Skene (family)

Vienna Central Cemetery , grave of the Skene family

The Skene family was an important Austrian entrepreneurial family in the textile and sugar industries.

The family originally came from an old Scottish noble dynasty. Philipp William (Wilhelm) Skene (born June 13, 1790 , † September 29, 1842 ) can be described as the progenitor of the Austrian family . He was born in Cologne and was first an officer in the Dutch army before setting up a cloth factory in Brno . He also died in Brno.

His son Alfred Skene (I.) founded a cloth factory in Alexowitz , after initially serving in the cavalry. The factory produced cloths for uniforms, but also fine fashion fabrics for export. He led this company initially with his brother Karl and later with the much younger brother August. In August 1851 he also founded the sugar factory in Doloplas and others in Prerau in 1859 and Leipnik in 1867. They are the founders of Leipnik-Lundenburger . From 1855, when he moved to Brno, he also managed his father's company. In Vienna he built an army equipment factory near the arsenal in 1866 . But he didn't manufacture any weapons. This company existed until the 1870s. Up to 4,000 employees worked in his company. Alfred Skene was also active in numerous political offices, such as Mayor of Brno.

His son Alfred Freiherr von Skene (II.), Who was married to his cousin Marie Skene from 1873, took over the sugar factories after his father's death after studying economics. He was also the owner of the Pawlowitz estate .

August von Skene also had numerous functions, especially in interest groups, and thus had a not inconsiderable influence on industrial and banking in the monarchy.

Richard von Skene (I.) succeeded his father August von Skene in the Leipnik-Lundenburger sugar factory. Like his father, he also had a seat in numerous agencies.

Members of the Skene family

• Alfred Skene (I.) (born May 15, 1815 in Verviers , Belgium , † May 14, 1887 in Vienna
• Alfred Freiherr von Skene (II.) (Born August 24, 1849 in Alexovice , Bohemia ; † January 17, 1917 in Vienna), son of Alfred I.
• Alfred Freiherr von Skene (III.) (Born June 2, 1874 Prerau , Moravia ; † March 30, 1946 Prerau), son of Alfred II.
• August von Skene (born November 6, 1829 in Verviers, Belgium; † November 29, 1891 in Vienna), brother of Alfred I, son-in-law of Philipp Wilhelm von Schoeller (1797–1877)
• Richard von Skene (I.) (born September 11, 1867 in Vienna; † June 4, 1946 in Vienna), son of August, brother-in-law of Robert Schoeller (1873–1950)
• Richard von Skene (II.) (Born May 5, 1909 in Vienna, † April 1945 died near Vienna), son of Richard I.
• Alfred von Fries-Skene (born June 17, 1870 in Budva , Dalmatia , † December 16, 1947 in Vienna), son-in-law of Alfred III, last kk governor in Trieste until the end of October 1918

literature

• Constantin von Wurzbach : Skene, the family . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 35th part. Imperial and Royal Court and State Printing Office, Vienna 1877, p. 59 f. ( Digitized version ).
• Manfred Zollinger:  Skene. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 24, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 2010, ISBN 978-3-428-11205-0 , pp. 484-486 ( digitized version ).

Web links

Commons : Skene  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Skene Alfred I .. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 12, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 2001–2005, ISBN 3-7001-3580-7 , p. 320.
2. ↑ Skene, Alfred Freiherr von. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 12, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 2001–2005, ISBN 3-7001-3580-7 , p. 320 f. (Direct links on p. 320 , p. 321 ).
3. ↑ Skene, Richard von. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 12, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 2001-2005, ISBN 3-7001-3580-7 , p. 321.
4. ↑ Skene, Richard von. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 12, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 2001-2005, ISBN 3-7001-3580-7 , p. 321 f. (Direct links on p. 321 , p. 322 ).
5. ↑ Fries-Skene, Alfred Frh. Von. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 1, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1957, p. 367.