Stuff You Missed in History Class

Episode: Melitta Bentz and the Coffee Filter

Hosts: Holly Frey & Tracy V. Wilson
Date: February 23, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Holly and Tracy tell the story of Melitta Bentz, the German entrepreneur who invented the paper coffee filter and revolutionized coffee culture in the early 20th century. They discuss Melitta's invention, her journey from housewife to businesswoman, and the growth of her company. The hosts also candidly address the troubling chapter of the Melitta company’s collaboration with Nazi Germany, providing a nuanced look at both the innovations and darker historical realities tied to one of coffee's most recognizable brands.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origins of Melitta Bentz (03:52)

• Birth and Early Life:

  • Amalie Augusta Melitta Liebscher was born January 31, 1873, in Dresden, Germany. Parents owned a bookstore; grandparents owned a brewery, giving her a background in family businesses.
  • Married Johannes Emil Hugo Bentz (“Hugo”) and had three children (Willi, Horst, and Herta).

• The Coffee Problem:

  • Melitta loved coffee but was frustrated by coffee grounds in her drink and the inconsistent, often bitter flavor (“She got frustrated with the coffee grounds that made it into the cup and interrupted the otherwise pleasurable beverage.” – Holly, 04:43).
  • At that time, brewing methods like flip burners and pots with metal tubes often let grounds slip into the cup (05:36–07:57).

2. The Coffee Filter Invention (08:00)

• Experimentation & Breakthrough:

  • Tried making modifications, but they all let grounds slip through.
  • Inspired one morning to use blotting paper from her son’s notebook as a filter—this effectively kept grounds out (08:12).
  • “She tore a page of blotting paper out of her son's notebook...placed that over the holes...then none of the grounds went along with it.” – Tracy, 08:12

• Patent and Product Development:

  • After testing with friends, Melitta patented her “Coffee Filter with a domed underside, recessed bottom, and inclined flow holes” in June 1908 (09:36).

    • Significant as she was one of the first women in Germany to hold a patent.

  • The first device was a metal mug-shaped apparatus with special holes and blotting paper discs (10:38).

  • Notable terminology confusion: historically, the metal device was called “the filter” and the paper, “filter paper,” but usage evolved (12:13).

3. Founding and Growing the Melitta Company (16:36)

• Early Years:

  • Started business at home as “M. Bentz,” with tiny capital (“capital in its ledger was a mere 72 Pfennings” – Holly, 16:36).
  • Sold filters and filter paper locally, with children delivering orders and Hugo leveraging retail connections.

• Expansion:

  • Leipzig Trade Fair (1909): Major breakthrough as other retailers discovered the product (18:09).
  • Rapid growth: “In the year that followed that first trade show, Melitta sold 1,250 of her metal filters.” – Tracy, 20:25
  • International Hygiene Exposition (1911): Won gold & silver medals, expanded product line for tea and boil-over prevention (21:29).

• Factory & Business Evolution:

  • Needed more space -> opened first factory in Dresden (22:02).
  • WWI slowed progress—coffee imports tanked, the company switched to manufacturing paper boxes (24:58).

• Post-War Adaptations:

  • Battled imitators by introducing distinct red and green packaging (“the beginning of the company’s signature red and green packaging, which is still in use today.” – Holly, 25:50).
  • Moved to a larger facility in Minden in the late 1920s—Melitta remains headquartered there (26:27).

4. Workplace Progressiveness & Social Benefits (27:48)

• Progressive worker benefits for the time: 5-day work week, 30 days leave, Christmas bonuses, later anniversary bonuses, own doctor and dentist.
• “This all sounds great, but there is some spin doctoring going on…”—these benefits coincided with problematic collaboration during the Nazi era (28:48).

5. Melitta’s Legacy and Company Direction (29:35)

• Melitta and Hugo retired in 1932; company leadership transferred to sons Willi and Horst (29:35).
• 1935: Introduced the now-familiar porcelain, single-piece pour-over filter with matching conical filter paper (30:10).

The Dark Chapter: Collaboration with Nazi Germany (35:16–43:00)

• Model Company Status & Propaganda:

  • During WWII, the Melitta factory stopped coffee filter production and shifted to producing supplies (cookware, ammunition belts) for the Wehrmacht.
  • Company internal newsletters, overseen by Horst Bentz who joined the SS in 1933, were full of Nazi propaganda and anti-Semitic content (35:16–39:13).
    • Quoting from company newsletter:

      “The new publication would be a ‘faithful companion on our march into the future, on our path to the new great and beautiful Germany of Adolf Hitler.’” – Holly, 36:09

• Company Culture and Nazi Oversight:

  • Employees were exposed to Nazi “work troop” surveillance, loyalty reinforcement, anti-Jewish blacklists, and incentives for compliance.
  • Social programs (like the Melitta aid fund and vegetable farm) promoted a sense of “corporate family,” but also enforced ideological control.

