USE OF THE TRADE NAME “WIENER WERKSTÄTTE” BY THE ALTMANN
COMPANY
The Altmann Company secured for itself one of the much sought after Wiener Werk
stätte trade marks directly - the precise technical term for this is “transfer”. The neces-
sary Steps were undertaken by the Viennese patent agent Dr. Alfred Monath on behalf of
the Bernhard Altmann Company in Vienna (the relevant correspondence is held by the
Vienna Chamber of Commerce under serial number ZI. 48.462/32). A letter dated 30th
November 1932 from Monath to the Chamber of Commerce, Trade and Industry is parti-
cularly interesting in more than one respect, and is therefore quoted below.
“... Bernhard Altmann, of Siebenbrunnengasse 21, Vienna V, encloses a letter from Wie
ner Werkstätte Gesellschaft m.b.H. in liquidation from which it is apparent that Wiener
Werkstätte Gesellschaft m.b.H. in liquidation has transferred its entire fashion depart-
ment, including Austrian trade marks no. 58 856 and no. 93.875 to Bernhard Altmann of
Siebenbrunnengasse 21, Vienna V. It is also apparent from this letter that the above-
mentioned marks are to be deleted in respect of the product designations ‘metal pro-
ducts, glass, stone and pottery, paper, bone and leather products’.
I therefore agree to these trade marks being deleted in respect of the products listed
above. I also agree to Austrian trade mark no. 59153 being deleted in respect of the pro
duct designations ‘clothing, textiles and millinery’ and repeat my request that entries to
this effect be made in the relevant registers.”
From the above quotation it is clear that the Bernhard Altmann Company had the trade
names WIENER WERKSTÄTTE (reg. no. 58856 and 93875) transferred to it after first
securing the consent of the Wiener Werkstätte, which was in liquidation at the time. The
transfer applied only to “commission sales of wool and woollen products and factory
production of knitted goods” (excerpt from a letter to Monath from the chamber dated
30th December 1932). The applicability of the trade mark was thus considerably re-
stricted compared to its previous use (recorded in MR volume LXXXII, fol. 19902). Fur-
ther details can be found under trade mark reg. no. 93875 (MR volume CXXVI, un-
paged): “The trade mark has been transferred to no. 535/55 in the list of product
designations of the Reich Patent Office. 16/41” and “The Reich Patent Office has made
the following entry on 9th April 1941: transferred to: Wiener Wollwarenwerke Bagusat &
Böhme, Siebenbrunnengasse 21, Vienna V/55. (Z. 16134/41).”
Monath’s letter of 30th November 1932 makes it clear that the Wiener Werkstätte had
transferred its “entire fashion department, including Austrian trade marks” to the Alt
mann Company. In a manner of speaking this merely completed a logical Step, as Alt
mann had already made certain articles for the Wiener Werkstätte before its dissolution.
The Bernhard Altmann Company is mentioned once again in connection with a trade
name WIENER WERKSTÄTTE in the year 1943 (ÖMA 1950, p. 163): no. 15056, 14th No
vember 1943 Bernhard Altmann Gesellschaft m.b.H., Siebenbrunnengasse 21, Vienna V;
original entry 58856, priority 14th November 1913.
Yet another, slightly different WIENER WERKSTÄTTE trade name (Fig. 32, p. 44) occurs
in the Austrian trade mark gazette (1950, p. 225).
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