Pallme Family

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Pallme-Mahl clan  (Business activity)

Joseph Pallme (-Mahl): 1705 - 1747

Joseph Pallme
(1705-1747)

Joseph Pallme (-Mahl) is considered the founder of traditional Bohemian crystal chandeliers. 
The original seat of the company, founded in 1724, was in Parchen (Bohemia), near the city of Steinschoenau.

 Already in 1724, founding year of the company, a 6-arm chandelier was delivered to Schloss Hof near Vienna. Today, this masterpiece can be admired in the museum for applied arts in Vienna. 

In 1727 Louis Quinze, King of France, ordered the production of a Pallme crystal chandelier. 
That same year the Brussels palais of Grandduchess Maria Elisabeth was furnished with Palme chandeliers. 

One of the most well-known classic crystal chandeliers is the famous "Maria Theresa" chandelier. This chandelier, first produced by Joseph Palme manufacture in 1746 for the Austrian Empress. When Joseph Palme died in 1747, his younger brother Christoph took over the family company and turned it into Christoph Pallme & Co. in 1751.

As early in 1754 the palace of Turkish Sultan Oman III. was furnished with a Palme chandelier. In 1756 Palme crystal chandeliers from Bohemia were delivered to the court of the Russian Tsarina Elisabeth.

During the years, the owner of the company were 

1724-1747:    Joseph (I) Pallme-Mahl , son of Christoph (I)

1747-1751:    Christoph (II) Pallme-Mahl , brother of Joseph (I)

1751-1781:    Christoph III , son of Christoph (II)

1781-1814:    Johan Christoph , son of Joh. Christ.

1815-1848:    Ignaz P-M & Comp. (new company name), 
                    the partners were Ignaz's brothers

1848-1871:    Reinhold P-M , son of Christoph (Ignaz's brother)

In 1859 the company and its facilities were moved to Haida (North Bohemia). 

 

Christoph Palme Facility (19th Century)

 

Today, the palaces of the Sultans of Brunei, of the Kings of Saudi Arabia and of the Sheiks of the Gulf States are beautified by worlds-famous Palme (-Mahl) chandeliers. But Presidents also enjoy the sparkling sheen of Christoph Palme chandeliers, as for example in the White House in Washington, at Schloss Bellevue in Berlin and in many other European government buildings

On the occasion of the 1929 world exposition in Barcelona the world's oldest crystal chandelier manufacturer Christoph Palme received special recognition: A gold medal for the finest chandelier.

After the second world war the Palme chandelier manufacturers had to leave Bohemia.

They established new manufacturing facilities in West Germany:

Baden-Wuttenberg:    Reinhold Palme & Sohne, Schw. Ghünd

Hessen:                    Palme & Walter, Gross-Umstad

Hessen:                    Gerhard Palme, Limburg

Nordrhein-Weftfalia:    Christoph Palme Leuchten, Rheinbach, near Bon

 

(Source: Members of the different Palme-Mahl families; Christoph Palme Leuchten, Reinbach;)