Heinrich Wiegand

Heinrich Wiegand ( born August 17, 1855 in Bremen, † March 29, 1909 in Bad Homburg ) was a German lawyer, Director and General Manager of the North German Lloyd.

Biography

Wiegand was the son of a commercial gardener. He first attended the public school and since 1870 the Old School in Bremen. He studied until 1879 Law at the University of Erlangen, University of Bonn, the Humboldt University in Berlin and at the University of Strasbourg. He received his doctorate in 1879 for Dr. jur. in Göttingen. He then settled down as a lawyer in Bremen. Early on, he worked as a lawyer for the North German Lloyd ( NDL) and 1889 Consultant for the shipping company. In 1892, he was the successor of Johann Georg Lohmann and on the initiative of Geo Heinrich Plate unexpectedly Director of NDL, from 1899, entitled General. The NDL experienced in his time the great ascent to one of the leading shipping companies and was in 1890 with 66 ships and 251 602 BRT 's second largest shipping company in the world.

In order to limit the harmful competition in America flight, was established at his suggestion the North Atlantic Steamship Association. The first twin screw steamer has been provided by NDL in the service, first in 1897, the fast steamer Kaiser Wilhelm the Great, the then largest and fastest passenger ship. The NDL reached a leading position among the North Atlantic shipping lines. There were other large passenger steamers of the Kaiser class as the Crown Prince Wilhelm, the Kaiser Wilhelm II and Crown Princess Cecilie.

1899 acquired the NDL 25 coastal steamer, which he used in the Pacific. From 1900 to 1903 the passenger service to East Asia was conducted in association with the Hamburg-American Packet ride Actien -Gesellschaft ( Hapag ).

1905 Wiegand called the later electric car pioneer Sigmund Meyer ( engineer) to Bremen. In the same year the NDL established a freight line one to Australia. 1907, Lloyd had 93 steamers and 51 smaller vessels and approximately 15,000 employees. 1908 prompted the establishment of the German South Seas Wiegand phosphate Actiengesellschaft. He was one of the driving forces behind the industrialization in the Lower Weser room. 1901/ 02 he led to the founding of the NDL- Near North German machine and fitting factory ( 1911: Atlas -Werke ). Furthermore, were it 1908, the North German huts AG (later Hansa -Lloyd and Lloyd Dynamo Werke) ( 1908 Metalworks Lower Weser AG) founded in 1907, the North German car factory and the Namag in Hastedt and 1906 the superphosphate plant in Nordenham. In these and other companies, he was represented on the Board.

Wiegand was in cautious distance from the naval policy of Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, in order not to disturb the good maritime relations with Britain and the USA.

He was co-founder in 1903 of the tourist office of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. In 1904, he founded the gallery association, which should promote the acquisition of modern art for the Kunstverein in Bremen. Wiegand is also regarded as stimulators for Baedeker's first India - band, whose appearance in 1914 of the North German Lloyd also promoted.

Through the expansion of the shipping company considerable financial resources were taken as loans. At an international economic crisis of the NDL had to struggle from 1907 with significant financial difficulties. Despite financial hardships caused Wiegand 1907 the construction of a representative office building in Bremen according to plans by Johann Georg Poppe. 1909, when Wiegand died, the NDL was still in its financial crisis. His successor was Dr. Philipp Heineken.

Wiegand was the founder of the Nautical Association, and he supported the Commercial Museum, the public park and the tourist information office.

Honors

• The Heinrich Wiegand -Straße in Bremen, LVN / Neustadt ports, was named after him in 2000.
• 1984 was the Elizabeth Wiegand Foundation as widows 'and orphans' pension fund, named after his wife.