Time-Clip No. 1

1881 - The founding

Carl Schenck was born on 14 November 1835 in Herborn, Germany. After working as a mechanical engineer for several years and gaining experience in this field, he acquired the Mannheim-based company, Johann Schweitzer Senior in 1863. This company built cranes, scales and inspection machines and was renamed Schenck, Mohr and Elsässer in 1871.

The first employee of this company with a technical background was Carl Benz, who was later to gain fame as the pioneer of German automotive engineering.

In 1881, Carl Schenck sold his shares in the Mannheim-based company and bought a foundry in Darmstadt, which he ran under the name of Carl Schenck Eisengießerei und Waagenfabrik.

This became a limited company in 1894. His partners were his son-in-law Dr. Georg Büchner and his nephew, the engineer Emil Schenck. In 1900, he became Chairman of the first Supervisory Board. He died in 1910.