The Koechlin family is an Alsatian family which acquired its wealth in the textile industry and became leading industrialists and politicians of the region.

Early family history

The first traces of the family can be found in 1440, when Johann Koechlin moved from

Stein am Rhein Stein am Rhein (abbreviated as Stein a. R.) is a historic town and a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland. The town's medieval centre retains the ancient street plan. The site of the city wall, and the city gates are preserve ...

to Zurich, both in Switzerland. His grandson Hartmann Koechlin (1572–1611) was the first of the Koechlins to move to

Mulhouse Mulhouse (; Alsatian: or , ; ; meaning '' mill house'') is a city of the Haut-Rhin department, in the Grand Est region, eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. It is the largest city in Haut-Rhin and second largest in Alsace a ...

, then called ''Mülhausen''.

Family tree

Samuel Koechlin (1719–1776), cofounder of the textile industry in Mulhouse in 1746. x Elisabeth Hofer (1725–1793). +→ Johann Koechlin (1746–1836), trader and industrialist in Mulhouse ¦ x Climène Dollfus (1753–1828). ¦ +→ Jean-Jacques Koechlin (1776–1834), mayor of Mulhouse during the Cent-Jours; then deputy from 1819 to 1820 ¦ +→ Rodolphe Koechlin (1778–1855), industrialist in Mulhouse. ¦ ¦ x Elisabeth Risler (1778–1829). ¦ ¦ +→ Jean Koechlin (1801–1870), manufacturer in Mulhouse ¦ ¦ ¦ x Marie Madeleine Elisabeth Dollfus (1806–1891), sister of

Jean Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jea ...

and Émile Dollfus. ¦ ¦ ¦ +→ Alfred Koechlin-Schwartz (1829–1895), manufacturer, deputy for Nord ¦ ¦ ¦ x Emma Schwartz ¦ ¦ ¦ +→ Raymond Koechlin (1860–1931), journalist and art collector. ¦ ¦ +→ Émile Koechlin (1808–1883), mayor of Mulhouse between 1848 and 1852. ¦ ¦ ¦ x Salomé Koechling (1817–1891), great-granddaughter of Samuel Koechlin ¦ ¦ ¦ +→ Émilie Koechlin (1837–1871) ¦ ¦ ¦ x

Charles Friedel Charles Friedel (; 12 March 1832 – 20 April 1899) was a French chemist and mineralogist. Life A native of Strasbourg, France, he was a student of Louis Pasteur at the Sorbonne. In 1876, he became a professor of chemistry and mineralogy at t ...

, chemist ¦ ¦ ¦ +→ Rodolphe Koechlin (1847–1920), Knight in the Legion of Honour ¦ +→ Nicolas Koechlin (1781–1852), industrialist in Mulhouse, deputy, creator of the first train line in Alsace ¦ +→ Daniel Koechlin (1785–1871), manufacturer and chemist in Mulhouse. ¦ x Emilie Schouch (1787–1852). ¦ +→ Camille Jules Koechlin (1811–1890), chemist ¦ +→ Georges Michel Koechlin, known as Jules Koechlin (1816–1882), manufacturer in Mulhouse and Paris. ¦ ¦ x Camille Dollfus (1826–?), daughter of

Jean Dollfus Jean Dollfus (September 25, 1800 – 21 May 1887) was a French industrialist who grew a textile company, Dollfus-Mieg et Compagnie (D.M.C.), in Mulhouse. Dollfus was a leading figure in a philanthropic society which constructed a company town that ...

and niece of Émile Dollfus. ¦ ¦ +→ Charles Koechlin (1867–1950), composer. ¦ +→ Alfred Koechlin-Steinbach (1825–1872), deputy in 1871. ¦ +→ Ferdinand Koechlin (1786–1854), industrialist in Mulhouse, Aide-de-camp of

François Joseph Lefebvre François Joseph Lefebvre ( , ; 25 October 1755 – 14 September 1820), Duc de Dantzig, was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and one of the original eighteen Marshals of the Empire created by Napoleon. Ea ...

