The Collection of Franz E. Burda (1932–2017) was compiled over 40 years from the 1960s onwards and comprises figures and snuff-boxes almost exclusively from the Meissen manufactory. The porcelain is representative of the breadth and creativity of 18th-century Meissen, with many important examples modelled by Johan Joachim Kändler (1706–1775), as well as Friedrich Elias Meyer (1723–1785), Johan Friedrich Eberlein (1695–1749) and Peter Reinicke (1711/15–1768).

Franz Eugen Burda (1932–2017) was the third generation of a family known for their German publishing business, which was founded in 1903 and has subsequently grown internationally. Today, the business is run by Hubert Burda, alongside his children who joined the company in 2010.

Franz Eugen, the eldest brother of Hubert (b. 1940), was a passionate collector of porcelain and silver, who loved the culture and history of dining, using the Meissen figures as table ornaments as they were originally intended to stimulate contemplation and conversation. Their brother Frieder Burda (1936–2019) was also a passionate collector, focusing on 20th- and 21st-century art, for which he formed a foundation and built a museum in Baden-Baden.

For more information on the family and the Burda Media business, please see The History of Burda.

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