History of Astoria

1. 1919Prehistory at Simplo

   At Simplo in Hamburg, whose fountain pens carry the Montblanc brand, Georg Illgner is production manager. In 1919 Ernst Rösler, son-in-law of the partner J. C. Voß, joins the firm and builds up its own gold nib production (“Collectible Stars” I). According to his wife’s memoirs in the Diary, Illgner no longer felt equal to the growing business and saw a rival in Rösler.

2. 1921Founded in Hamburg

   Illgner leaves Simplo and founds the Astoria company in Hamburg together with Sigmund Popper: Illgner is in charge of production, Popper of sales (“Collectible Stars” I). According to the Diary several financial backers stood behind the founding, and the seat was Hamburg-Bahrenfeld; a post in the Penexchange forum (thread “Astoria Goliath - Handmade in Germany”) also names Hermann Dietzel and Wilhelm Frings, who do not appear in the books. The firm is called “Astoria” Füllhalter-Werk G.m.b.H., and its trademark is a black-and-white quartered circle. At Simplo, Ernst Rösler takes over as production manager (see History of Montblanc).

3. 1922Safety pens in many sizes

   Astoria makes mainly safety pens: black in sizes 00, 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 10, plus lever fillers in sizes 1, 2, 4 and 6 (all 1921–1932) and, from 1922 to 1926, a simple eyedropper filler no. 1. From 1922 safety pens with overlays of rolled gold, 585 gold and silver are added, round or octagonal, with patterns such as barleycorn, paisley or flowers (“Collectible Stars” I). At first the pens look very much like those of Simplo. Some overlays come from outside jewellers and then carry no mark (post on the Fountain Pen Network); in Italy similar overlays were also common on pens of other brands (post on the Fountain Pen Network).

4. 1924Catalogue, branches and exports

   A catalogue of about 1924 shows the range from the small no. 00 up to no. 10, in short (kz) and long (lg) versions, plus a no. 4 kz with a pierced overlay (“ajour”) (Diary). Astoria exports on a large scale — according to “Collectible Stars” I thanks to Popper’s connections to Italy, Eastern Europe and France, according to the Diary thanks to Illgner’s contacts in Italy, Czechoslovakia and France. In Milan the firm Ing. E. Webber & C. sells the pens (“Collectible Stars” I); a sales tin lists branches in Berlin, Vienna, Milan, Zurich, Copenhagen, Kraków, Madrid and Constantinople (Astoria sales tin).

5. 1928Snake clips

   An Astoria catalogue of 1928 offers slip-on clips in the shape of a snake. No such clips appear in Simplo’s catalogues; whether Montblanc ever sold snake clips is not documented (“Collectible Stars” I).

6. 1929Push-button fillers and bought-in pencils

   Push-button fillers join the safety and lever fillers, for example the no. 6 in pearl-and-black marbled material (1929–1932, Diary). Metal propelling pencils to go with the precious-metal pens are bought in, from Wahl-Eversharp and Fend among others; the plates in “Collectible Stars” I list them from 1929 to 1934.

7. 1930DUX and other brands

   Around 1930 Astoria launches the DUX series, its own development of the sac filler: instead of a push button, a turning mechanism presses the button down by means of a V-shaped piece of metal (“Collectible Stars” I; its table lists the DUX turning fillers from 1932 to 1936). Besides Astoria, the firm sells pens under the names Atlantic, Adler, Akademia, Eminent, Special and Goldjac, plus dealer brands such as “Der Kauffmann” and “Trigon” (“Collectible Stars” I).

8. 1932Taken over by Simplo

   The Great Depression brings Astoria, too, a sharp fall in sales. Although the economy slowly picks up in 1932 and the order book is good, the reserves are no longer sufficient: Simplo (Montblanc-Simplo from 1934) buys Astoria in 1932. Plant and part of the workforce move to Simplo; Sigmund Popper becomes sales manager there, among other things for Eastern Europe, and stays until 1938 (“Collectible Stars” I). The Diary gives mismanagement as the cause of the difficulties. See also History of Montblanc.

9. 1933A sub-brand of Simplo

   After the takeover Simplo sells Astoria pens from the old stock and develops new lines, which are not actively marketed, however (“Collectible Stars” I). Documented are, among others, push-button fillers imprinted ROYAL in light blue (1933–1935), the DUX turning fillers (1932–1936) and DUX push-button fillers (1934–1936), and push-button fillers imprinted ASTORIA FABRIKAT (1935–1937), ADLER ASTORIA FABRIKAT (1935–1938) and ATLANTIK. The azure blue ATLANTIK carries a triangle as its mark — Montblanc later used a triangle for markets in the Arab world (“Collectible Stars” I).

10. 1936End of the sub-brand

    According to the Diary Montblanc keeps Astoria as a sub-brand until 1936 (Astoria Dux). The “golden” Montblanc catalogue of 1936 still offers special nibs “ASTORIA Standard” and “ASTORIA Albrecht Dürer” (“Collectible Stars” I), and the plates in “Collectible Stars” I list pens with the Astoria imprint until 1938. In contrast, a post on the Fountain Pen Network says that Montblanc never used the name again after 1936; the books know of later uses (see 1952).

