Johann Schicht (8 March 1855 in Ringelshain (

Rynoltice Rynoltice (german: Ringelshain) is a municipality and village in Liberec District in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 800 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Černá Louže, Jítrava, Nová Starost and Polesí are a ...

) – 3 June 1907 in Aussig (

Ústí nad Labem Ústí nad Labem (, , ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 92,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of its eponymous region and district. It is a major industrial centre and, besides being an active river port, is an important railway ju ...

)) was a

German Bohemian German Bohemians (german: Deutschböhmen und Deutschmährer, i.e. German Bohemians and German Moravians), later known as Sudeten Germans, were ethnic Germans living in the Czech lands of the Bohemian Crown, which later became an integral part o ...

entrepreneur, owner of a large

soap Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...

-making plant.

Biography

Johann's father, farmer and butcher Georg Schicht, started to produce soap in his house in Rynoltice in 1848. Commercial success allowed him to buy a new house and in 1867 to set a soap boiling plant. In 1878 he handed the factory, named "Georg Schicht", to his four sons. The name was kept as a trademark until 1951. Johann Schicht, the oldest son, most competent and skilled suggested in 1873 moving the factory into

to reduce problems with transportation of bulk raw material. Now he took the chance to realise his plans and in 1880 a new soap-making plant was built between the villages of Kramoly and Novosedlice, in what is today Střekov, part of Ústí nad Labem. Since 1885 the small company (12 employees) grew rapidly, selling among others

candle A candle is an ignitable wick embedded in wax, or another flammable solid substance such as tallow, that provides light, and in some cases, a fragrance. A candle can also provide heat or a method of keeping time. A person who makes candles i ...

margarine Margarine (, also , ) is a spread used for flavoring, baking, and cooking. It is most often used as a substitute for butter. Although originally made from animal fats, most margarine consumed today is made from vegetable oil. The spread was orig ...

, water glass,

stearin Stearin , or tristearin, or glyceryl tristearate is an odourless, white powder. It is a triglyceride derived from three units of stearic acid. Most triglycerides are derived from at least two and more commonly three different fatty acids. Like o ...

and glycerin. Very popular was their "soap with a stag" (''mýdlo s jelenem''), produced since the end of 19th century until 2002. As an adversary of alcoholism Schicht started production of fruit juice named "Ceres saft". The brand name "Ceres" (after a Roman

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes of s ...

) was used for several food products and is seen until today. The company established its own mechanical engineering plant and a forge, operated coal mines and power plant and invested in range of companies in chemical and food processing industry. A branch in

Moravská Ostrava Ostrava (; pl, Ostrawa; german: Ostrau ) is a city in the north-east of the Czech Republic, and the capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region. It has about 280,000 inhabitants. It lies from the border with Poland, at the confluences of four rive ...

was set up in 1906. Because of health problems Johann Schicht changed, in 1906, the family business into a joint-stock company (members of Schicht family owned 80%). At the moment of Schicht's death in 1907 the concern employed over 1,800 people.

Heinrich Schicht Heinrich may refer to: People * Heinrich (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Heinrich (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Hetty (given name), a given name (including a list of peo ...

, son of Johann, followed as the company's president. Johann Schicht was an active member of many commercial and cultural clubs and associations. In 1898 he was awarded with the title of Imperial Councilor for his contribution to the development of industry in

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. Schicht had been compared to other Czech industrialists

Tomáš Baťa Tomáš Baťa () (3 April 1876 – 12 July 1932) was a Czech entrepreneur and founder of the Bata shoe company. His career was cut short when he died in a plane accident due to bad weather. His half-brother Jan Antonín Baťa took over his compa ...

and Emil Škoda; like them he tried to build a large integrated business empire, provided extensive social care for the employees and used modern technology, management and marketing to stay ahead of competition.

References

* Ferdinand Bernt: "Johann Schicht, Sein Leben und Wirken", Wien 1909.

External links

Johann Schicht and history of Schicht WorksBiography in Czech
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schicht, Johann 1855 births 1907 deaths People from Liberec District German businesspeople German Bohemian people