Fernando Heydrich Klein (26 January 1827 – April 1, 1903) was a German businessman, politician, engineer and sculptor who lived in Matanzas,

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. Builder of the Acueduct of Matanzas he was politically engaged, playing a significant role during the

Ten Years' War The Ten Years' War ( es, Guerra de los Diez Años; 1868–1878), also known as the Great War () and the War of '68, was part of Cuba's fight for independence from Spain. The uprising was led by Cuban-born planters and other wealthy natives. O ...

in Cuba. Married to Maria-Candelaria Martínez y Valdez, he was father of American Consul Alfredo Heydrich and

Emilio Heydrich Emilio Heydrich Martínez (Cuba 1861 – Barcelona 1947), was a German-Cuban merchant, entrepreneur and landowner, son of Fernando Heydrich Klein and María-Candelaria Martínez y Valdés. Heydrich was married to Antonia Cubero y Casals and their d ...

, he is ancestor of the artists Daniel Garbade and Juan Esnard Heydrich. He died 1903 and was laid to rest at the Necropolis San Carlos Borromeo, Matanzas.

Aqueduct of Matanzas

In 1845, Manuel del Portillo successfully initiated the idea of an aqueduct for the supply of drinking water to Matanzas. Francis Albear y Lara, the engineer and chief, also encountered resistance. When Juan F. Sanchez and Bárcena also failed in a similar project, Fernando Heydrich proposed his own project together with G. Fabra and Cabanillas and his company, Heydrich & Cie, and received the order in 1870 to build a water channel from the springs of Manantial Bello y Benavides to Matanzas. They exploited the aqueduct til 1912. It still stands as a landmark of the city and was chosen as a monument of the nation in 2005.

Industry

Heydrich was one of the first producers of

Sisal Sisal (, ) (''Agave sisalana'') is a species of flowering plant native to southern Mexico, but widely cultivated and naturalized in many other countries. It yields a stiff fibre used in making rope and various other products. The term sisal may ...

on the island. With his son Alfredo and his company Heydrich and Raffoler & Cie, he requested the

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A ...

, which he finally got after a long dispute and thus began a new kind of production in Cuba.

Politics

During the

insurrection Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

of the rebels during the

, Fernando Heydrich played an essential role as founder and president of the ''Compania de Alemane''s, also called the “Club Alemán”. Their task was the founding of a

volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

corps /

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

to protect the goods of German and other foreign merchants. He received the explicit consent from Otto von Bismarck through a telegram to Consul Luis Will, in 1869, under the condition of preserving neutrality.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heydrich, Fernando 1827 births 1903 deaths Cuban sculptors Cuban politicians