11. 1952Monte Rosa as “Astoria”

    In 1952 Montblanc launches the Monte Rosa school pen. In Switzerland the firm Dimmler holds the rights to that name, so there the pen is sold as “Astoria”, occasionally also imprinted “Reflex” (“Collectible Stars” II, “Collectible Stars” I; page Monte Rosa). According to visit reports of the sales management, Montblanc also offers bought-in, inexpensive writing instruments under the Astoria name in selected markets until the end of the 1950s (“Collectible Stars” I).

12. 1977Part of Montblanc

    When Alfred Dunhill acquires 60 % of the shares in Montblanc-Simplo, the company comprises, according to the illustrated book, the works in Hamburg, Wilster and Meldorf and “the Astoria company” (see History of Montblanc).

13. 1993Protected brand name

    The Diary names Astoria — alongside Monte Rosa and Reflex — as a brand name still protected for Montblanc-Simplo.

14. 2004Brand still with Montblanc

    In August 2004 the word and figurative mark “Astoria” is still internationally registered to Montblanc.

15. 2009A new beginning

    Montblanc had let the trademark protection lapse. In 2009 Horst Max Schrage, a former Montblanc employee, becomes the owner of the Astoria brand and revives it (“Collectible Stars” I; the timeline on p. 14 gives 2010). Apart from the name, the new company, Astoria Schreibkultur UG & Co. KG in Hamburg, has nothing to do with Montblanc or with the Astoria of 1921. Its first edition, “Projekt Goliath”, comes onto the market in 2009 (post on Penexchange (thread “Astoria Goliath 2010 - Erfahrungsbericht”)): handmade from hard rubber with sterling silver trim, with a hand-ground gold nib and a push button under the blind cap, or with a piston on request, in a case of Italian walnut. As in 1921, a former employee of the Hamburg pen maker stands at the beginning.

16. 2010Model 2010 and Blue Limited Edition

    The first edition is followed by the Goliath “Model 2010” (Astoria 2010). To mark the revival of the brand, a Blue Limited Edition of 89 pieces appears: blue and black hard rubber, a double sterling silver band at the bottom of the cap and a platinum-plated 18 kt gold nib. In October 2010 the new Astoria is introduced on the Fountain Pen Network; by the end of the year the smaller “David” is in development.

17. 2011New website, Goliath and David

    In March 2011 the firm’s new website goes online (post on the Fountain Pen Network). The range now comprises the Goliath as Black Edition, as Blue Limited Edition and as Silver Edition with a sterling silver overlay and piston filling (Silver Edition), plus the smaller David as Silver Edition and with a snake clip whose eyes are made of garnet (David Snake); leather goods and cufflinks are announced. In June the firm shows its pens at the pen show in Nuremberg (post in the Penexchange forum (thread “Wer kommt zur Pen-Show nach Nürnberg am Sa., 11. Juni 2011?”)). In November versions with eggshell decoration follow, as well as a rollerball and a cartridge pen (post on the Fountain Pen Network; page Project David).

18. 2012Silver and damascene work from Toledo

    In August 2012 the David appears in sterling silver, hammered with various tools by an artisan in Toledo. The David is the smallest Astoria size, about as large as the no. 1 of the 1920s (post on the Fountain Pen Network). In the autumn the first damascene work from Toledo follows — 24 kt gold inlaid in iron by the traditional technique —, first on the David (post on the Fountain Pen Network) and in October also on the Goliath (post on the Fountain Pen Network; page Goliath Toledo).

19. 2015New cartridge pen

    A new cartridge pen appears, made of the same material as the Writers Edition Oscar Wilde (post on Penexchange (thread “Schräger Vogel”)). For vintage Astoria pens the owner of the brand is also the person to contact about repairs and authenticity (post on the Fountain Pen Network, 2017).

20. 2016Astoria Schreibkultur KG

    The firm now appears as Astoria Schreibkultur KG. The cap top carries a new metal logo instead of the earlier one, apparently of plastic (post on Penexchange (thread “Neueste Füller-Zugänge”)).

21. 2026The brand lives on

    The Astoria brand still exists. The maker’s website is currently not reachable (as of November 2026). maxpens.de, the website of Horst Max Schrage, still carries the notice on the Astoria pens of the Goliath series in hard rubber, made by hand in a small workshop in Hamburg, as piston or push-button fillers and with a hand-ground 18 kt gold nib.

Facts from “Collectible Stars” volumes I and II, the Diary and the illustrated book, from posts on the Fountain Pen Network and on Penexchange, from the maker’s earlier websites (2010–2016) and from maxpens.de. Every source reference in the text is a link: hovering over it shows the work and page (for the illustrated book, the chapter) or the forum, thread and date; a click leads to the description of the book or to the post. Where the sources differ, both statements are given; in case of contradictions “Collectible Stars” applies.