Theobald Simon (brewer, 1847)

Theobald Simon (born February 20, 1847 in Bitburg ; † October 11, 1924 there ) was a German entrepreneur and brewer .

Life

Simon was born as the son of the daughter of the founder of the Bitburger brewery Elisabeth Wallenborn (1819-1891) and the Kyllburger brewer Ludwig Bertrand Simon (1813-1869). He had seven siblings. Simon was trained as both a brewer and a businessman. He undertook several trips abroad (including to the USA and the Middle East ) in order to experience his acquired specialist knowledge and new technologies in practical application. In doing so, he made many contacts for his later work. In 1871 he joined his parents' company. From 1876 he had sole managementof the still small company and expanded it considerably. Simon modernized the company and brought it up to date.

In 1891 production exceeded 10,000 hectoliters for the first time . He set up new fermentation and cooling cellars in order to switch to bottom-fermented beer according to the Pilsen brewing style from 1883 . Further technical innovations under Simon were the new construction of the brewhouse , the use of steam and cooling machines, the electrification of the company and the establishment of a deep well in 1909 for the brewing water. After Bitburg was connected to the rail network, he showed entrepreneurial foresight again when he acquired isolated railway wagons in 1910 . Bitburger Pils could be marketed from the outskirts in the Eifel thanks to the cooling in the entire German Empire . Simon was also innovative in the field of marketing and from 1909 recognized the advertising potential of the beer coaster and advertising campaigns in national newspapers. In 1913, Simon was able to successfully win the action brought by the Pilsener Brewery before the Reichsgericht in Leipzig , which wanted to prohibit him from using the brand name Pils . Simon carefully prepared his successors, his sons Josef (1879–1947) and Bertrand (1882–1958). They followed the company philosophy of their father with regard to new technology. The patent for the Simon Späner, which is used to clarify the beer, goes back to his sons.

Simon is considered to be the founder of the brewery dynasty. He knew how to get himself and his successors into political, economic and social positions in order to use this influence for the company. Until Axel Th. Simon left as technical director on January 1, 2007, the management of the brewery was always occupied by bearers of the name. The seventh generation of the family in the management no longer bears the name Simon, but Niewodniczanski. His grandson in the fifth generation of management also bore the name Theobald (1906–1978). The art prize of the same name is named after him.

Awards and honorary positions

• Delegate of the Trier Chamber of Commerce (since 1892)
• Co-founder and board member of Kreissparkasse Bitburg
• Honorary Citizen of the City of Bitburg (1922)
• Member of the district council (since 1890)
• City Councilor (since 1890)
• Commerzienrat (since 1910)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Trier Biographical Lexicon, Koblenz 2000, p. 436

Web links

• Simon in the German biography, accessed on December 23, 2015
• Landschaftsverband Rheinland: Simon family brewery dynasty, accessed on December 23, 2015
• "Honorary Citizen of the City of Bitburg", website of the City of Bitburg, accessed on December 23, 2015
• "Bitburger Bierbrauer turns 60", Der Spiegel from August 11, 2003, accessed on December 23, 2015
• "From connoisseurs, star innkeepers and Simon-Spänern - a cross-section from around two centuries of Bitburger brewery history", current input from August 25, 2006, accessed on December 23, 2015