¦ ¦ x Amélie Hofer (1804–1895) ¦ ¦ +→ Jules "Ferdinand" Koechlin (1822–1890), cotton commissionary ¦ ¦ x Caroline Dollfus (1828–1888), daughter of

. ¦ ¦ +→ Gabrielle Anna Koechlin (1858–1890) ¦ ¦ x Gabriel Alexis Bouffet (1850–1910),

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...

, Councillor of State. ¦ ¦ +→ Jean Gabriel Ferdinand Bouffet (1882–1940),

Général de corps d'armée An army corps general or corps general is a rank held by a General officer who commands an army corps. The rank originates from the French (Revolutionary) System, and is used by a number of countries. Normally, the rank is above the divisional ge ...

¦ ¦ ¦ x Anne Louise Laffon de Ladebat (1886–1971), daughter of General Etienne Laffon de Ladebat, Chief of the Defence Staff ¦ ¦ +→ Andrée Isabelle Suzanne Bouffet (1884–1965) ¦ ¦ x Jacques Edouard Guerlain (1874–1963), industrialist, perfume creator for

Guerlain Guerlain () is a French perfume, cosmetics and skincare house, which is among the oldest in the world. Many traditional Guerlain fragrances are characterized by a common olfactory accord known as the "Guerlinade" (fr). The house was founded in P ...

between 1890 and 1955 +→ Jean-Jacques Koechlin (1754–1814), known as "Koechlin-à-la-pipe", medical doctor and

plenipotentiary A ''plenipotentiary'' (from the Latin ''plenus'' "full" and ''potens'' "powerful") is a diplomat who has full powers—authorization to sign a treaty or convention on behalf of his or her sovereign. When used as a noun more generally, the wor ...

of the Republic of Mulhouse ¦ x Anne-Catherine Dollfus (1760–1812), daughter of Jean-Henri Dollfus, sister of Jean-Henri Dollfus fils and great-granddaughter of Jean Bernoulli. ¦ +→ Jean Koechlin (1780–1862), industrialist in Mulhouse, later in

Guebwiller Guebwiller (french: Guebwiller, ; Alsatian: ''Gàwiller'' ; ) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est currently in north-eastern France. It was a sub-prefecture of the department until 2015. It is situated northwest of Mulhous ...

. ¦ ¦ x Elise Witz (1794–1855). ¦ ¦ +→ Jean-Frédéric Koechlin (1826–1914), manufacturer in Buhl, Haut-Rhin. ¦ ¦ x Anaïs Beuck (1834–1889). ¦ ¦ +→ Maurice Koechlin (1856–1946), engineer, structural designer of the

Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Locally nicknamed "' ...

. ¦ ¦ +→? ¦ ¦ ¦ +→ Joel Koechlin ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ x Françoise Armandie ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +→

Kalki Koechlin Kalki Koechlin (; born 10 January 1984) is a French actress and writer who works in Hindi films. Known for her unconventional body of work, she is the recipient of such accolades as a National Film Award, a Filmfare Award, and two Screen Awar ...

(born 1984), actress, screenwriter in the

Indian film industry The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ko ...

. ¦ ¦ +→ René Koechlin (1866–1951), engineer. ¦ +→ André Koechlin (1789–1875), industrialist, mayor of Mulhouse between 1830 and 1843, deputy. ¦ +→ Joseph Koechlin (1790–1851) ¦ ¦ +→ Jean-Jacques Koechlin (1817–1869) ¦ ¦ +→ Albert Koechlin (1848–1920) ¦ ¦ +→ Paul Koechlin (1881–1916), aviation pioneer, created his first plane in 1908 ¦ ¦ +→ Paul Koechlin (1852–1907), automobile racer, winner of the

Paris–Bordeaux–Paris The Paris–Bordeaux–Paris Trail race of June 1895 is sometimes called the "first motor race", although it did not fit modern competition where the fastest is the winner. It was a win for Émile Levassor, who came first after completing the 1,1 ...

race, the first automobile race ever ¦ +→

Fritz Koechlin The Koechlin family is an Alsatian family which acquired its wealth in the textile industry and became leading industrialists and politicians of the region. Early family history The first traces of the family can be found in 1440, when Johann Koe ...

