Michael Flürscheim

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Michael Flürscheim
Michael Flürscheim's ironworks in Gaggenau (around 1891)

Michael Flürscheim (born January 27, 1844 in Frankfurt am Main , † April 26, 1912 in Berlin ) was an industrialist and economist from Baden who combined economic pursuit with social commitment. He gained national fame primarily through his writings on land reform .

Life

Flürscheim came from a wealthy Jewish merchant family who lived in Frankfurt aM . After taking over the Gaggenau hammer mill, he converted the company, which until then had only produced nail and wrought iron as well as plows , harrows and other agricultural equipment, into a general steel processing production facility. The Michael Flürscheim Eisenwerk GaggenauAs the name was from 1874, already a few years later it had three different factories (agricultural machines, metal goods, machine tools) and a sawmill. In addition to economic success, his interest was in the field of social services. Among other things, he created a workers 'health insurance fund, workers' houses and a heated dining room for the workers. Until his move to Baden-Baden (1880) he was also active in the local council.

In 1884 Flürscheim published his work On Peaceful Paths. A proposal to solve the social question . With her he campaigned for land reform . Flürscheim, in a way a supporter of Henry George , was of the opinion that the entire land should be nationalized in exchange for compensation and then leased for private use. In doing so, he opposed Adolf Damaschke and his views on land reform. Damaschke demanded that the income from the increase in land value be skimmed off for tax purposes and given to the general public.

In 1888 Flürscheim left his company, which was converted into a stock corporation . In the meantime it was mainly known for its advertising billboards for large companies such as Stollwerck , Maggi or Odol . As part of the land reform movement, he founded the German Federation for Land Property Reform .

Flürscheim tried to promote his views worldwide and traveled to France , Italy , England , Switzerland , California and New Zealand . After his attempts to realize his ideas in the colonies had failed, he returned to Germany in 1909, bitter and ill. He had a particular influence on his brother-in-law Max Sternberg (1856–1930), a general practitioner in the East Frisian port city of Emden . This in turn was in contact with Damaschke, Friedrich Naumann and Silvio Gesell and was a co-founder of various land reform and political associations.

Flürscheim had six children from two women. His son Bernhard Flurscheim , a chemist in the UK , and his grandson Dr. Charles Flurscheim , as an engineer , also achieved a certain degree of fame during his lifetime.

A late 20th century in the Gaggenau city center newly built pedestrian bridge was Michael Flürscheim honor Flürscheimbrücke called.

Publications (selection)

  • Utopianism and anarchism . Bern 1896
  • Germany in 100 years or the galoshes of luck . Dresden 1890
  • The state monopoly of mortgages as a way to reform our economic conditions . Minden i. W. 1885

Literature (selection)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Murgtal-Chronik.de: biography Michael Flürscheim - industrial pioneer and social reformer (Flürscheim -biographer Michael Wessel, December 2013) ; accessed on April 27, 2016
  2. ↑ Werner Onken: Great personalities of the free economy movement. - Dr. med Max Sternberg . In: Monthly magazine The Third Way , December 1988, p. 2.
personal data
SURNAME Flürscheim, Michael
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German industrialist and economist
DATE OF BIRTH January 27, 1844
PLACE OF BIRTH Frankfurt am Main
DATE OF DEATH April 26, 1912
Place of death Berlin