Amalie Auguste Melitta Bentz
Personal Information
Born: 1873
Died: 1950
Country of Birth: Germany
Nationality: Germany
Ethnicity: White
Education
unknown
Professional Life
Field of Study: Inventor, Entrepreneur
Institution/Corporation: Melitta Group KG
Degrees & Memberships: none
Awards & Achievements
Awards: 1910, Gold Medal for Coffee Filter System, International Health Exhibition; 1910, Silver Medal Saxon Innkeeper s Association for Coffee Filter System
Achievements: Invented paper coffee filter system 1908; founded Mellitta; ran the company by herself after her huband was conscripted in WW1; is credited with reducing emplyees work week to 5 days, giving up to 3 weeks yearly vacation & providing Christmas bonuses; in 1938 founded Melitta Aid, a social fund for company employees
Invented paper coffee brewing system in 1908
She 1st used blotting paper from her son Willy's school exercise book & a brass pot punctured with a nail
Was granted a patent by Kaiserliche Patentamt (Imperial Patent Office) June 20, 1908
Her husband, Hugo, and their 2 sons, Willy & Horst, were her employees working at home to assemble, package & sell the filters
Sold 1200 filters in 1909 at the Leipzig Fair
1910, won a gold medal at the International Health Exhibition & silver medal at the Saxon Innkeeper's Association
Couldn't make the filters during WWI because paper was rationed; supported the family by selling cartons
Set up Melitta Aid Systems, a social fund for company employees it offered Christmas bonuses, increased vacation days from 6 to 15 per year, & reduced the work week to 5 days
Her grandchildren still run the company & it is still in Minden, Germany