• Economic Growth via Complicity:

  • The company prospered during the Third Reich, not merely as a means of survival.
  • Worker benefits were often a tradeoff for low pay and stricter oversight (39:13–40:44).

• Postwar Reckoning:

  • After WWII, Melitta confronted its history of collaboration (“Over the years, the company has acknowledged its part and at one point also prepared a report on it...” – Tracy, 40:47).
  • In 2000, participated in reparations for forced laborers, though details of Melitta’s own use of forced labor remain unclear (41:33).
    • The company now publicly denounces racism and supports human rights.

Melitta Bentz’s Legacy and the Modern Company (43:00)

• Melitta and Hugo died in 1950 and 1946, respectively.
• Their family retained significant control as Melitta grew into an international brand.
• Today, Melitta manufactures more than 50 million coffee filters daily and sells coffee and brewing equipment globally.
• The distinction between “pour-over” (device) and “filter” (paper) aligns with modern terminology.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I promise you, I didn’t know this until I was so far in it that I couldn’t really backpedal out of it and start a new episode. So today we are gonna talk about this very formative moment in coffee culture history. We are gonna talk about some ugly wartime collaboration and, you know, kind of where that company is today.”
  – Holly Frey, 02:46

• “It is unclear if Melita was using one of the pots we have described here or something else, but whatever she was using was definitely letting grounds get into her cup of coffee.”
  – Holly Frey, 07:56

• “Once Melita had tested this method herself a few times, she expanded her test to include her friends. She started hosting small afternoon gatherings with her friends where she would have them over and serve them coffee that she had brewed using her new method. She wanted to see if they agreed that her preparation resulted in a smoother blend and an overall better drinking experience.”
  – Holly Frey, 09:36

• “Melita Benz became one of the first women in Germany to hold a patent.”
  – Holly Frey, 09:59

• “This all sounds great, but there is some spin doctoring going on when this is discussed because that fund and some of those other benefits were implemented at a time when some deeply problematic things were happening at the factory.”
  – Holly Frey, 28:48

• “Per the company's website: ‘The Melita group is actively committed to democratic values and principles such as equal opportunities and freedom of expression. Respect for human rights is a matter of course. The company rejects racism in any form and is clearly in favor of equal rights for all people.’”
  – Holly Frey, 42:23

Important Timestamps

• 03:52 — Melitta Bentz’s early life and marriage
• 04:43 — The “bad cup of coffee” problem and brewing methods of the era
• 08:12 — The invention: Using blotting paper as the first coffee filter
• 09:36 — Patent process and historical significance
• 10:38 — Description of the original filter apparatus
• 16:36 — Launching the Melitta business from home
• 18:09 — First major trade fair breakthrough
• 21:29 — International accolades and product diversification
• 22:58–25:07 — WWI disruptions and pivot to paper carton manufacturing
• 25:50 — Iconic red and green packaging introduced
• 26:27 — Relocation to Minden and industrial scale-up
• 27:48 — Worker benefits and post-WWI progressive practices
• 29:35 — Melitta and Hugo retire; company passes to sons
• 30:10 — The innovation: Conical porcelain filter and modern paper coffee filter
• 35:16 — Melitta’s collaboration with Nazi Germany begins
• 36:09 — Nazi propaganda and forced ideological compliance
• 40:47 — Acknowledgment and partial reckoning of the company’s Nazi-era history
• 41:33 — Reparations and public stance on human rights
• 43:00 — Melitta’s passing, modern company scale, and enduring legacy

Final Thoughts & Takeaways

• Melitta Bentz was a pioneering inventor who turned a common annoyance into an enduring product, becoming one of the first women in Germany to hold a patent.
• The Melitta company’s innovations shaped global coffee culture, but its success includes a legacy of troubling collaboration with the Nazi regime.
• Today, Melitta the brand openly confronts its history and promotes values of equality and human rights, with the legacy of Melitta Bentz enshrined at company headquarters—and in the daily ritual of millions of coffee drinkers worldwide.

For those interested in more historic innovations and complex corporate legacies, this episode is both enlightening and sobering—a reminder that even the most everyday objects can bear witness to the full sweep of history.