HISTORY / 1841 Rudolf Ditmar, a German kerosene lamp salesman, founded a factory in Vienna. 1850 Rudolf Ditmar invented the “Viennese Moderateur” oil lamps that conquered the whole world. 1878 Together with his brother Friedrich, Ditmar set up another factoryilus 1897Nautin Znojmo, located today in the southeastern part of the Czech Republic. 1904 Upon R. Ditmar’s death in 1895, his heirs established “Kunstthonwarenfabrik Rudolf Ditmar Erben” as a trading company. Its prosperous factory was valued at 1,498,845 Austrian crowns. 1909 The Znojmo factory was bought by the Lichtensterns, owners of a ceramics factory in Willhemsburg, Austria. 1919 A merger with the Urbach Brothers business creates the “Ditmar-Urbach” firm, which was immediately incorporated as a joint-stock company. It launched production of washbasins, bathtubs and sinks in 1920, for the very first time in Europe. 1932 1938 The factory was expropriated and taken over by Ostmark - Keramik AG of Vienna on January 1, 1939. 1945 The factory was bombed on March 1,1945, and production had to be stopped. The factory was nationalized on December 27, 1945. The state-owned enterprise was renamed “Keramické závody n. p. Znojmo”. 1958 The state-owned enterprise was renamed “Keramické závody n. p. Znojmo”. 1961 A modern ceramics factory was established in Bechyně, giving birth to “Jihočeská keramika a.s.” Jihočeská keramika logo 1970 The manufacturing of WC combinations began, benefiting from the housing construction boom of the 1970s. 1990 “Znojemské keramické závody a.s.” was established and assumed all previous assets. 1991 The state privatized the Bechyně factory by means of an asset sale to Keramik Holding AG Laufen, Switzerland. 1992 The JIKA logo is redesigned emphasizing the link with Laufen, including its distinctive claim. 1995 Laufen took control of the Znojmo factory, bring both production centers under the same business structure. 1999 The subsidiary company LAUFEN CZ was established in Prague to coordinate production and sales of both factories. As LAUFEN itself was acquiredby the Spanish logo on product leader Roca Sanitario shortly thereafter, the Czech company became an important part of the Roca Group. 2008 Product lines were strengthened by the launch of faucets and accessories. 2012 The scope of production expanded further as in-house furniture and faucet assembly begins. 2023 Celebrations of 145 years since the founding of the factory in Znojmo.