Sir Max Leonard Waechter (3 October 1837 – 3 October 1924) was a businessman, art collector, philanthropist and advocate of a federal Europe.

Career

Waechter was born in Stettin, then in Germany and now

Szczecin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major s ...

in Poland. His father was Julius Leonard Waechter, a

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

pastor. He went to England in 1859 and was naturalised as a British citizen in 1865. Waechter became a partner in Bessler, Waechter, and Co., a merchant firm. He advocated improved relations between Britain and Germany and in 1913 founded the European Federation League. GloversIsle01

Waechter lived in Terrace House on Richmond Hill. He held the post of

High Sheriff of Surrey The list of known High Sheriffs of Surrey extends back to 1066. At various times the High Sheriff of Surrey was also High Sheriff of Sussex (1229–1231, 1232–1240, 1242–1567, 1571–1635). 1066–1228 (High Sheriffs of Surrey only) 1229– ...

in 1902. Waechter was made a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...

in the

1902 Birthday Honours The 1902 Birthday Honours were announced on 10 November 1902, to celebrate the birthday of Edward VII the previous day. The list included appointments to various orders and honours of the United Kingdom and the British Empire. The list was publi ...

and knighted by

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

on 18 December 1902.

Family

Waechter married twice. His first wife, whom he married at

St John the Divine, Richmond St John the Divine, Richmond, in the Anglican Diocese of Southwark, is a Grade II listed church on Kew Road, in Richmond, London, near Richmond railway station. Built in 1836, and a parish in its own right since 1838, it was designed by Lewis V ...

in 1873, was Harriett Shallcross, whose father, the Liberal MP Thomas Cave, owned

Queensberry House Queensberry House is a building of 17th-century origin which is now a Category A listed building. It stands on the south side of the Canongate, Edinburgh, Scotland, incorporated into the Scottish Parliament complex on its north-west corner. ...

. His second wife was Armatrude Hobart. His only son, Harry Waechter, also a businessman and philanthropist, was created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

in 1911.

Death and legacy

Waechter contributed, anonymously, to a fund established to erect a memorial in Richmond to

Princess Mary, Duchess of Teck Princess Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth of Cambridge (27 November 1833 – 27 October 1897), later Duchess of Teck, was a member of the British royal family. She was one of the first royals to patronise a wide range of charities. Mary Ade ...

; a memorial fountain was erected outside the Richmond Gate to

Richmond Park Richmond Park, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is the largest of Royal Parks of London, London's Royal Parks, and is of national and international importance for wildlife conservation. It was created by Charles I of England, C ...

. Waechter owned

Glover's Island Glover's Island (originally called Petersham Ait) is in a tree-lined section of river, formerly known as Horse Reach on the tidal Thames, between Richmond Lock and Teddington Lock in the Borough of Richmond upon Thames, London, England. Desc ...

which he donated to the Borough of Richmond in 1900. He helped preserve the view from

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

across the river by preventing destructive development. Waechter died in 1924 and is buried in

Richmond Cemetery Richmond Cemetery is a cemetery on Lower Grove Road in Richmond in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. The cemetery opened in 1786 on a plot of land granted by an Act of Parliament the previous year. The cemetery has been expande ...

Publications

* Waechter, Max: ''European Federation: A Lecture Delivered at the London Institution on the 25th February 1909'', Jordan & Sons, Limited, 1909, 15pp. * Waechter, Max: ''The United States of Europe: How to Make War Impossible'', Twentieth Century Press, 1922, 11pp. * Waechter, Max: ''How to Abolish War: The United States of Europe'', 1924, 12pp. * Waechter, Max: ''The Principal Lesson of the Balkan Wars'' OCLC 82740175

Career

Family

Death and legacy

Publications

See also

References

Further reading