, industrialist in Alsace. +→ Josué Koechlin (1756–1830), trader, mayor of Mulhouse between 1811 and 1814. x Anne-Catherine Mieg (1768–1822). +→ Charles Émile Koechlin, known as Joseph Koechlin-Schlumberger (1796–1863), manufacturer, mayor of Mulhouse between 1852 and 1863. X Caroline Schlumberger (1810–1900). +→ Caroline Koechlin (1829–1903). x Jean Mieg, known as Jean Mieg-Koechlin (1819–1904), mayor of Mulhouse between 1872 and 1887.

Samuel Koechlin

In 1745, Samuel Koechlin (1719–1776), together with Jean-Henri Dollfus and Jean-Jacques Schmaltzer, started a cloth printing firm in

. Dollfus left the company in 1765 to start his own firm.

Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf (11 June 1738 – 6 October 1815) was a French naturalized German industrialist. He became famous for founding the royal manufacture of printed cottons of Jouy-en-Josas where the toile de Jouy was manufactured. Ob ...

was an engraver in the firm of Samuel Koechlin.

Josué Koechlin

Josué was a son of Samuel, and the father of Joseph Koechlin-Schlumberger. He was the first of six Koechlins to become mayor of Mulhouse, from 1811 to 1814.

André Koechlin

André Koechlin (1789–1875) was a grandson of Samuel Koechlin and the son-in-law of Daniel Dollfus-Mieg, head of the Dollfus-Mieg textile company. Under his lead, between 1818 and 1826, the company became the leading textile company of Mulhouse. Turning in 1826 to the building of machinery for the textile industry, Koechlin became knowledgeable in the fabrication of steam machines and started making railroad equipment. The firm prospered and in 1839 already employed 1,800 people. By 1842, they were the largest French locomotive maker, having built 22 of them by then. This rose rapidly, and in 1857 alone, they made 91 locomotives. They stayed one of the six large French locomotive constructors until the merger with

Elsässische Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Grafenstaden The Elsässische Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Grafenstaden (Alsatian Engineering Company in Grafenstaden) was a heavy industry firm located at Grafenstaden in the Alsace, near the city of Strasbourg. In 1826, André Koechlin founded the engineering ...

in 1872, when the company became

Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques The Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques (the Alsatian Corporation of Mechanical Engineering), or SACM, is an engineering company with its headquarters in Mulhouse, Alsace, which produced railway locomotives, textile and printing mach ...

. André Koechlin was mayor of Mulhouse from 1830 until 1843, and was elected a deputy in 1830, 1831, 1841 and 1846. He became a Knight in the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

in 1836.

Fritz Koechlin

Fritz was the younger brother of André. He was responsible for a number of cotton mills, and owned large cotton plantations in Senegal.

Jacques Koechlin

Jacques or Jean-Jacques Koechlin (1776–1834) was mayor of

in 1815 and between 1819 and 1821, and a deputy of France for

Haut-Rhin Haut-Rhin (, ; Alsatian: ''Owerelsàss'' or '; german: Oberelsass, ) is a department in the Grand Est region of France, bordering both Germany and Switzerland. It is named after the river Rhine. Its name means ''Upper Rhine''. Haut-Rhin is th ...

. Jacques Koechlin was mayor of Mulhouse until October 1820, and was reelected as a Deputy in November 1820. He was one of the leaders of the opposition. He published a pamphlet against some French officials governing

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

, which was reprinted in a number of newspapers. The newspapers were convicted for printing this, but Koechlin was only taken to trial in 1823. He published a second pamphlet explaining why he refused to appear before the court. He was convicted in May, and on appeal in July, to six months imprisonment for writing and publishing the first pamphlet.

Nicolas Koechlin

Nicolas (or Nicholas) Koechlin (1781–1852) was a brother of Jacques Koechlin and a grandson of Samuel Koechlin. He created the company Nicolas Koechlin et Frères, which branched out of the textile industry. He was instrumental in promoting the installation of railway lines in Alsace, with the Strasbourg-

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...

line and the Mulhouse- Thann line in the 1830s. He was the head of the Mulhouse chamber of commerce from 1828 until 1835. During the Hundred Days he organised a group of Partisans, and became a Knight in the Legion of Honour in 1814. He was a deputy from 1830 until 1837.

