Franz Pieler (mining engineer, 1835)

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Franz Caspar Maria Pieler (born May 11, 1835 in Arnsberg ( Westphalia ), † October 25, 1910 in Ruda ( Upper Silesia )) was a German mining specialist. He initially worked in the civil service, later switched to the private sector and for many years was general director of Franz von Ballestrem's estates and industrial plants .

Life

Pieler was born in Arnsberg as the son of the regional historian and high school professor Franz Ignatz Caspar Jacob and his wife Henriette Gottschalk. He himself married Emilie, geb. Mattieu, the marriage had six sons and five daughters. Among them was his son of the same name.

After attending the high school there , he studied mining, became a mountain assessor in 1885 and a mountain master in Dillenburg in 1872 . At the same time he was director of the local mountain school.

In 1873 he retired from civil service and became mine director of the association for hard coal mining in the Wurmrevier near Aachen and in 1883 mine director at the Dortmund Union.In 1885 he followed the call of the Reichstag president and entrepreneur Count Franz von Ballestrem and went to Ruda in Upper Silesia. Under his leadership, coal production rose from 0.3 to 2.0 million tons per year. He was able to significantly expand the Brandenburg mine, which was founded in 1750, and open a new Castellengo mine. Until his death, Pieler successfully managed Ballestrem's property.

He was not only a highly talented miner and businessman, but also a gifted inventor and scientist. Among professionals known and appreciated is its "Pieler lamp," a gassy indicating lamp, which in 1883 received a gold medal in Berlin. This type of lamp remained in use until the 1930s. Pieler brought his experience from coal mining in the Aachen district and the Ruhr area with him to Upper Silesia. As a new successful mining method, he introduced flushing backfill, which he had come across in South African gold mines .

He also achieved great services in social areas: he founded a. a. many welfare institutions for its workers and employees. The population in Ruda increased from 7,500 to 18,000 during his work. He occupies a prominent position among the Silesian business leaders.

In 1900 he was given the honorary title of royal secret mountain ridge . On this occasion, Franz von Ballestrem, out of personal gratitude, presented him with the honor mallet made of pure gold and many precious stones, which can be viewed today in the Bochum mining museum .

Pieler died on October 25, 1910. He was buried in a grave chapel built especially for him, framed by two bronze angels and a life-size marble group “Jesus receives the coming home”, created by the Berlin sculptor Professor Limburg.

His oldest son Franz Pieler successfully continued his work.

Fonts

  • About simple methods for studying the pit weather . Aachen 1883, published by Rudolf Barth

literature

personal data
SURNAME Pieler, Franz
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Pieler, Franz Caspar Maria
BRIEF DESCRIPTION royal ridge
DATE OF BIRTH May 11, 1835
PLACE OF BIRTH Arnsberg
DATE OF DEATH October 25, 1910
Place of death Ruda