c. 1935–1950
WG; alternate M.I.Hummel © with crown
Crown over interlaced WG precedes the bee-with-V families.
impressed or printed · ceramic · Oeslau / Rödental, Germany
Pottery & porcelain
Hummel marks
The name “WG; alternate M.I.Hummel © with crown” appears among Hummel marks on ceramic from Oeslau / Rödental, Germany.
- Active years
- From 1935
- Country
- Germany
- City / region
- Oeslau, now Rödental, Bavaria, Bavaria
- Products
- hand-painted ceramic child figures, religious figures, groups, plaques, collector plates
- Marks
- 5
Figurines introduced 1935. Goebel production ended 2008; manufacture restarted under Manufaktur Rödental in 2009. Hummel Manufaktur acquired by Bernd Förtsch in December 2017.
What to look for
- Check the factory trademark together with the M.I. Hummel signature, model number and subject. Goebel used its factory marks on several ranges, so the factory stamp alone does not identify a Hummel design.
- A naturalistic bee within a V differs from the later angular, stylized bee. In the 1972 Goebel layout the V-and-bee sits over the b/e area; the 1979 layout drops it.
- Separate the mould or copyright year from the period of the factory trademark. Some bases combine two trademarks during a changeover, and the early trademark periods overlap.
Dated marks & timeline
5 marks
c. 1950–1959
W. GOEBEL (on illustrated variants)
Bee is drawn as an insect, unlike the angular stylized versions.
impressed or printed · ceramic · Oeslau / Rödental, Germany
c. 1960–1963
W. Germany
Country wording sits to the right of the V, distinguishing this large layout from small stylized-bee and three-line versions.
printed · ceramic · Oeslau / Rödental, Germany
c. 1972–1979
Goebel / W. Germany
Company name is prominent and retains the V-and-bee between upper letter strokes.
printed · ceramic · Oeslau / Rödental, Germany
c. 1979–1991
Goebel / W. Germany
Absence of the bee distinguishes this from the preceding 1972 wordmark.
printed · ceramic · Oeslau / Rödental, Germany
About M. I. Hummel figurines
M. I. Hummel figurines were introduced by W. Goebel in 1935 at the Leipzig Spring Fair. They translated the drawings of Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel into ceramic figures of children and religious subjects. Born Berta Hummel in Massing in 1909, the artist trained in Munich and entered the Franciscan convent at Sießen in 1931. Goebel’s factory at Oeslau, now part of Rödental, worked with her to develop the figures and their decoration.
The early sculptors included Reinhold Unger and Arthur Möller. Sister Hummel died in 1946, but manufacture continued with the convent overseeing faithfulness to her work. American servicemen and their families helped establish an overseas market after the war. A collectors’ club began in 1977 and became the M. I. Hummel Club in 1989. The familiar factory trademarks changed from crowns to bees and later Goebel wordmarks.
Goebel ceased Hummel production in 2008. Manufacture resumed under Manufaktur Rödental in 2009, continuing the series at its original German home. Entrepreneur Bernd Förtsch acquired Hummel Manufaktur on 22 December 2017. Later pieces use Hummel-branded factory marks rather than the Goebel marks found on most twentieth-century examples.
Also known as: Hummel · M.I.Hummel · Goebel Hummel · Maria Innocentia Hummel · Berta Hummel · M. I. Hummel figurines, made by W. Goebel and successor manufacturers
Look-alikes & how to tell them apart
Other Goebel figure ranges, including Sacrart
A crown, bee or Goebel wordmark may identify Goebel manufacture on another range. Look for the M.I. Hummel signature and matching Hummel model, rather than treating every Goebel child or religious figure as a Hummel.