Louis Gutjahr
Louis Gutjahr (born May 6, 1847 in Gernsheim , † July 11, 1919 in Auerbach ) was General Director of the Badische Actiengesellschaft for Rhine shipping and sea transport and is considered a pioneer of Rhine shipping .
Life
Louis Gutjahr was born as the fourth son of Anna Maria Gutjahr and the skipper Heinrich Gutjahr II. He attended in his hometown Gernsheim the elementary school . After graduating from school in 1861, he worked as a cabin boy on the wooden ship that belonged to his father. In 1866 his father died.
From 1868 served Gutjahr in the artillery - barracks Bessungen . In October of the same year he went on a trip around the world with the Dutch regatta ship "Nestor". In 1875, Louis Gutjahr was promoted to helmsman on the Rhine steamer "Elberfeld" of the Prussian-Rhenish steamship (the so-called Cologne - Düsseldorfer ). After the Franco-Prussian War , he worked for four years in the Düsseldorf passenger steam shipping company. On 1 January 1876 he founded together with his brother Andreas Gutjahr in Mannheim in G7 grocery store "Erdelmeyer". The Louis Gutjahr company was founded. Together with their brother Ignaz, Louis and Andreas Gutjahr decided to include ship freighting in their business. This soon extended to larger barges that led to Rotterdam or Antwerp . These barges were chartered for entire shiploads.
In 1880, the Louis Gutjahr company began shipping alongside the other businesses with its own ships. Louis Gutjahr established the company Louis Gutjahr, Schiffer und Schiffsbedarf in Antwerp in 1880 , while Andreas and Ignaz Gutjahr continued to take care of the business in Mannheim - Ludwigshafen . In the following years, an impressive fleet (6 larger barges and 2 tug boats) was built very quickly.
In 1887, the Badische Actiengesellschaft für Rheinschifffahrt und Seetransport was founded.
The ship fleet was significantly enlarged by new buildings. First, own loading and unloading devices and large grain warehouses and shipyards were created in Mannheim , Ludwigshafen am Rhein , and later also own loading bays in Antwerp and Rotterdam . Between Mannheim and the two seaports of Antwerp and Rotterdam, express freight services with twice-weekly departures with a connection to the RedStarLine in Antwerp and the Dutch-American steamers of the Holland-America line in Rotterdam were carried out.
In April 1899 Louis Gutjahr was appointed "Chevalier de l'order de Leopold" by King Leopold II .
In 1912, the Badische Actiengesellschaft für Rheinschifffahrt und Seetransport became an interest group with the Rheinschifffahrt-Actiengesellschaft vorm. Fendel united under the leadership of the Baden state .
In 1913 Louis Gutjahr retired to his summer house in Auerbach (Bensheim) , where he died on July 11, 1919.
Awards
- Appointment as "Chevalier de l'ordre de Leopold" (1899)
- Appointment to the Council of Commerce (1907)
- Honorary Citizen of the City of Gernsheim (1907)
Individual evidence
- German Biographical Yearbook. Transition Volume 2: 1917-1920
- Company magazine: Rheinschifffahrt Actiengesellschaft vorm. Fendel, Mannheim; Badische Actiengesellschaft für Rheinschifffahrt und Seetransport, Mannheim; Mannheim Warehouse Society; Rhenus Transportgesellschaft MBH, Mannheim; dated July 1937
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gutjahr, Louis |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German entrepreneur |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 6, 1847 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Gernsheim |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 11, 1919 |
| Place of death | Auerbach (Bensheim) |