Philipp Karcher

Philipp Heinrich Karcher (born August 1, 1837 in Kaiserslautern ; † January 10, 1894 in Frankenthal ) was a German entrepreneur whose social innovations are closely linked to his place of activity in Frankenthal in what is now the state of Rhineland-Palatinate .

family

Karcher was the second eldest son of the Kaiserslautern merchant Franz Daniel Karcher (1806–1862) and his wife Katharina Benzino (1816–1886). In 1865 he married Wilhelmina Paulina Henel (1846–1925) from Bad Dürkheim , who later became known as Mina Karcher . Both son Franz Karl Karcher (1867–1915) later took over part of the father's functions in the family business.

education and profession

Karcher attended elementary school in Kaiserslautern and - after his parents moved to Frankenthal - switched to the local Progymnasium . He then studied in Karlsruhe at the Technical University , where he became a member of the Corps Bavaria . In 1856 he began his practical training in the Kalbe cane sugar factory , and one year later he moved to France to the Lille sugar factory .

Karcher's father and his brother Carl Heinrich Karcher (1808–1875), the founder of Raab Karcher , had taken over a Frankenthal factory in the 1840s that processed sugar beet and operated a small refinery . Philipp Karcher joined this company, which at the time was called F. and C. Karcher , in 1859. When he finally took over the management in 1873, he converted the family business into the Aktiengesellschaft Zuckerfabrik Frankenthal , which began its steep rise to what was at times the largest refinery in Germany. It was the original company of today's Südzucker Group.

In addition, he was a member of the administrative board of the ultramarine factory Karcher & Wilkens in Kaiserslautern, member of the board of the fertilizer factory in Kaiserslautern and a member of the committee of the Association for the Sugar Industry of the German Empire.

Social merit

Karcher's motto was: "Whoever fulfills his own duty, respects the rights of others, helps his neighbor, promotes happiness and satisfaction in human society." That is why he campaigned for the equality of capital and work and called out - together with his wife - numerous social projects in life. He promoted schools, the fire brigade, pension funds for widows and orphans and founded an in-house kindergarten as well as workers' settlements at affordable rent.

Honors in Frankenthal

• Philipp Karcher memorial with a portrait bust donated by the workers of the sugar factory and cast in 1902 by Ernst Hischen, Munich, at H. Gladenbeck & Sohn AG, Berlin-Friedrichshagen (today's location: Stephan-Cosacchi-Platz in front of the restored main building of Sugar factory)
• Philipp-Karcher-Strasse near the sugar factory
• Mina-Karcher-Platz (after the wife) near the sugar factory
• Philipp-Karcher-Haus , since 2007 Kunsthaus Frankenthal , in the historical building of the kindergarten of the sugar factory (2003 decision of the city council, 2006 start of renovation and renovation, 2007 inauguration)