Wilhelm Mülhens

Wilhelm Mühlens (* June 25, 1762 in Troisdorf, † March 6, 1841 in Cologne: 500 ) was a Cologne businessman and founder of the company Mühlens who became world famous with the scent of "4711": 299.

Life

Origin and family

The Catholic Mühlens Wilhelm was the son of the castle manager at Burg Wissem in Troisdorf and later juror, Jacob Mühlens (1722-1806) and Maria Anna Gertrud, born Volberg (1730-1816). 299 Among his siblings, the older brothers Franz Wolfgang are (1751-1835), merchant and banker in Cologne, Heinrich (1758-1838), a banker in Koblenz and Frankfurt and Johann Theodor (1761-1837, married to Margaretha Schaaffhausen ), banker in Cologne, Koblenz and Frankfurt known.: 299 William Mühlens married in 1792 Catharina Josephina Moers ( 1774-1841 ), daughter of the notary and the Imperial Council Carl Joseph Moers and Sibylla Catharina, born Wintgens. The couple had seven children. :299 -303

Career

Over the first three decades of life of Mühlens no sources are obtained. He probably came shortly after his marriage to Cologne, where his brothers were already operated, among other things as a transport contractor for the French army. 299 According to the company legend, had a Carthusian monk named Franz Carl Maria Farina him on the day of his marriage, the recipe for the manufacture of Eau de Cologne water made ​​the gift. 300 historian William loyalty was also in his biography of Ferdinand Mühlens which concerned his grandfather Wilhelm Mühlens already in 1792 with the manufacture of colognes. 158 After the presentation of Wilhelm Wilhelm Mühlens acquired in loyalty 1796, both the civil rights in Cologne, as well as the house in Glockenstrasse that should have received in the same year due to the by Council Decision converted by April 8, 1796 numbering of all Cologne houses the number " 4711". 158 According to an analysis of Originärquellen more recently, the house numbering goes back to a decision, however, during the seven Years' War, but was ultimately realized only under the pressure of the approaching French revolutionary troops in 1794 into practice. The western corner of the Schwertnergasse later led the Address Glockengasse 12

Initially, the Eau de Cologne production ran alongside the previously operated actuator as a merchant in speculation, without extra staff and at low production volume. Only gradually was this branch of his business activities of the essentials. Mühlens bought its raw materials here in Grasse, the most important of delivery for scented plants. 300 In 1800, the list of Kontributionszahler leads him as colognes producer. 158 To use the familiar names Farina, he joined then in 1803 a partnership agreement with a Carl Franz Maria Farina, who came from the Düsseldorf line of the clan. 300 completed early in 1804 Wilhelm Mühlens the first agency agreement with a wine trading company from Frankfurt. And 1807 was the house number "4711" first used as an identification pin forming advertisements in a newspaper advertisement. As a result of the Napoleonic decree of 1810 to publish the recipes of all remedies, expelled the " Eau de Cologne " producers their product in the sequence given as scented water. Parallel taught Wilhelm Mühlens 1811, the first representative office in Paris, followed up by more in France. It did not last homecoming French officers who increased the awareness of the product. To but also can spread the product out of the Napoleonic catchment taught Mühlens 1812 representation in the Swedish Stralsund, and after the Napoleonic Wars more in Russia and England. 300 was crucial for the recovery of the company was developed by Johann Tobias Lowitz A method for purifying alcohol use activated carbon. This was the manufacture of colognes water regardless of the dutiable French wine spirit. 300

Last years of life

In 1821 Wilhelm Mühlens handed over the management to his 20 - year-old son Peter Joseph Mühlens. 300 After he had in 1833 acquired a small estate in Kessenich, which he sometimes also occupied himself, he retired in 1836 finally off from society. : 300 According to a statement of assets, which was set up to Erbteilungszwecken in 1841, the estate of William Mühlens comprised about 85,000 dollars. 159 Catharina and Wilhelm Mühlens died vis -à-vis its parent company, on Glockenstrasse 17, the home of a son- of lawyer - lawyer Franz Ulrich Kyll ( 1795-1868 ).

Descendants

Among the four sons of the couple Mühlens, two die early, is it Peter Joseph Mühlens (1801-1873), who continued the business. Mühlens Ferdinand (1844-1928) was a grandson of Peter and Paul Mühlens (1875-1945) a great-grandson. :299 -303 A daughter, Gertrud Nicolette Mühlens was established in 1827 with Franz Ulrich Kyll ( 1795-1868 ), married. Their son Peter Joseph Kyll (1834-1902) married in 1873 Emma Bachem ( 1851-1912 ), a daughter of the mayor of Cologne Alexander Bachem. Peter Kyll was co-founder of the ( later ) Maschinenfabrik P. Kyll ( Oberlander bank 166, Marienburg).

Cologne's address book, 1822, page 228: William Mühlens ( Mühlens ) under Franz Maria Farina

Letter from William Mühlens from February 3, 1826 concerning its corporate sales "... it is just all up to you, because I could not make About support with the company ... "

Letter from William Mühlens from October 21, 1826 regarding his company " ... Can not you give the name of Johann Maria Farina from your cousin, brother, son, you would connect me very terrible, because the Martin Graff and want Dotten everything to me ... "

Cologne address 1831, page 261, William Mühlens Glockengasse No.12