The Harlinger Aardewerk & Tegelfabriek was founded by Henk and Maaike Oswald in 1972, driven by the discovery of a large tile collection, hidden away in their newly purchased home. The factory’s story, however, stretches further back to 1598, when Steffan Gunter de Olde was at the helm, and Harlingen was the cradle of Frisian Majolica. By bringing the ceramics factory back to life, they put Harlingen back on the map as a centre for ceramics. Working with ancient recipes, the factory produces unique high-quality handmade Majolica floor and wall tiles.

Today, the factory is run by their son Rikus Oswald. They guarantee the quality of their product by training their craftsmen from the ground up, in the old techniques and the Harlingen style. The factory has carried out various renovation projects, for example Kasteel de Haar in Haarzuilen and Schloss Augustusburg in Brühl. A highlight was winning the gold medal at the Denkmal in Leipzig in 2004, for bringing back the Majolica process and for carrying out ceramic restorations using ancient techniques and training up craftsmen.