Friedrich Weskott

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Friedrich Weskott around 1865

Johann Friedrich Weskott (born October 10, 1821 in Langerfeld , † October 4, 1876 in Barmen ) was a German chemist . Together with Friedrich Bayer, he was a co-founder of today's Bayer Group and a pioneer of tar colors .

Life

Born in 1821 as the son of Engelbert Weskott, a natural yarn dyer, Weskott came from one of the oldest families in Barmen . Together with the businessman Friedrich Bayer, he was one of the founders of the later Bayer Group.

At the age of 16 he followed in his father's footsteps and learned the dyeing trade. Only a few years later, as the owner of his own dye works , the quality of his products should quickly give him economic independence.

The friendship with Friedrich Bayer led to the joint establishment of the company in 1863 , which was named “Friedr. Bayer et comp. ” Was entered in the commercial register. At this point Weskott was widowed and married for the second time. The children Laura and Fritz, who emerged from the first marriage to Karoline Lüttringhaus, were later to contribute to the further development of the family business, as did Bayer's children. Through Friedrich Bayer, Weskott also met his second wife Lisette Kramer, whom he married in 1859 and with whom he had two other children.

In the fast-growing "Compagnie" - already in 1867 there were 50 employees - Weskott mainly took over the technical management, while Bayer held the commercial management. Even before the company was actually founded, both cooperation partners were involved in the manufacture and testing of the new synthetic dyes . Aniline and, a little later, fuchsine were supposed to surpass the traditional natural dyes, as they were produced on the Weskott site, in terms of radiance and purity and soon displace them completely from the market . With these began the history of the Bayer Group's economic success.

Two years after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71, the start-up crisis began . The onset of fierce competition within the chemical industry - after years of flourishing production, operational expansion and steady growth - did not leave Weskott's health unscathed and worsened his now chronic lung disease. Weskott died in October 1876 at the age of only 55 after an aborted spa stay. Just a few years later, Bayer also died at a similar age, whereupon his son of the same name, Friedrich Bayer, took over management of the company.

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