The Orivit factory was founded in Cologne (Germany) in 1894 by Ferdinand Hubert Schmitz. The brandname Orivit was introduced in 1898 and was primarily meant for their (silverplated) pewterware. Soon however, other materials as brass, copper and mountings for porcelain and glass were also stamped Orivit.

Their participation in the 1900 Paris World Exhibition was a great succes and the firm was awarded a gold medal. Some of the important designers that worked for Orivit are Hermann Gradl, Walter Scherf and Georges Coudray. After producing all sorts of metalware with great succes, the firm collapsed in 1905 and was taken over by WMF. They produced Orivit products for some 25 years on.

A lot more about the Orivit factory can be found on www.orivit.com