Melitta Bentz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bentz, Melitta
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| Born | 31 January 1873 |
| Died | 29 June 1950 (aged 77) |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Spouse(s) | Hugo Bentz |
| Children | 2 |
Melitta Bentz (born Amalie Auguste Melitta Liebscher on January 31, 1873) was a clever German inventor. She created the paper coffee filter brewing system in 1908. This invention changed how people made coffee! She also started the famous company Melitta, which is still run by her family today. Melitta Bentz passed away on June 29, 1950.
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Who Was Melitta Bentz?
Melitta Bentz was born in Dresden, Germany, on January 31, 1873. Her full name was Amalie Auguste Melitta Liebscher. Her parents were Karl and Brigitte Liebscher. Melitta came from a family of successful business owners. Her father was a publisher, and her grandparents owned a brewery.
She married Johannes Emil Hugo Bentz around 1898 or 1899. Hugo was also a small business owner. They had three children: two sons named Willy (born 1899) and Horst (born 1904), and a daughter named Herta (born 1911).
Solving a Coffee Problem
As a housewife, Melitta loved coffee but found it frustrating to make. Old coffee makers, like percolators, often made coffee taste too strong. Other machines left annoying coffee grounds in the cup. Fabric filters were hard to clean. Melitta wanted a better way to brew coffee.
She started experimenting at home. One day, she used a piece of blotting paper from her son Willy's school notebook. She poked holes in a brass pot with a nail. Then, she put the paper over the holes. She added coffee grounds and poured hot water over them.
The result was amazing! The coffee was clear, tasted less bitter, and had no grounds. Her friends loved it too. This simple idea led her to start a business.
Starting Her Own Company
Melitta Bentz received a patent for her invention on June 20, 1908. The Imperial Patent Office in Germany approved her idea. On December 15, her company was officially registered. She named it "M. Bentz." She started with a small amount of money, just 73 pfennig.
Her husband, Hugo, and their sons, Horst and Willy, were her first employees. They worked from their home, assembling, packaging, and selling the new coffee filters. The business quickly became a success. They hired a tinsmith to help make the filter devices.
In 1909, they sold 1,200 coffee filters at the Leipzig Trade Fair. The company won a gold medal in 1910 at the International Hygiene Exhibition. They also won a silver medal from the Saxon Innkeepers' Association.
Challenges and Growth
When World War I began, the company faced many problems. Metals were needed for things like Zeppelins. Paper was limited, and coffee beans were hard to get because of a British blockade. Melitta's husband was also called to serve in the war.
During this time, Melitta ran the company all by herself. She even had to sell cardboard boxes to make money when filter production stopped.
After the war, the company continued to grow. They moved several times within Dresden to bigger spaces. By 1928, the demand for their filters was huge. Their 80 workers had to work in two shifts to keep up.
Because they needed even more space, the company moved in 1929. They went to Minden in Westphalia, where the company is still located today. By then, they had produced 169,420 filters! Melitta also improved her design, creating the popular "fast-drip" conical filter.
Family Business and Legacy
In 1930, Melitta's son, Horst, took over the company, which was then called "Bentz & Sohn." In 1932, Melitta gave most of her shares in the company to Horst and Willy. But she still cared deeply about the business and its employees.
She made sure her workers were well-treated. She offered Christmas bonuses and increased vacation days from six to 15 per year. She also reduced the work week to five days. In 1938, she created a special social fund for employees called "Melitta Aid." This fund still helps employees today.
When World War II started, the company had to stop making coffee products. Instead, they made goods to help with the war effort. After the war, the main factory was used by Allied troops for 12 years. Workers had to use old factories, barracks, and even pubs to continue production.
By 1948, they were making filters and paper again. When Melitta Bentz passed away in 1950, the company was worth 4.7 million Deutsche Marks.
Today, the Melitta Group KG is still a family-run business. Melitta's grandsons, Thomas and Stephen Bentz, lead the company. It is headquartered in Minden, Germany. The company has 3,400 employees in 50 countries around the world. Melitta sells many coffee products, including filters based on Melitta's original invention. The company is proud of its history and its focus on being sustainable and responsible.
See also
In Spanish: Melitta Bentz para niños
