Carl Leverkus

Carl Leverkus ( born November 5, 1804 in Wermelskirchen, † February 4, 1889 ) was a German chemist and chemistry entrepreneur; He is the namesake of the city of Leverkusen.

He began teaching in 1822, a pharmacist and then studied at the University of Marburg. Following a stint as an assistant pharmacist in Trier, he went to Paris, where he worked in a pharmacy and studied chemistry at the Sorbonne in the evening. In 1829, he put in Berlin from the pharmacist exam. In Giessen, he received his doctorate in 1830, Dr. phil. with a thesis on the chemistry of silver. The work was evaluated by Justus von Liebig.

In Wermelskirchen 1834 he opened the first factory for the manufacture of artificial ultramarine blue. Later he moved his factory to the Kahlenberg at Wiesdorf. He called the emerging settlement " Leverkusen " - as already said the family seat in Lennep. The factory has become a model plant with the latest technology and facilities of a big economic success.

Carl Leverkus and his wife became involved in social issues; they imply extensive care towards the needs of the workforce, founded their own company choir and its own volunteer fire department work, built homes and established a co-op for the workers.

1884 Leverkus received the honorary title "Secret of commerce " and an honorary citizen of Wermelskirchen.

1890 founded his sons, the company United ultramarine works formerly Leverkus, Zeltner and his associates. Largest partner was the Nuremberg ultramarine factory John Zeltner.

After his death in 1891 his sons sold a portion of the factory site with the Alizarinfabrik in Wiesdorf at the Elberfeld colors vorm. Friedr. Bayer & Co AG. This was Carl Leverkus ' factory of the foundation of the work of today's Bayer AG in Leverkusen.

Leverkus married Juliane Auguste Küpper in 1838 and had eleven children. He was buried in Wermelskirchen. In 1930, he was posthumously named after the city of Leverkusen. A great-grandson of Leverkus was the German artist Martin Kippenberger.