Johann Maresch, who was born on July 11, 1821 went into partnership with Adolf Baehr around 1841.  Baehr had previously owned a factory in Pirna that produced ceramic wares and garden gnomes.

The partnership became a family affair.  After the death of Adolf from Tuberculosis in 1849, Johann married Adolf's daughter, Wilhelminy Bahrove Maria Louisa on November 11, 1850, with the blessings of her mother Wilhelmina. Between the years of 1851 to 1868 they had ten children.

Baehr and Maresch Siderolith Fabrik was located on the corner of Teplitzerstrasse and Johannesstrasse in the town of Aussig an der Elbe. Originally they marked their wares with B and M, around 1863, they switched to the famous JM markings.  They used an "ironstone" clay mixture: a type of porcelain that is more durable, having more strength and weight than fine porcelain.  Their production was extensive.  Their wares were shipped far and wide.

In 1890, Ferdinand his son  took over the family business and for nine years kept the factory name the same eventually changing it Siderolith and Majolika Fabrik of Ferdinand Maresch.  He however, did not change the distinctive JM markings that were stamped into the wet clay before firing.

Ferdinand Maresch

During the early 1900's The company prospered  under his management sending his wares through the rail and waterways into Europe and America.The factory was run by Ferdinand until his death on August 2,1940  The factory kept producing its ceramic wares, but hard times were about to come upon Europe. The factory halted production in 1944.  In 1945, the factory was damaged by the American air attack that took place in April of that year.  But the building still stood and the history has yet another chapter.

At the end of the war, all Germans were expelled from Sudentenland, which included Aussig an der Elbe.  At this point a national administrator was appointed to run the factory.  The company spiralled into a downward tailspin. In 1948 the administrator wanted to regain the factories former glory and suggested that the company make a molded patriotic bust of the new Communist President, Klement Gottwald.  Since they could not sculp the bust from Gottwald himself, they went to the cinema to study the news reels to sculp his model.  Unfortunately, the factory was accused of ridiculing the head of state and inevitably the factory was closed all together. The factory building however stood till the 1980's when it was finally demolished.

Inside the factory 1940's		Store room

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