Daniel Koechlin

Daniel Koechlin or Koechlin-Schouch (1785–1871) was a younger brother of Nicholas Koechlin. He was a chemist and inventor, and received the

for his work in the field. He studied from 1800 until 1802 under

Antoine François, comte de Fourcroy Antoine is a French given name (from the Latin ''Antonius'' meaning 'highly praise-worthy') that is a variant of Danton, Titouan, D'Anton and Antonin. The name is used in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, West Greenland, Haiti, French Guiana ...

. He was most notable for his inventions related to the dyeing of cotton.

Joseph Koechlin-Schlumberger

Joseph Koechlin-Schlumberger (1796–1863) was a grandson of Samuel Koechlin. He was mayor of Mulhouse from 1852 until 1863.

Émile Koechlin

Émile Koechlin (1808–1883) was a great-grandson of Samuel Koechlin. He was mayor of Mulhouse from 1848 until 1852.

Jean Mieg-Koechlin

Jean Mieg-Koechlin (1819–1904) was the son-in-law of Joseph Koechlin-Schlumberger. He was mayor of Mulhouse between 1872 and 1887.

Alfred Koechlin-Steinbach

Alfred Koechlin-Steinbach (1825–1872), son of Daniel Koechlin-Schouch and uncle of the composer Charles Koechlin, was a deputy for

for a short while in 1871.

Alfred Koechlin-Schwartz

Alfred Koechlin-Schwartz (1829–1895) was a deputy for the region Nord.

Rodolphe Koechlin and descendants

Rodolphe Koechlin (1847–1920) was a great-grandson of Nicolas Koechlin. Captain in the French Army, he became a Knight in the Legion of Honour and received the Médaille commémorative de la guerre 1870–1871. After his retirement he moved to

Bénodet Bénodet (; Breton: ''Benoded'') is a commune in the Finistère department and administrative region of Brittany in north-western France.Croix de guerre with Silver Star. Rodolphe Emile Koechlin (1874–1916) was the second son of Rodolphe Koechlin. He served in the French army as well, and became a Commander of the Legion of Honour, received the Croix de Guerre with Bronze Star and other war medals. His son, Robert Rodolphe Koechlin (1916–1971) also was a Commander of the Legion of Honour.

Paul Koechlin

Paul Koechlin (1852–1907) was the winner of one of the earliest automobile races in the world, the 1895

race. Despite arriving third in his Peugeot, eleven hours after the first racer, he was declared the winner and received the 31.500 francs prize money since he drove the first four seater to arrive, as stipulated in the rules.

Maurice Koechlin

Maurice Koechlin (1856–1946) was a

first cousin once removed Most generally, in the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a cousin is a type of familial relationship in which two relatives are two or more familial generations away from their most recent common ancestor. Commonly, ...

of André Koechlin. He was an engineer who worked closely together with

Gustave Eiffel Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (born Bonickhausen dit Eiffel; ; ; 15 December 1832 – 27 December 1923) was a French civil engineer. A graduate of École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he made his name with various bridges for the French railway ...

. He was an officer in the Legion of Honour. One of his descendants is

, an award-winning Indian actress of French descent.

Kalki Koechlin

Kalki Koechlin (born 1984) is an

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

actress of French descent. She has received two of India's highest-ranking awards in film, the

National Film Award The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directora ...

and the

Filmfare Award The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...

from three nominations. Koechlin has established herself as one of the most popular actresses of India, through her performances in the critically and commercially successful films, including ''

Dev.D ''Dev.D'' is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language romantic black comedy film released on 6 February 2009. Written and directed by Anurag Kashyap, it is a modern-day take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's classic Bengali novel ''Devdas'', previously ada ...

'' (2009), ''

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

'' (2012), ''

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara ''Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'' (), also abbreviated as ''ZNMD'', is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language buddy road comedy drama film directed by Zoya Akhtar and produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani under Excel Entertainment. The film features ...

'' (2011), '' Shaitan'' (2012), ''

That Girl in Yellow Boots ''That Girl in Yellow Boots'' is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language thriller film by director Anurag Kashyap, starring Kalki Koechlin and Naseeruddin Shah. The film was first screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2010, follo ...

