Gustav Schickedanz
Encyclopedia
Gustav Abraham Schickedanz (1 January 1895 – 28 March 1977) was a German entrepreneur. He had two daughters, Madeleine Schickedanz and Louise Dedi.
Schickedanz came from a modest background. After attending realschule
in his hometown of Fürth
, he did a commercial apprenticeship
.
In 1919 he married Anna Zehnder.
He registered his first enterprise in 1923 and in 1927 registered the mail order company Quelle
, later Europe's largest mail-order house.
On July 15, 1929, his wife Anna and only son Leonhard were killed in an automobile accident in which he was also seriously injured. Only his daughter at the time, Louise, was unharmed.
In 1935 Schickedanz acquired the rights to the Tempo brand and the paper company Vereinigte Papierwerke in Nuremberg
of former Jewish property for a very low price (arization). In 1939 Quelle achieved sales of 40 million Reichmarks
.
Schickedanz was a member of the National Socialist (Nazi) party and after the war was initially prohibited from carrying on his business by the American occupation authorities. He was later rehabilitated and in 1952 was awarded a "citizen's medal" by the city of Fürth; in 1959 he was made an honorary citizen, the equivalent of being given the keys to the city
.
After numerous acquisitions, Quelle's group sales reached 5 billion Deutschmarks
by 1972.
Gustav Schickedanz and his wife Grete initiated a number of charitable works for which they received much public recognition.
Schickedanz came from a modest background. After attending realschule
Realschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
in his hometown of Fürth
Fürth
The city of Fürth is located in northern Bavaria, Germany in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg, the centres of the two cities being only 7 km apart....
, he did a commercial apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
.
In 1919 he married Anna Zehnder.
He registered his first enterprise in 1923 and in 1927 registered the mail order company Quelle
Arcandor
Arcandor AG is a holding company located in Essen, Germany that oversees companies operating in the businesses of mail order and internet shopping, department stores and tourism services. It was created in 1999 through the merger of Karstadt Warenhaus AG, which was founded in 1920, and Quelle...
, later Europe's largest mail-order house.
On July 15, 1929, his wife Anna and only son Leonhard were killed in an automobile accident in which he was also seriously injured. Only his daughter at the time, Louise, was unharmed.
In 1935 Schickedanz acquired the rights to the Tempo brand and the paper company Vereinigte Papierwerke in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
of former Jewish property for a very low price (arization). In 1939 Quelle achieved sales of 40 million Reichmarks
German reichsmark
The Reichsmark was the currency in Germany from 1924 until June 20, 1948. The Reichsmark was subdivided into 100 Reichspfennig.-History:...
.
Schickedanz was a member of the National Socialist (Nazi) party and after the war was initially prohibited from carrying on his business by the American occupation authorities. He was later rehabilitated and in 1952 was awarded a "citizen's medal" by the city of Fürth; in 1959 he was made an honorary citizen, the equivalent of being given the keys to the city
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
.
After numerous acquisitions, Quelle's group sales reached 5 billion Deutschmarks
German mark
The Deutsche Mark |mark]], abbreviated "DM") was the official currency of West Germany and Germany until the adoption of the euro in 2002. It is commonly called the "Deutschmark" in English but not in German. Germans often say "Mark" or "D-Mark"...
by 1972.
Gustav Schickedanz and his wife Grete initiated a number of charitable works for which they received much public recognition.
Sources
- "Die Zeit" Nr. 24, 5. Juni 2003 Author: Georg Etscheit
- "Das kleine Buch vom Taschentuch" von Eugen Roth
- Artikel in CICERO "Die Weihnachtsfrau" von Thomas Schuler)