The History of Stollwerck

  • 1839: Franz Stollwerck opens his first factory, producing cough sweets.
  • 1860: Production is extended to include chocolate, marzipan and gingerbread.
  • 1902: Stollwerck becomes a limited company and opens plants in London, Vienna, Kronstadt (Basov/Rumania), Pressburg (Bratislava) and Stanford, USA.
  • 1906: Alpia is registered as a brand name.
  • 1971: Dr Hans Imhoff, then chairman of the supervisory board of Stollwerck AG, takes over Stollwerck.
  • 1979: Stollwerck buys Sprengel, one of Germany’s oldest and best-known chocolate factories.
  • 1982: The Belgian Jaques Chocolaterie S.A. merges with the Stollwerck Group.
  • 1995: Opening of a new biscuit factory in Szekeshehervar/Hungary. Stollwerck is now no. 1 in the Hungarian chocolate market and no. 2 in the market for biscuits.
  • 1995: Opening of a chocolate factory in Poznan/Poland. With the Alpengold brand, Stollwerck becomes market leader in Poland for chocolate tablets.
  • 1998: Acquisition of the old-established Sarotti brand from Nestlé.
  • 2002: Barry Callebaut takes over Stollwerck.
  • 2011: Change from AG (public company) to GmbH (limited liability company).
  • 2011: The Baronie Group takes over Stollwerck.