Ernst Albrecht von Siemens (9 April 1903 in

Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south- ...

– 31 December 1990 in

Starnberg Starnberg is a German town in Bavaria, Germany, some southwest of Munich. It is at the north end of Lake Starnberg, in the heart of the " Five Lakes Country", and serves as capital of the district of Starnberg. Recording a disposable per-cap ...

) was a German

industrialist A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through per ...

Life

Siemens was born in England when his father

Carl Friedrich von Siemens Carl Friedrich von Siemens (5 September 1872, in Berlin – 9 September 1941, in Heinendorf, near Potsdam) was a German Entrepreneur and politician. A member of the Siemens family, he became associated with Siemens & Halske AG in 1899, his family ...

was director of Siemens Brothers and returned to Germany after his father became head of

Siemens-Schuckertwerke Siemens-Schuckert (or Siemens-Schuckertwerke) was a German electrical engineering company headquartered in Berlin, Erlangen and Nuremberg that was incorporated into the Siemens AG in 1966. Siemens Schuckert was founded in 1903 when Siemens & ...

. He studied

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which ...

Technical University of Munich The Technical University of Munich (TUM or TU Munich; german: Technische Universität München) is a public research university in Munich, Germany. It specializes in engineering, technology, medicine, and applied science, applied and Natural sci ...

. He joined Siemens in 1929, beginning his career at the Werner Plant for Telecommunications in Berlin. After being a deputy member of the Managing Board of

Siemens & Halske Siemens & Halske AG (or Siemens-Halske) was a German electrical engineering company that later became part of Siemens. It was founded on 12 October 1847 as ''Telegraphen-Bauanstalt von Siemens & Halske'' by Werner von Siemens and Johann Ge ...

for five years starting in 1944, he became a full member in 1948 and was appointed chairman in 1949. In 1945 he became a deputy member of the Managing Board of

Siemens-Schuckert Siemens-Schuckert (or Siemens-Schuckertwerke) was a German electrical engineering company headquartered in Berlin, Erlangen and Nuremberg that was incorporated into the Siemens AG in 1966. Siemens Schuckert was founded in 1903 when Siemens & H ...

werke, and a full member in 1948. From 1956 to 1966, he served as

Chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the group ...

of the

Supervisory Board In corporate governance, a governance board also known as council of delegates are chosen by the stockholders of a company to promote their interests through the governance of the company and to hire and fire the board of directors. In civil s ...

of both companies, and from 1966 to 1971 as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of

Siemens AG Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad. The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', ''E ...

. After stepping down as chairman, he remained an honorary member of the Supervisory Board until 1978. Ernst von Siemens successfully faced the task of rebuilding the company after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. It was under his leadership that Siemens & Halske AG, Siemens-Schuckertwerke AG and Siemens-Reiniger-Werke AG were merged in 1966, forming the company we know today as Siemens AG. Ernst von Siemens was unmarried and had no children.

Sponsor of culture and science

He established: * the

Carl Friedrich von Siemens Foundation Carl Friedrich von Siemens Foundation or Carl Friedrich von Siemens Stiftung is an independent foundation in Germany with the goal of promoting the humanities and the sciences. It is named after Carl Friedrich von Siemens and was founded in 1958 ...

(''Carl Friedrich von Siemens Stiftung''), :de:Carl-Friedrich-von-Siemens-Stiftung for the advancement of the sciences (1958). * the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize (1972). * the

Ernst von Siemens Art Foundation Ernst is both a surname and a given name, the German, Dutch, and Scandinavian form of Ernest. Notable people with the name include: Surname * Adolf Ernst (1832–1899) German botanist known by the author abbreviation "Ernst" * Anton Ernst (1975-) ...

(1983). The goal of this foundation is to give financial support for museums to buy artworks. It also promotes exhibitions. Besides financial means, Ernst von Siemens also left the Foundation his private art collection. He was a member of the Academic Alpine Club of Munich.

References

*''Shaping the Future. The Siemens Entrepreneurs 1847–2018.'' Ed. Siemens Historical Institute, Hamburg 2018, ISBN 9-783867-746243. ;Notes

External links

Lifelines: Ernst von Siemens. Vol. 4, ed. Siemens Historical Institute, Munich 2015.
1903 births 1990 deaths 20th-century German businesspeople Businesspeople from Munich German industrialists Prussian nobility People from Kingston upon Thames

Ernst Ernst is both a surname and a given name, the German, Dutch, and Scandinavian form of Ernest. Notable people with the name include: Surname * Adolf Ernst (1832–1899) German botanist known by the author abbreviation "Ernst" * Anton Ernst (1975-) ...

Technical University of Munich alumni {{Germany-business-bio-stub