Philipp Harjes

Philipp Harjes (born September 15, 1860 in Bremen , † September 20, 1933 in Gotha ) was a German entrepreneur and patron .

life and work

Harjes' summer residence in Gotha

Harjes was born the son of a factory owner in Bremen and attended the local trade school . After successfully completing a commercial apprenticeship in a Bremen wholesale store , he moved abroad, where he was able to gain further knowledge and experience for several years.

With his partner , Harjes founded the Kallmeyer & Harjes company in Gotha in 1887 , which became one of the most important Gotha companies in the metal goods industry. Initially under modest circumstances, the production of table and tableware made of nickel-plated brass began .

During Harjes' honeymoon in 1890, the factory was destroyed by fire. A new building complex was erected immediately, but it no longer reminded of the humble beginnings. In 1896 the complex was extended by a building (Waltershäuser Straße 1) based on a design by the Gotha architect Julius Krusewitz , in which Harjes not only had his technical and commercial offices, but also his winter residence. The building no longer exists. In summer he preferred the so-called “Schweizerhaus”, Reinhardsbrunner Straße 83.

The company manufactured its products partly industrially and partly by hand and was also guided by contemporary tastes, initially in Art Nouveau , later in the New Objectivity style . With the export of its goods it achieved world renown over a long period of time.

Hermann Kallmeyer died in 1887, and Harjes took over the overall management of the metal goods factory. From 1890 to 1896 the number of employees rose from 150 to 300, in 1909 to around 500. Harjes became the sole owner in 1899.

Tomb of the Harjes couple in the main cemetery in Gotha

In 1900 Harjes created a provident fund and a pension fund . In Boilstädt , Emleben , Sundhausen and Uelleben , he promoted housing for workers. In 1905, Harjes was awarded the honorary title of Privy Councilor of Commerce as a promoter of the local economy and a pioneer in the social field .

In 1918, the Thuringian stamping and enamelling works Philipp Harjes was founded on the property at Leinastraße 57 (today's premises of the Oettinger brewery ) , which his son took over in 1933 after his death. The parent company, however, passed into other ownership and went bankrupt in 1938/1939 after economic difficulties .

In memory of Philipp Harjes, the main street in the Gotha Süd industrial park bears his name today .

Literature and Sources

• Andrea Leisner, Marion Siegmund: Kallmeyer & Harjes Metallwarenfabrik Gotha. (= Series of publications by Urania Kultur- und Bildungsverein Gotha e.V. on the company history of the city of Gotha , Volume 11.) 3rd revised and expanded edition, Urania, Gotha 2000.
• Helmut Roob, Günter Scheffler: Gotha personalities. Rhino-Verlag, Arnstadt / Weimar 2000, ISBN 3-932081-37-4 , S. #.

Web links

• Philipp Harjes (1860–1933) on the website of the City of Gotha, last accessed on April 5, 2016