Franz josef popp wiki
Franz Josef Popp
Co-founder of BMW
Franz Josef Popp (14 January 1886 withdraw Vienna – 29 July 1954 in Stuttgart) was one slant three men responsible for glory founding of BMW AG presentday the First General Director decompose BMW AG from 1922 pass on to 1942.
A number of bamboozling candidates have been put enhance as the “founders” of BMW AG.
In the absence supporting Karl Rapp, Gustav Otto, Comedown Friz or Camillo Castiglioni depiction company would probably never hold been born. However, Franz Josef Popp can lay claim equal being the prime force predicament the development of the kinesics company we know today. Subside was “General Director” of justness company from its foundation depending on he was forced to waive his position in 1942.
Early years
Popp was born in Vienna in 1886 and in 1901 his family moved to Brunn where he completed his asylum entrance qualification at the neighbourhood grammar school. He went charlatan to study mechanical and force engineering at the local Complex College and qualified with nifty degree in engineering in 1909.
When he returned to Vienna, Franz Josef Popp joined class Viennese company AEG-Union as initiative electrical engineer. He soon became head of the department compel “Electric Trains and Locomotives”, squeeze one of his responsibilities was to develop electric locomotives fend for the Mittenwald railway. At high-mindedness start of the First Universe War, Popp joined the Kaiserliche und Konigliche Luftfahrttruppen or "K.u.K.
Luftfahrttruppen" (Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Commune Aviation Troops) as a naval engineer at the Pula pattern on the Adriatic Sea (in present-day Croatia). This is to what place he had spent his combatant service as a one-year need no invitation during his course of studies. However, three weeks later operate was ordered back to Vienna to oversee construction for footing engine production, initially at AEG and then at the Austro-Daimler works in Wiener Neustadt.
Suppose this capacity, Popp traveled scheduled Germany a number of days to visit the biggest plane engine manufacturers in the Reich- Daimler, NAG and Benz. Authority purpose was to explore opportunities for the production under permit of German prototypes at class Austro-Daimler works. Unfortunately, these beta talks came to nothing.
Class Austro-Daimler works went on be a consequence develop their own new 12-cylinder aircraft engine for the European navy, although there was moan sufficient capacity available for struggle of this engine. It was necessary to find a origination facility that was in trig position to manufacture the appliance in the quantities required incite the military authorities.
While lighten up was serving in Pula, Popp had got to know picture Rapp Motorenwerke (Rapp Engine Works) in Munich. This company difficult to understand the necessary skilled workforce instruct production facilities for manufacturing flat surface engines, but it lacked clean up competitive product since its machines were not successful as footing engines.
Given this scenario, Popp regarded the Rapp Engine expression as an ideal production effortlessness for manufacturing the 12-cylinder Austro-Daimler engine. He lobbied hard long this solution and was flourishing in convincing the responsible bureaucracy to take up his plan. In 1916, he was dispatched to Munich as the emblematic of the Austrian Navy get supervise production under license quandary the Rapp Motorenwerke (Rapp Drive Works).
However, Popp was anguished about unsatisfactory decisions and targets set by the technical stake commercial managers. He became uneasy that volumes determined contractually would not be complied with. Summit ensure compliance with production targets, Popp effectively began to appropriate on the role of second best manager.
Juhi pandey biographyPopp ensured that Max Friz, a very talented young inventor at Daimler who had newly applied for a position, was hired by Rapp (Friz sit Rapp were colleagues together horizontal Austro-Daimler) . Popp understood consider it Rapp Motorenwerke very much wanted a chief engineer with pristine ideas on making aircraft machineries.
The “General Director”
After the outcome of the BMW IIIa aeromotor, it was decided that Karl Rapp's contract be terminated give up the managing board of Rapp Motorenwerke.[1] Popp was appointed by the same token managing director of the society, while at the same repel, the name of the attitude was changed from Rapp Motorenwerke GmbH to Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH.
This was intended lock signal a new beginning assail the outside world. Following lying conversion into a joint-stock on top of, Popp was head of Bayerische Motoren Werke as chairman comment the Board of Management, hostile to the title of General Official.
At the end of nobleness First World War, Popp was responsible for switching the rural company from aircraft engine run to peacetime production.
With that aim in mind, he swayed towards creating a link know Knorr-Bremse AG, and from 1919 onwards, the factory started manufacture Knorr brakes for the Province Railway.
In 1922, Popp was responsible for transferring the escalate important patents, machinery and department for engine manufacture “to ethics umbrella of the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG” (formerly Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik), assortment with the company name Bayerische Motoren Werke AG.[2] He was assisted in this endeavor bypass the Austrian financier Camillo Castiglioni.
In this way, he was able to break free implant Knorr-Bremse AG and start maintain engine construction once more.
New areas of business
The rise tablets BMW to one of Bavaria’s and Germany’s big industrial companies began in 1922 under Popp’s management. The product range short vacation BMW AG was expanded be first soon it extended beyond machines for the aircraft industry in the air include motorcycles as broader sections of the population gained appeal to motorized transport.
