Georg Arnold Behn

Georg Arnold Behn

Georg Arnold Behn (born August 17, 1846 in Lübeck ; † January 5, 1904 in the Wehrawald sanatorium , Todtmoos ) was a German businessman and senator of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck.

Life

origin

Broad Street 95

Behn took over the A. Behn & Sohn business, which had already been founded by his grandfather in small circumstances, as an inheritance from his father, but only created the large goods business himself as its manager and was considered a typical role model for the "good Lübeck" merchant.

His father's house was on Breite Strasse and opened onto the street with a shop . A passage led through its adjacent front storage rooms to the rear office rooms . His private office was particularly worth seeing.

career

Merchant

Contor shield

product

After completing his training, Behn worked abroad for several years. Behn, who had been working in London until then, joined his father's business in 1867 as an authorized signatory . It was the time when Lübeck was about to join the Zollverein . The customs policy connection of the city with the surrounding states, which are already part of the Zollverein, such as Mecklenburg , Schleswig-Holstein and Hanover, opened up the prospects of a new development for Lübeck's domestic trade. Since Behn knew how to interpret the signs of the times correctly and devoted himself so successfully to his father's business with all his might, the foundations of the newly organized large company were completely consolidated when he became sole proprietor seven years later from the hands of Christian Arnold Behn, his father Management of the business received. Is it a beginning of his activity tea, spices and hops action was, it was already a trade of tea - and grocery en Gros and en detail . The economic boom of Behn'schen wholesale continued. At the time of his resignation from the Lübeck Senate in 1903, it was the largest store in its branch in the area and in all parts of northern Germany . The company A. Behn & Sohn had acquired a highly respected name, particularly in the Elbe region , but also in western and southern parts of Germany .

In 1897 the Lübeck store moved from the Breiten to Wahmstraße due to lack of space . In the backyard of the meanwhile historical building complex of the "Neue Rösterei" from 43-45 there is again a coffee roastery in a restaurant with a coffee house and bar.

Citizenship

In 1881 Behn was elected a member of Lübeck's citizenship in 1881. He had repeatedly held the office of first deputy chairman in both bodies of the citizens' committee . He took part in the deliberations and work of the bodies. He gained attention and influence particularly in questions relating to trade , shipping and rail transport . The committee for the construction of the Elbe-Trave Canal , which later became the Canal Association, worked towards the final realization of the project. His good connections to the Magdeburg merchants and to the other places in the Elbe region also helped him . Since he was often in Magdeburg, he sought to promote interest in supporting the Lübeck canal efforts in the relevant merchant circles there. He also devoted himself to railroad issues with particular love. One of his favorite areas there was to promote the completion of the Lübeck-Segeberger Railway , which he did not achieve until his death . From 1880, with an interruption from 1886 to 1888, he was a member of the Chamber of Commerce . When he was appointed to the Senate in 1889, he held the position of first deputy president .

Since 1885 he was the first deputy as chairman of the spokesman for the citizenship and from 1888 until his election to the senate their spokesman.

He made particular contributions to the public recognition of Lübeck's industrial sector . At that time, most people in Lübeck saw industry rather than secondary in the sense that it had to become a factor in economic life. The only promising form of economy was trade. The Senate, Chamber of Commerce and all other authorities were geared towards the purely commercial system. For a long time, this prevented the city from perceiving all indications of the importance of the large industrial part, which is indispensable to the rest of economic life. The removal of such old prejudices and biases is thanks to him. The founding of the Lübeck Industry Association emerged from the dispute over this . Together with the Chamber of Commerce, this made himself the bearer of contemporary endeavors. The senator became the chairman of the association and remained so for many years.

In father Municipal Association clothed Behn after its founder and first chairman, Emil Wolpmann , was elected to the Senate, replacing the chair. He was head of the trade museum for five years and had been a member of the Lübeck-Büchener railway committee since 1884 .

He was active on the parish council of St. Petri , the Lübeck main association of the German Luther Foundation and the Society for the Promotion of Charitable Activities .

senate

In 1889 Behn was appointed to the Lübeck Senate . As a senator , he was involved in the management and management of the following authorities and committees: Commission for Trade and Shipping, Fire Authority, Cemetery and Funeral Deputation, Central Poor Deputation, Tax Authority, Auditing Department, Commission for Church Affairs, Pawn Shop Authority, Senate Committee for Trade and Industry and insurance, senate commission for affairs of poor associations, appeals authority in commercial matters , head of the St. Johannis-Jungfrauenkloster and the foundation von Brömbsen - testament .

Due to illness, Senator Behn resigned his dignity as a member of the Senate on July 11, 1903, with reservation of all honorary rights .

Since his condition worsened and this did not improve in the mild climate of the sanatorium, the news of his death did not come as a surprise to the city on January 6, 1904. After his transfer, Pastor Trummer , chief pastor of the Petrikirche, led the church service there and the funeral ceremonies at the general church on January 12, 1904 .

family

Behn's son Eduard first became a partner and then co-owner of the house alongside his father. His son-in-law, Max Schiemann, was the company's authorized signatory. After Behn's death, Eduard became the sole owner and Max became the second partner.

Trivia

After the death of Senator Mann on October 13, 1891, Consul Fehling and the wine merchant Tesdorf were appointed guardians of five children who had left behind.

Thomas Mann was 16 years old at the time. In his novel Die Buddenbrooks , for which he would later receive the Nobel Prize , we meet Senator Behn as the businessman Alfred Lauritzen .

literature

• Senator Georg Arnold Behn. In: Lübeckische Blätter , year 1903, number 29, edition of July 19, 1903
• Senator Georg Arnold Behn †. In: Lübeckische advertisements , Volume 154, No. 9, evening edition of January 6, 1904.
• Senator GA Behn †. In: General-Anzeiger , Volume 23, No. 5, edition of January 7, 1904.
• Senator GA Behn †. In: Vaterstädtische Blätter , year 1904, No. 2, edition of January 10, 1904.

Web links

Commons : Georg Arnold Behn  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Coffee tradition e. V.
2. ^ A. Behn & Sohn company
3. ↑ New roastery
4. ↑ In the tax authorities he already made a name for himself as a civil deputy in the field of income tax .
5. ^ Buddenbrooks - List of real names