Robert Oskar Julius von Görschen
Encyclopedia
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
; died 10 January 1914 in Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
) was one of the Aachen region’s most successful business lawyers, and an initiator of many social and cultural institutions.
In the service of Aachen and Munich insurance company
After his law studies, von Görschen planned to pursue a career as a judge. He was already an assistant lawyer in the regional court when he decided, in 1861 to enter in the Aachen and Munich Fire Insurance Company, a predecessor organization of today's Aachen Münchener Versicherungs-AG (a subsidiary company of the AMB GeneraliAMB Generali
Generali Deutschland, until 2008: AMB Generali Holding AG is a German holding company consisting of about 20 insurance companies. It is the second largest insurance company in Germany after Allianz. It is headquartered in Cologne. Companies AMB Generali owns include AachenMünchener, CosmosDirekt,...
). First, he took over for two years as head of the Subdirektion Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
before he finally (in 1863) was appointed as a legal officer in the Aachen headquarters. He held this post for seventeen years and was already a consultative member of the Board of directors. On 9 April 1881, he was appointed as a full member and from 1887 until his death he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors. He was the representative of the insurance company both internally and externally, and under his leadership, the company developed a towering reputation.
During this time, Robert von Görschen (thanks to his extraordinary gift of giving speeches, and numerous contacts) was instrumental in instigating a spate of tremendous achievements in the German and international businesses, this insurance company acquired. He was playing a key role in building until 1900, with over 56 new foreign representatives of his company, but also in the planning and implementation of projects for funding of social and cultural institutions in the region. In these early years of the industrial age, he worked vigorously for the social component of support from the Insurance Company. He ensured that each half of the annual profit should be reserved for social and cultural purposes, as the founder of the company, David Hansemann
David Hansemann
David Justus Ludwig Hansemann was a Prussian politician and banker, serving as the Prussian Minister of Finance in 1848.- Life :...
(1790-1864), had decreed in 1824.
Due to Robert von Görschen's co-operation with General Director Friedrich Adolph Brüggemann, it was also possible that the Friedrich-Wilhelm Foundation of the University of Aachen (today RWTH Aachen
RWTH Aachen
RWTH Aachen University is a research university located in Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany with roughly 33,000 students enrolled in 101 study programs....
), could be founded (in 1866) and that a secure financial footing was guaranteed. The Friedrich-Wilhelm Foundation continues until the present day, awarding scholarships and prizes for research. In 1870, the university also received a guarantee fund in the amount of 1.3 million Mark (Prussian vereinsthaler
Prussian vereinsthaler
The Vereinsthaler was the currency of Prussia between 1857 and 1873. It replaced the Thaler at par and was replaced by the Mark at a rate of 1 Vereinsthaler = 3 Mark. The Vereinsthaler was subdivided into 30 Silbergroschen, each of 12 Pfenninge....
) and a construction fund of a further one million Mark annually, and 10,000 Mark as earmarked grants. This enabled von Görschen and Friedrich Adolph Brüggemann (on 10 October 1870) to found the organization "Association for the advancement of capacity of work", a kind of labour office of that time. In addition, both also supported the fire insurance companies in many towns and cities throughout the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
in 1870, in the acquisition of one free fire syringe engine for each (of the company Josef Beduwe, Feuerspritzen, Gelb- und Glockengießerei (fire engine, brass and bell foundry) from Aachen, which resulted in a sell of this equipment for over 5000 Marks. Robert von Gorschen and the subsequent directors of the insurance company, Richard Trostorff and Adolf Brüggemann, were significantly responsible for ensuring that the Aachen Einhard-Gymnasium (on 1 May 1886) and the Aachen David Hansemann Monument, together with the area surrounding the monument (on 29 August 1888) and the Aachen Bismarck Tower
Bismarck tower
Bismarck Towers are a unique genre of German monument, built to honour the ex-chancellor of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck. A total of 240 of these towers were built between German unification and the National Socialist takeover, i.e. between 1869 and 1934...
(on 22 August) could all be inaugurated.
