The ceramics factory Marei Keramik in Rheinbach, Germany, was founded in 1935 by the brothers Max and Reinhold Eifler. The company name was created from the first letters of their names: MAx and REInhold. From the beginning, the factory focused on producing decorative ceramics.

After the Second World War the company experienced strong growth due to the increasing demand for household and decorative products. During the 1950s and 1960s, Marei became a well-known producer of what is now called West German Pottery. The factory produced vases, bowls and decorative objects with distinctive shapes and textured glazes, often in bold colors. Many of these pieces carried model numbers and were marked with “Marei Keramik – W. Germany.”

Production took place in several industrial halls where clay was shaped, fired in large ceramic kilns and finished with glazes. From the factory in Rheinbach, the products were distributed throughout Germany and exported to other European countries as well as to North America. At its peak the factory provided employment for many people from the surrounding region.

By the late 1970s, the market for decorative ceramics began to decline. Changing interior design trends and competition from cheaper imported products made production increasingly difficult. Like many other West German pottery manufacturers, Marei faced growing economic pressure. Around 1984, production was finally stopped and the factory closed.