C. Ludwig

C. Ludwig GmbH & Co. KG is a German company based in Munich that sells church supplies, Christian art and religious gifts to ecclesiastical institutions, clergy and private customers worldwide. It is regarded as the market leader in Germany in its field. The company traces its origins to Carl Ludwig, born on 9 March 1879 in Langenbrück, Silesia, who trained as a merchant and bookseller and founded the firm Carl Ludwig on 1 October 1905 in the predominantly Catholic town of Neisse, Silesia — choosing the first day of the Rosary month as the founding date. Initially the business had three departments: a bookshop and antiquarian book department, an office-supplies department (typewriters, office furniture, business books), and a department for distributing practical novelties. Over time the range expanded to include items needed for worship and the sacristy, and Carl Ludwig even patented improvements to clerical collars and fountain pens. In 1922 the company began selling by mail order, winning customers through advertisements. During the Second World War, Neisse was largely destroyed and the Ludwig family's warehouse and mail-order premises were bombed out; at the end of the war the family fled to Munich, where it opened a new shop in 1952. In 1956 the son, Karl-Heinz Ludwig, took over the business and in 1959 opened a city store in central Munich next to the archdiocesan ordinariate. The 1960 Eucharistic World Congress in Munich and the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) boosted sales, as church institutions bought new altar vessels and furniture. Karl-Heinz Ludwig expanded the sales territory with brochures and catalogues: the first brochures were mailed to parish offices from 1960, and in 1964 the first larger catalogue, with 40 pages, was printed and sent in 18,000 copies. The founder Carl Ludwig died on 22 July 1964. In 1987 Karl-Heinz Ludwig's son, the business economist Thomas Ludwig, joined the company in the third generation, and order processing was computerised. For the Jubilee Year 2000 the mail-order catalogue "Kirchliches Kunsthandwerk" was expanded to 420 pages, and in the same year C. Ludwig acquired the former papal purveyor Josef Janauschek in Vienna. Online sales began in 2001, and in 2003 the company was converted into a GmbH & Co. KG, with Karl-Heinz Ludwig and his son Thomas Ludwig as partners. The online shop is operated in German and was to be offered in English as well; besides the euro, the company accepts US dollars and reaches customers as far as Asia. C. Ludwig has been covered in the media on various occasions, particularly for its 100th anniversary in 2005. The company also developed patented products such as a celluloid permanent clerical collar, a large-capacity fountain pen, and reversible vestments (Wendekasel and Wendedalmatik) presented at the Ecclesia trade fair in March 2008, which are protected as utility models in Europe.

