Richard Lenel
Encyclopedia
Richard Lenel was chairman of the chamber of commerce
and honorary citizen of the city of Mannheim, Germany.
's company "Fabrik wasserdichter Wäsche Lenel, Bensinger u. Co." at the age of 23 and was promoted to general manager in 1897. In 1908, he was a founding member of the general workers committee of Mannheim-Ludwigshafen. From 1909 to 1920 he was a judge in commercial matters. In 1911, he was made chairman of the manufacturers society and was elected a member, 1920 chairman of the chamber of commerce. In 1922 he was, as a member of the German People's Party
, elected a member of the citizens committee, on which he remained until 1930. For his efforts in support of the society for the promotion of the commercial university, he received the university's first honorary doctorate. In 1931, he was made chairman of a charitable relief society for the unemployed. On 27 March 1933, he was forced by the Nazi government to resign his seat in the chamber of commerce.
In the following years he attempted, together with his two eldest sons who remained in Germany, to hold on to his company, but the rigorous measures of 1938 forced him to sell his house and his company and flee to England, later to the USA. His nephew Ludwig Lenel
became a well-known composer. In exile, he was utterly unhappy and returned thus already in 1949 to Germany. On 18 October 1949, an honorary citizenship of the city of Mannheim was bestowed upon him, the following day he was made honorary chairman of the chamber of industry and commerce. A few days after his 81st anniversary, he died and was buried at the Jewish cemetery in Mannheim. A road in the "honorary citizen area" of Mannheim-Feudenheim was named after him and a remembrance sign was attached to the high-rise building on the site of his former residence at Maximilianstrasse.
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
and honorary citizen of the city of Mannheim, Germany.
Biography
Richard Lenel joined his father Victor LenelVictor lenel
Viktor Lenel was a German businessman, who headed several companies involved in the early production of plastics....
's company "Fabrik wasserdichter Wäsche Lenel, Bensinger u. Co." at the age of 23 and was promoted to general manager in 1897. In 1908, he was a founding member of the general workers committee of Mannheim-Ludwigshafen. From 1909 to 1920 he was a judge in commercial matters. In 1911, he was made chairman of the manufacturers society and was elected a member, 1920 chairman of the chamber of commerce. In 1922 he was, as a member of the German People's Party
German People's Party
The German People's Party was a national liberal party in Weimar Germany and a successor to the National Liberal Party of the German Empire.-Ideology:...
, elected a member of the citizens committee, on which he remained until 1930. For his efforts in support of the society for the promotion of the commercial university, he received the university's first honorary doctorate. In 1931, he was made chairman of a charitable relief society for the unemployed. On 27 March 1933, he was forced by the Nazi government to resign his seat in the chamber of commerce.
In the following years he attempted, together with his two eldest sons who remained in Germany, to hold on to his company, but the rigorous measures of 1938 forced him to sell his house and his company and flee to England, later to the USA. His nephew Ludwig Lenel
Ludwig Lenel
Ludwig Lenel was an organist and composer.-Family:The grandfather on the mother's side of Ludwig Lenel was the Prussian democrat Friedrich Kapp , who emigrated to the USA, but returned later and became a national-liberal deputy to the German Reichstag and a friend of Bismarck...
became a well-known composer. In exile, he was utterly unhappy and returned thus already in 1949 to Germany. On 18 October 1949, an honorary citizenship of the city of Mannheim was bestowed upon him, the following day he was made honorary chairman of the chamber of industry and commerce. A few days after his 81st anniversary, he died and was buried at the Jewish cemetery in Mannheim. A road in the "honorary citizen area" of Mannheim-Feudenheim was named after him and a remembrance sign was attached to the high-rise building on the site of his former residence at Maximilianstrasse.
Literature
- Watzinger, Karl Otto, Geschichte der Juden in Mannheim 1650-1945, Stuttgart, 1984, S. 119ff.
- Watzinger, Karl Otto, Richard Lenel 1869-1950, Mannheim 1972.