Dyckerhoff, Eugen Julius Richard

Manufacturer

born: 08.05.1844 in Mannheim

died: 04.08.1924 in Biebrich

After leaving school, Dyckerhoff completed a commercial apprenticeship in Mannheim. In 1864, he worked in an arms wholesale business in Paris, but returned to Dyckerhoff und Söhne in the same year. His father sent him to Karlsruhe to take over the hitherto unsuccessful company for the manufacture of concrete products. Dyckerhoff became a partner in the cement goods factory "Lang und Co." in Karlsruhe. When Lang left, Gottlieb Widmann (1817-1894), Dyckerhoff's father-in-law, joined the company, which was then renamed Dyckerhoff & Widmann (Dywidag).

While Widmann contributed his commercial experience, Dyckerhoff was able to concentrate on improving the quality of the cement products. The founding of a factory in Biebrich in 1870 also served this goal. Dyckerhoff wanted to establish a close connection to the factory of his brothers Gustav Wilhelm Wernhard Dyckerhoff and Rudolf Philipp Wilhelm Dyckerhoff in Amöneburg in order to improve the quality of Dyckerhoff's products in cooperation with his brother Rudolf.

Dyckerhoff can be regarded as a pioneer of German concrete construction. He initially found two new areas for his entrepreneurial activity in civil engineering, but then also in building construction. His first important buildings included the gas tank in Frankfurt am Main, built in 1880 using tamped concrete, and the tank for the Wiesbaden waterworks, built in 1882.

Dyckerhoff was highly honored in his lifetime: Privy Councillor of Commerce in 1902, Privy Councillor in 1913, honorary doctorate from the TH Charlottenburg in 1921 and honorary citizen of the TH Karlsruhe in 1921. Dyckerhoff was laid to rest in the family plot at Biebrich cemetery.