The services of the Eschweiler Coal Mining Company (EBV)
Robert von Görschen, at the recommendation of his father (privy councillor Karl Heinrich von Görschen, (1784-1860)), became the chairman of the supervisory boardSupervisory board
A supervisory board or supervisory committee, often called board of directors, is a group of individuals chosen by the stockholders of a company to promote their interests through the governance of the company and to hire and supervise the executive directors and CEO.Corporate governance varies...
of Eschweiler coal mining company (EBV), and he also became a member of the Executive Council of the EBV. On 26 October 1897 he was chosen to be a member of the Supervisory Board, and from 1907 to 1909 he became deputy chairman, and until his death in 1914 he filled the position of chairman of this body. At that time the various mines around Aachen and in neighbouring countries were individual companies and no longer competitive in the growing market. Due to Robert von Görschen, in 1907 a merger between the Associations for Mineral Coal Company (Vereinigungsgesellschaft für Steinkohlenbau im Wurmrevier), further individual mines and the Eschweiler Coal Mining Company (EBV) the EBV became one of the biggest mine companies of Western Germany.
He was also honoured in 1903 by the City Würselen
Würselen
Würselen is a town in the district of Aachen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Coat of arms:The coat of arms show the eagle of the coat of arms of Aachen in the topleft corner. The second quarter shows the coat of arms of the Rhine Province, however the bend also represents the river Wurm which...
, by having the main shaft of the mine Gouley and according to Council Decision of 21 November 1953 an adjacent street named after him.
Further activities and honours
Robert von Görschen was, between 1884 to 1909 Municipal city councillor of Aachen. In addition, from 31 January 1864 he joined the Aachener Casino association and was (initially in 1886 and most recently from 1902 to 1909) its president. For his achievements, he was decorated as follows:- Order of the Red EagleOrder of the Red EagleThe Order of the Red Eagle was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements...
3rd class with swords - Order of the Crown of PrussiaOrder of the Crown (Prussia)The Order of the Crown was Prussia's lowest ranking order of chivalry. Instituted in 1861 as an award equal in rank to the Order of the Red Eagle, it could only be awarded to commissioned officers , but there was a medal associated with the order which could be earned by non-commissioned officers...
, 2nd class - Merit Order of the St Michael of Bavaria, 2nd class
- House Order of Henry the Lion of Brunswick, 2nd class
- House Order of Vigilance or the White Falcon, 2nd, class
Family
Robert Oskar Julius von Görschen was born to the old German noble family Von GörschenVon Görschen
The name von Görschen is an old German name of nobility originating from the 12th century. The family name derives from its original headquarters: the place Goresin or even from an older "oppida goresin" near Lützen, which was already appointed by Bishop Thietmar of Merseburg in the year 998,...
. He originated from the estate Gut Klau in Aachen, and was married to Elise Helene Friederike Brüggemann (1833-1917) and had with her four sons and two daughters. His son Robert Walter Richard Ernst von Görschen
Robert Walter Richard Ernst von Görschen
Robert Walter Richard Ernst von Görschen was a member of the Prussian Upper Governing Council and government Vice-President.- Career :...
became Vice-President in Aachen and another son, Bruno Hans Otto Friedrich von Görschen (1865-1939) became a Judicial and Legal councillor of justice, in 1914 a legal advisor in the “Aachen and Munich Insurance Company”, and in 1924 chairman of the Supervisory Board of Aachen Reinsurance
Reinsurance
Reinsurance is insurance that is purchased by an insurance company from another insurance company as a means of risk management...
Company.
Sources and literature
- Arens/Jansen: „Geschichte des Clubs Aachener Casino“ (History of the Club Casino of Aachen); Nr. 486, page 170; 2nd Edition 1964
- Aachen and Munich Fire Insurance – Memorial about the 75-year-festivity of the corporate 1825-1900; Edition by Georgi, Aachen, 1900
- Aachen and Munich Fire Insurance – Memorial about the 100-year-festivity of the corporate 1825-1925; Print corporate Aachen, 1925
- Oskar Stegemann: “100 year coal mining company of Eschweiler and his prehistory”; Edition 1938, Eschweiler
External links
- Meine Heimatstadt Alsdorf at www.alsdorf-online.de