• Kaldewei is named "Brand of the century".
• Introduction of the aesthetic Coordinated Colours Collection for flush-fit showers

Kaldewei launches with Conoflat the first enamelled, absolutely flush-fit "State of the art" shower tray.

Franz Kaldewei joins the family company in the fourth generation and positions the company as an absolute premium brand. With its variety of models Kaldewei is the market leader in the bathtub and shower trays sector in Germany and in Europe.

Opening of the Kaldewei Competence Centre at the location of the former company founder villa.
Kaldewei receives the 25th product design award.
Kaldewei's subsidiary USA Inc. is founded.

With the foundation of the subsidiaries in Southeast Asia
and China, Kaldewei becomes the global supplier.

Kaldewei entrusts the design of an exclusive assortment to designer Ettore Sottsass and his studio Sottsass Associati.

Kaldewei builds the world's biggest furnace in the enamelling plant.

Kaldewei entrusts well-known designers with the design of bathtubs and shower trays in innovative colours.
With this step, the existing product range is extended by sophisticated models, and at the same time the new market is conquered.

Franz-Dieter Kaldewei takes over the company after the sudden death of his father Heinrich.
In subsequent years, he makes the company Europe's market leader. This is also expressed by the new claim "Europe's No. 1 for baths".

An unusual quality demonstration takes place under the supervision of a notary.
A pachyderm weighting 2,210 kg, the elephant "Ayda", tests the stability of a Kaldewei bathtub.

Heinrich Kaldewei, the manager of the company, puts emphasis on 3.5 mm thick steel enamel bathtubs. A 30-year guarantee is offered on them for the first time.
This makes the Kaldewei bathtub the synonym of quality and durability in Germany.

With the help of a new hydraulic drawing press with 1000 t pressure output, the bathtubs can be for the first time seamlessly drawn from one piece of steel.
With this technology Kaldewei ousts the cast baths which were common until then and becomes the market leader in Germany.

Production of solid-fuel hot water tanks is started.

Kaldewei manufactures the first free-standing bathtubs which are still welded together from several parts.
50 employees produce 60 enamelled bathtubs a day provided with a fourfold coating fired on them according to a complex procedure.

The quality label "Anchor" is created. Now the company operates as "tin ware manufacturer and stamping and welding shop".

The company was founded on 1st October 1918 by Franz Kaldewei, the great-grand father of the current managing director Franz Kaldewei.
At the beginning, Kaldewei manufactures raw materials for enamel industry.