Moritz Straus

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Moritz Straus (born March 18, 1882 in Bruchsal , † January 19, 1959 in Zurich ) was a German engineer and businessman.

Life

Memorial plaque , Flottenstrasse 28, in Berlin-Reinickendorf

Straus became known when he took over the management of Argus Motoren Gesellschaft from 1916 during the First World War . He increased the company's importance as an engine supplier for both the army and the aviation troops and achieved that Opel in Rüsselsheim was also commissioned to build Argus engines under license . In addition, he dealt with the construction and further development of automobile and aircraft engines. At the end of 1918, Straus took over the shares of Henri Jeannin and John Frank Rahtjen in Argus. In 1920 he acquired the majority of the shares in Horchwerke AG in Zwickau and hired Paul Daimler as chief designer (technical director) at Argus in Berlin in mid-1923 . Under the direction of Straus and Daimler, Horch developed into one of the most respected vehicle manufacturers in the world.

Moritz Straus was forced to sell the Argus Motoren Gesellschaft in 1938 as part of the National Socialist Aryanization . There were two prospective buyers, Heinrich Koppenberg and Bayerische Motorenwerke . Argus, which had a book value of 11 million Reichsmarks , was founded by Koppenberg together with his brother-in-law Dr. Viktor Polak acquired for 5.2 million Reichsmarks. Thereupon Straus emigrated to Switzerland in 1938 , later to the USA and headed the export department of Daimler-Benz for the USA . After 1945 the Soviet and French occupying powers dismantled large parts of the Argus production facilities. Straus founded Neue ARGUS GmbH on November 11, 1948 in Ettlingen near Karlsruhe (Baden-Württemberg) and dealt with the manufacture of fittings.

Foundation, endowment

On June 14, 1999, his daughter set up the Moritz Straus Foundation named after him in Basel.

Web links

Commons : Moritz Straus  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Wulfdieter Kisselmann: Argus. Aircraft engines and more. Verlag Schiff & Flugzeug, Empfingen 2012, page 42
  2. ↑ Constanze Werner: War economy and forced labor at BMW., P. 39. Oldenbourger Wissenschaftsverlag. Munich 2005. ISBN 978-3-486-57792-1
personal data
SURNAME Straus, Moritz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German engineer and businessman
DATE OF BIRTH March 18, 1882
PLACE OF BIRTH Bruchsal
DATE OF DEATH January 19, 1959
Place of death Zurich