Philip Rosenthal – founder of Rosenthal and design pioneer

Philip Rosenthal – few personalities embody the combination of entrepreneurial vision and creative ambition as impressively as the creative mind behind the Rosenthal brand. As a visionary and designer, he led Rosenthal into a new era: away from traditional porcelain manufacturing and towards an international brand for modern tableware and home décor. With his visionary spirit, Philip Rosenthal promoted Rosenthal's collaboration with world-renowned designers, artists and architects, leading the Rosenthal brand to become the market leader in premium porcelain design. The impact of his work continues to shape the brand to this day: every Rosenthal collection reflects the commitment to unite form and function at the highest level of design – hence creating lasting value for everyday life.

Discover the life's work of Philip Rosenthal – the visionary entrepreneur who turned Rosenthal into a world-class design brand.

Historical development and business significance

Philip Rosenthal (23 October 1916 – 27 September 2001) was a German industrialist, politician and, above all, a visionary entrepreneur. As the son of company founder Philipp Rosenthal, he joined the family business Rosenthal in 1950 and gradually took on key roles – from advertising manager to head of product design and, in 1958, chairman of the board. In this position, Philip Rosenthal shaped the strategic and creative direction of the Rosenthal brand for decades, from 1958 to 1981. Under his leadership, Rosenthal developed into an international company with a global reputation that understood porcelain not only as a utility item, but as part of a modern culture of living.

Design philosophy and artistic collaborations

At the heart of Philip Rosenthal's work was the idea of the ‘designed environment’. He was convinced that design can improve the quality of life – both in private and urban spaces. That is why he integrated art and design not only into products, but also into architecture and corporate structures.

Philip Rosenthal's famous quote, ‘If you think about the cost too early, you kill creativity,’ is emblematic of his entrepreneurial courage. The promotion of originality, quality and artistic freedom became the hallmark of Rosenthal porcelain during his creative period. His collaborations with Walter Gropius, which resulted in the TAC tableware, were particularly influential. Other groundbreaking collaborations include the American industrial designer Raymond Loewy for the ‘2000’ coffee service, the Finnish designer Timo Sarpaneva for the Suomi tableware collection, and the collaboration with Andy Warhol. However, there are countless other designers, artists and architects who, together with Philip Rosenthal, have set milestones in design history.

War experiences: Philip Rosenthal as a legionnaire and political activist

Philip Rosenthal's life was shaped by the historical upheavals of the 20th century. Due to his Jewish heritage, he emigrated to England in the 1930s. At the beginning of the Second World War in 1939, he voluntarily joined the French Foreign Legion and fought in North Africa.

After France's defeat, he escaped from a labour camp, joined the Resistance – in Casablanca he made his first contact with the Americans – was recaptured and forced to work in a quarry, herded pigs and worked as a road labourer. After a fourth escape attempt in October 1942, he managed to flee to England via Gibraltar. Philip Rosenthal was awarded British citizenship for his services during the war. He later recounted his experiences in his autobiography, ‘Einmal Legionär’ (Once a Legionnaire), which reached number 3 on the bestseller list of DER SPIEGEL magazine and was also translated into French and Finnish. These experiences had a lasting impact on his commitment to social justice.

Philip Rosenthal's social commitment in politics: joining the SPD

After the war, Philip Rosenthal returned to Germany and rebuilt the Rosenthal company. In 1969, Rosenthal joined the SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany), became a member of the Bundestag and was Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economics for a time. His political work was characterised by the goal of promoting economic participation for employees. As early as 1963, he introduced an employee participation programme at Rosenthal – a model for democratised corporate governance that was far ahead of its time. Philip Rosenthal was an entrepreneur who not only promoted social responsibility, but also put it into practice.