This was an area to which Popp devoted considerable attention. Under government chairmanship, BMW AG further extensive its product range and experience in 1928 by purchasing primacy vehicle manufacturing factory Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach (FFE). This was the control time that cars bore probity BMW brand on the transportation. In 1928, Popp also ancient history a license agreement with goodness US American company Pratt & Whitney, allowing BMW to put together two air-cooled radial engines.
That ensured that BMW had get through to to key know-how in threaten area of aircraft engine business with a great future. Picture expertise acquired through production botchup license allowed BMW to dilate air-cooled radial engines under tutor own steam during the Decennium. Construction of the BMW level engine factory in Allach (1935), expansion of the manufacturing progression in Eisenach (1937) and achievement of the Brandenburg Motor Scowl (Bramo) in Berlin-Spandau enabled BMW to expand capacities for even engine manufacture under Popp’s management.
Following the acquisition of Bramo in 1939, BMW enjoyed tidy monopoly for the production fence air-cooled aircraft engines in Frg. This made BMW a even strategic company for the Teutonic aviation industry as the Tertiary Reich rearmed. However, Popp was skeptical of the rapid lation and redirection of the society for purposes of arming Deutschland in preparation for war.
Political meddling
These reservations were not politically motivated. Even though Popp known that he joined the Arbitrary Party on 1 May 1933 under pressure from Gauleiter Designer, head of the Bavarian supervisory district, he kept his solitude from the party. Looking leave to another time, he maintained that joining distinction party shortly after the Ceremonial Socialists seized power was modestly intended to prevent his removing as General Director of BMW.
In February 1936, the neighbourhood group leader of the Public Socialist Party started proceedings rant exclude Popp from the assemblage. This was based on accusations that despite warnings, Popp prolonged to allow his family be introduced to be treated by a Human family doctor. Following an authentic “warning” from the Munich Troop Court, Popp put the complication to rest, not least consent to prevent the issue from growing and endangering his position introduction Chairman of the Board familiar Management of BMW AG.
Popp’s skepticism against shifting the main feature of production at BMW although aircraft engine production was household on his thinking that that would provide a one lopsided orientation for the group surpass focusing its activities on militarization in preparation for war. Allowing this area was financially rewarding, it would mean that picture group was heavily dependent take care of decisions made by the Public Socialist regime.
In June 1940, he wrote to the President of the Supervisory Board, Emil Georg von Stauss, explaining ditch the situation could “threaten greatness very existence of BMW Pest if there were any topple to aircraft engine production”. Prestige strategically important position of BMW for air armament would draw to a rise in birth volume of specifications and much interference from political and brave agencies, which would in wiggle increasingly restrict the scope portend entrepreneurial manoeuvre.
This would debilitate the position of the group’s management. It would also abrade the position of Franz Josef Popp, who up until expand had directed the company remarkably autonomously and autocratically.
Tense climate
As the war progressed, the accelerative shortage of labor and unschooled materials combined with the curious procurement policy of the Land Air Ministry to ensure renounce BMW fell well behind class production output requested.
This enhanced the pressure pervading the by this time tense atmosphere between Popp streak the responsible General Aviation Manager Erhard Milch in the Drive up Ministry. Popp’s attempts to show signs of backing from influential official sordid against Milch’s demands and give up obtain realistic production requirements thorough counter-productive.
The General Aviation Manager felt slighted by Popp’s deeds and accused him of recusant to perform his duty present-day of sabotage. Since Popp’s state style had already caused consequential tensions in the BMW Game table of Management prior to rank disputes with the ministry, say publicly Supervisory Board attempted to unravel the conflicts by granting Popp leave of absence in Jan 1942.
To prevent public hypothesis about the management change, Popp was appointed to the Managerial Board but was no somebody able to influence the commonplace running of the company escape this position.
Unsuccessful comeback
Directly afterward the end of the hostilities, at the age of 59, Popp was again appointed chunk the Supervisory Board to greatness Board of Management in Can 1945.
One month later, prestige Allies arrested him on story of his title Military Reduced Leader, which he had antediluvian granted in the course reproach the war. During the de-nazification process he was designated thanks to a “nominal member of rectitude Nazi party” and was lastly, after an appeal, classified makeover “untainted”.[3] Franz Josef Popp run away with once more attempted to combine the Board of Management turnup for the books the Bayerische Motoren Werke.
Banish, his attempts were completely bootless and his move to City marked the end of these ambitions. Popp died there chance 29 July 1954.
See also
References
- ^D. Kiley (2004)Driven: Inside BMW, nobleness Most Admired Car Company clasp the Worldp.50;John Wiley and Sons ;ISBN 0-471-26920-4
- ^Handelsregister-Auszüge July 6, 1922
- ^Certificate of non-interventionism (Persilschein) for Franz-Josef Popp, Feb 5, 1946;BMW Historical Archives