The history of C. Ludwig begins with Carl Ludwig, born on 9 March 1879 in Langenbrück, a village near the border with the Sudetenland, close to the district town of Neustadt in Upper Silesia. His father worked as a day labourer in Neustadt at the Fränkel linen weaving mill and kept a small rural holding with a few acres of land, enough to feed the family of seven children. The father wanted each boy to learn a proper trade, and Carl was apprenticed in Schmalkalden in Thuringia, for which the father had to pay a considerable sum. He was trained as a merchant and bookseller. After only a few years as an employee, he founded the firm Carl Ludwig in 1905 in Neisse, Silesia. Carl was deeply religious and a devotee of the Mother of God, and he chose 1 October, the beginning of the Rosary month, as the founding day. Neisse was a medium-sized, predominantly Catholic town, known as the "Silesian Rome" for its many churches and religious houses; the poet Joseph von Eichendorff had lived there, and Frederick the Great had declared Neisse his favourite city. Initially the company consisted of three departments. Department 1 was a "bookshop and antiquarian bookshop for good literature"; Department 2 covered "typewriters, office furniture, office supplies of all kinds, business book stock"; Department 3 handled the "distribution of practical novelties". The product range was expanded to meet the office needs of parish offices, from envelopes to typewriters and office furniture. Ludwig then added articles needed for worship and in the sacristy. Through personal contacts he acquired knowledge of the required clerical clothing, the collar and the collar stud, for which he filed patents. In 1922 Ludwig began selling his goods to customers by mail order, winning customers through advertisements. During the Second World War, Neisse, declared a fortress city, was largely destroyed. Carl Ludwig's property, which housed the warehouse and mail-order business, was bombed out. At the end of the Second World War the Ludwig family fled to Munich, where they opened a new shop in 1952. In 1956 the son, Karl-Heinz Ludwig, took over the company and in 1959 opened a city store in central Munich next to the archdiocesan ordinariate. The 1960 Eucharistic World Congress in Munich and the Second Vatican Council, which met in Rome from 1962 to 1965, increased the company's turnover. The reason lay in the innovations decided for the conduct of the liturgical Mass, so that church institutions bought new altar vessels and new furniture. Karl-Heinz Ludwig sought to expand the sales territory and relied on supra-regional advertising with brochures and catalogues. From 1960 the first brochures were sent to parish offices; in 1964 the first larger catalogue appeared with 40 pages, printed and mailed in 18,000 copies. The annual catalogues produced a high level of recognition in church circles in the Federal Republic and were later also sent to neighbouring German-speaking countries. The founder Carl Ludwig died on 22 July 1964. On the occasion of the company's 75th anniversary, the catalogues were produced in four-colour printing from 1980. In 1987 Karl-Heinz Ludwig's son, the graduate business economist Thomas Ludwig, joined the company in the third generation. At this time order processing was converted to computers. For the year 2000, celebrated as the Jubilee Year of Christianity, the company expanded its mail-order catalogue "Kirchliches Kunsthandwerk" to 420 pages. In the same year C. Ludwig acquired the former papal purveyor Josef Janauschek in Vienna. Internet sales began in 2001. In 2003 the company was converted into a GmbH & Co. KG. Karl-Heinz Ludwig and his son Thomas Ludwig are partners. The online shop is now operated in German and soon in English. Besides the euro, the company accepts US dollars as currency and reaches customers as far as Asia. C. Ludwig has been and continues to be reported on in the media on various occasions; in particular, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary in 2005 there were several press reports. Among the company's developments and patents: the collar and collar stud — Carl Ludwig developed a permanent celluloid collar intended to be superior to the usual pure-linen clerical collars, which were labour-intensive to care for and poor in fit. The celluloid developed by the company Schildkröt was unbreakable, washable, colourfast and hygienic. This permanent collar was designed so that collar and stud formed a durable connection by means of a plug-in system that prevented slipping. Further improvements followed, so that several patents were filed. In total Carl Ludwig received eight patents at home and abroad, including the German Reich Patent. The large-capacity fountain pen: the system of large-capacity filling of fountain pens allowed double the amount of ink compared with earlier systems, permitting longer use without refilling; the fountain pen also received the German Reich Patent. The reversible chasuble and reversible dalmatic: liturgical vestments showing a different liturgical colour on each side were first presented at the Ecclesia trade fair in March 2008. This form of vestment is intended to reduce acquisition costs and space requirements; it is now protected as a utility model throughout Europe.

• 2008

  Reversible vestments (Wendekasel and Wendedalmatik) first presented at the Ecclesia trade fair in March.

• 2005

  100th anniversary, marked by several press reports.

• 2003

  Company converted into a GmbH & Co. KG.

• 2001

  Internet sales begin.

• 2000

  Catalogue "Kirchliches Kunsthandwerk" expanded to 420 pages; acquisition of former papal purveyor Josef Janauschek in Vienna.

• 1987

  Thomas Ludwig, third generation, joins the company; order processing computerised.

• 1980

  Catalogues produced in four-colour printing from the 75th anniversary.

• 1964

  First larger 40-page catalogue printed and sent in 18,000 copies; founder Carl Ludwig dies on 22 July.

• 1960

  First brochures mailed to parish offices; Eucharistic World Congress in Munich boosts sales.

• 1959

  City store opens in central Munich next to the archdiocesan ordinariate.

• 1956

  Son Karl-Heinz Ludwig takes over the company.

• 1952

  After fleeing Silesia at the end of WWII, the Ludwig family opens a new shop in Munich.

• 1922

  Company begins mail-order sales.

• 1905

  Carl Ludwig founds the firm Carl Ludwig on 1 October in Neisse, Silesia.

• 1879

  Carl Ludwig born on 9 March in Langenbrück, Silesia.

Market leader in Germany for church supplies, Christian art and religious gifts, serving ecclesiastical institutions, clergy and private customers worldwide.

• Celluloid permanent clerical collar

  Developed by Carl Ludwig; a durable, washable, colourfast and hygienic collar with a plug-in system connecting collar and stud, patented in Germany and abroad.

• Large-capacity fountain pen

  Fountain pen with a large-capacity filling system allowing double the ink of earlier systems; received the German Reich Patent.

• Reversible chasuble and dalmatic (Wendekasel, Wendedalmatik)

  Liturgical vestments showing a different liturgical colour on each side, first presented at Ecclesia in March 2008; utility-model protected in Europe.

1. 1Ihr Spezialist für Kirchenbedarf | Kirchenbedarf, Paramente und Messwein C. Ludwigc-ludwig.de
2. 2Geschichte | Kirchenbedarf, Paramente und Messwein C. Ludwigc-ludwig.de
3. 3Geschichte | Kirchenbedarf, Paramente und Messwein C. Ludwigc-ludwig.de
4. 4C. Ludwigwikidata.org
5. 5C. Ludwigde.wikipedia.org