Käerzefabrik Peters

Since 1885, there was a small craft business in Esch-sur-Sûre that produced candles in the traditional way. Until the death of Christophe Goedert in 1990, this craft business was an established family business. After that, the fate of the "Käerzefabrik" lay in uncertainty for two years.

Then, in 1992, the "Käerzefabrik" owned by John Peters revived the old tradition of manual candle making in Esch-sur-Sûre. A lathe operator and locksmith by trade, he trained in Germany to learn the basics of candle making, more specifically, the profession of wax puller.

Step by step the "Käerzefabrik" grew: at the beginning it worked only for the ecclesiastical sector. Gradually the demand arose in the field of decorative candles. A year later a store was opened in the factory. The production was changed. Now the factory specialized in the production of candles on demand for various occasions, such as: Weddings, baptism, communion, birthdays, etc..


Already in 1998 the company became too small and so it had to move; however, it remained in the same village, Esch-sur-Sûre. Here was built a larger and modern store, where not only candles, but also other decorative items, were sold.

In 2008, John Peters then built a large building in Heiderscheid, because the space in Esch-sur-Sûre was once again not enough. One year later, the "Käerzefabrik" moved to Heiderscheid, in a store of 300sqm with more than 13 000 articles (church area, decorative candles, figurines, lamps, etc.).

So, for more than 20 years, the tradition of manual candle making in family hands has been taken over by John Peters and his children with much effort and enthusiasm.

Then in October 2016, Jan Peters took over from John.