'' (2011), ''

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani ''Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani'' (), also abbreviated as ''YJHD'', is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama film directed by Ayan Mukerji, written by Mukerji and Hussain Dalal, and produced by Karan Johar. It stars Ranbir ...

'' (2013), ''

Ek Thi Daayan ''Ek Thi Daayan'' () is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language supernatural thriller film directed by Kannan Iyer, adapted from the short story ''Mobius Trips'' by Mukul Sharma. The film stars Emraan Hashmi, Huma Qureshi, Konkona Sen Sharma and Kalki K ...

'' (2013), ''

Margarita with a Straw ''Margarita with a Straw'' is a 2014 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Shonali Bose. It stars Kalki Koechlin as an Indian teenager with cerebral palsy who relocates to America for her undergraduate education and comes of age follow ...

'' (2015) and ''

Waiting Waiting, Waitin, Waitin', or The Waiting may refer to: Film * ''Waiting'' (1991 film), a film by Jackie McKimmie * ''Waiting...'' (film), a 2005 film starring Ryan Reynolds * ''Waiting'' (2007 film), a film by Zarina Bhimji * ''Waiting'' (20 ...

'' (2016). Koechlin is the descendant of the French engineer, Maurice Koechlin.

Raymond Koechlin

Raymond Koechlin (1860–1931), son of Alfred Koechlin-Schwartz, was a journalist and art collector. He owned works by

Eugène Delacroix Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix ( , ; 26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school.Noon, Patrick, et al., ''Crossing the Channel: Britis ...

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...

Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. Durin ...

, Edgar Degas, Auguste Renoir, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and

Édouard Manet Édouard Manet (, ; ; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. Bo ...

, next to large collections of Oriental, Islamic, and medieval art, and was a benefactor of the Louvre Museum, a.o. as creator and director of the Friends of the Louvre, and as director of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris. He was director of the Réunion des Musées Nationaux from 1922 until 1931. Apart from his connections with artists like Auguste Rodin, he was a longtime friend of the art dealer

Samuel Bing Samuel Siegfried Bing (26 February 1838 – 6 September 1905), who usually gave his name as S. Bing (not to be confused with his brother, Samuel Otto Bing, 1850–1905), was a German-French art dealer who lived in Paris as an adult, and who ...

and American historian Royall Tyler and also befriended other Americans like Edith Wharton and French writers like Marcel Proust. He wrote among other works 3 volumes about French Gothic ivories (1924) and a memoir, ''Souvenirs d'un vieil amateur d'art de l'Extrême-Orient'' in 1930. His bequest to the Louvre in 1932 included amongst many other pieces the ''Peacock dish'', the "most famous of all dishes made at İznik", and 11 Persian paintings and drawings. But he also donated works of art to many other French musea, like the

Guimet Museum The Guimet Museum (full name in french: Musée national des arts asiatiques-Guimet; MNAAG; ) is an art museum located at 6, place d'Iéna in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. Literally translated into English, its full name is the Nationa ...

and the Musée d'Orsay.

Charles Koechlin

Charles Koechlin (1867–1950) was a French composer.

Paul Koechlin

Paul or Jean-Paul Koechlin (1881–1916) was an aviation pioneer. He was a nephew of Paul Koechlin the race car driver. He created his first plane in 1908 and started the company "Aéroplanes P. Koechlin" in Boulogne-Billancourt. He collaborated with the Austrian pioneer Alfred de Pischof in the creation of other planes. Later he participated in early aviation races between 1910 and 1912, and had an aviation school in Paris. He died at the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

Notes

External links

Koechlin family site
{{DEFAULTSORT:family, Koechlin French families Businesspeople from Mulhouse Textile companies of France

Early family history

Family tree

Samuel Koechlin

Josué Koechlin

André Koechlin

Fritz Koechlin

Jacques Koechlin

Nicolas Koechlin

Daniel Koechlin

Joseph Koechlin-Schlumberger

Émile Koechlin

Jean Mieg-Koechlin

Alfred Koechlin-Steinbach

Alfred Koechlin-Schwartz

Rodolphe Koechlin and descendants

Paul Koechlin

Maurice Koechlin

Kalki Koechlin

Raymond Koechlin

Charles Koechlin

Paul Koechlin

Notes

Further reading

External links