.

1919		The workshop is widened and a ripsaw is installed.


		Lina and Edmund Oswald Müller Residential and business house at Hauptstr. 132 in Seiffen

1926		For the first time, the family-run business is represented at the Leipzig Trade Fair. A catalogue informs customers about the assortment.


		Edmund Oswald Müller and his son Paul at Leipzig trade fair

1928		World economic crisis. Articles are not easy to sell. Carrying goods in baskets on their backs, the family goes from front door to front
		door to sell their articles.

1936		The firm’s name ERZGEBIRGISCHE KLEINKUNST® gets registered.

1937		A separate workshop of 300sqm is erected. The residential building is now exclusively used by a growing family.

1943		The founder of the business dies at the age of 66 years. His son Paul Edmund Müller takes over the business together with his wife Luise.
		Tradition continues.

1944		The government forces the company to produce war-related goods such as gun-powder and ammunition boxes, stools for the use in bunkers
		and components for V2 rockets. The manufacture of toy furniture nearly expires. Material supplies nearly come to an end.

1945		Post-war circumstances are complicated, nevertheless the Mueller family dare a new start. There is a strong call for tobacco boxes, platters,
		and coasters. Again, toy furniture are part of the range of articles offered.



1956		Economic policy of the GDR does not allow private firms to directly stay in touch with their worldwide customers. Foreign sales are
		totally in the hands of government-run companies such as DHZ or DEMUSA. After thirty years’ presence, the Mueller family is
		forced to temporarily stay away from the Leipzig Trade Fair.

1959		Folk art of the Erzgebirge enriches the range of articles on offer. Two variants of Christmas pyramids are available.



1960		Material supplies being steered by the GDR government. Raw materials and auxiliaries are hard to obtain.

1962		The authorities are regulating prices, manufacturing of toy furniture is no longer profitable and expires.

1963		A variety of miniatures, Christmas angels, miners, and articles to decorate Christmas trees complete the assortment and are highly
		demanded on foreign markets. Supplies to the home market, however, stay far behind demand.



1973		Gunter Mueller and his wife Regina take over the company from Paul Edmund. The firm is now run by the family’s third generation.

1985		The first Mueller multi-tier pyramid is developed. It becomes known as three-tier coronet pyramid.

1986		Government forces private craftsmen into paying wages comparable to those paid by state-owned companies.
		Consequently, the number of staff declines to three. Nevertheless the range of products is widened by a two-tier and a four-tier coronet
		pyramid.



1989		The political change entails a temporary breakdown of the entire industry due to the government-run distributors cancelling all orders
		and, at the same time, refusing to disclose any customer address. The same year a new firm logo is developed and registered.



1990		New ideas enliven the production. Candle arches, music boxes, pointed arches, carollers, and many other articles are made. The firm
		delivers directly to customers. A new VW Sprinter is used for customer acquisition, mainly in the north of Germany.



1992		The groundfloor of the residential and office building is renovated. The store now covers 60sqm. A comprehensive range of
		articles is presented to a growing number of tourists visiting Seiffen.



1993		After 37 years of absence and long negotiations, Mueller is represented again at the trade fairs in Nuremberg and Leipzig.



1994		Ringo Mueller, Regina’s and Gunter’s son, joins the firm, representing the family’s fourth generation. Among the novelties presented is
		a series of illuminated candle arches.



1995		Following urgent needs, a new workshop is erected covering 700sqm, which allows to modernize production. Staff number rises
		permanently. The new facility is put into operation before the demand for articles coming to a peak at Christmas.

1996		Ringo’s masterpiece, one of the first large-dimensioned candle arches with interior illumination, enters the production line in a limited
		edition. For the first time, Mueller GmbH is an exhibitor at fairs in Tokyo and Toronto.

1997		The old production building is rebuilt. Some of the rooms are converted into a presentation room and a big one-line shop of about 120sqm.
		More than 5,000 articles made by 200 different producers are for sale.

1998		An Internet presentation is available on www.mueller-kleinkunst.de, which is awarded the first prize for website design.
		Planning starts to widen and rationalize production, to erect a timber yard and a painting gallery.
		More land is purchased at 154b Hauptstraße, Seiffen. More workshops and a shavings store are built.

1999		Celebration of the 100th anniversary. A second workshop is completed. Production space in total now covers 3,000sqm.
		The range of products exclusively focuses on self-developed Christmas- related articles.
		Another shop covering 130m² is opened in the center of Seiffen. Ringo’s sister Anja joins the firm.
		For the first time, Mueller is exhibitor at a trade fair in New York. A renowned Japanese agent distributes Mueller articles
		in Japan. Mueller is awarded the Tradition and Design Prize for high-quality design and craftsmanship.



2000		Largest investment in machinery in the firm’s history. Ringo is awarded the Prize for "Vorbildliche Existenzgründung im
		Handwerk" (about: pioneering in setting up a craftwork business).

2001		Mueller appears in Martha Stewart’s Christmas Special on CBS (US TV-station), demonstrating how to assemble a pyramid.

2003		A renowned American agent distributes Mueller articles in Northern America.
		Seiffen is haunted by a bad thunderstorm which hits the main building. Renovation and measures to avoid future flooding
		last seven months. Following long and intensive development, the Old Dresden candle arch is presented to the public.

2004		The second workshop is widened to store raw materials and finished goods on 500 m². A newly stand to present the
		firm at four inland trade fairsis designed. A showroom is opened in Atlanta, USA.
		Mueller is awarded the Tradition and Design Prize for the candle arch Old Dresden, the only candle arch with an electronic
		sound system worldwide.



2005		The Internet presentation is now available on www.mueller.com. It is visited about 20,000 times a month. A renowned agent sells
		Mueller articles in Great Britain. A trade fair in London shows Mueller articles. The candle arch Old Dresden enters the competition
		for the 2005 Saxon Design Prize and goes through to the final round.

2008		Modification of the store at Hauptstr.132 into a showroom with integrated sale to present the large assortment of the own production.



2009		Environmental Certification in accordance with FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Program for the Endorsement of Forest
		Certification Schemes)
		After three years of development a world novelty is presented: Electronic Music Boxes with Blutooth connection and changeable platforms

2010		Müller becomes member of the Saxonian Environmental Alliance
		Award for "Environmentally Oriented Management and Sustainable Timber Harvesting"
		The 111^th anniversary becomes occasion for the development of a brand-new catalogue and the first "Müllerchen"-series

2011		Television broadcasting of a documentry about the company within the series "Companies lasting a Century" on public television
		channel KBS in the Republic of Korea.

		Enjoy a journey through time from nowadays back to the beginning of our long tradition.

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