Joseph Anton von Maffei
Encyclopedia
Joseph Anton von Maffei (4 September 1790 – 1 September 1870) was a German industrialist. Together with Joseph von Baader (1763–1835) and Baron Theodor Freiherr von Cramer-Klett (1817–1884), Maffei was one of the three most important railway pioneers in Bavaria
.
, the son of an Italian tradesman from Verona
. The Palazzo Maffei
still stands today on the Piazza delle Erbe
. His father came to Munich in order to run a tobacco wholesale business, that Joseph Anton Maffei continued. In 1835 Maffei was one of the founding shareholders of the Bavarian Mortgage and Discount Bank (Bayerische Hypotheken- und Wechselbank).
and supported Johann Ulrich Himbsel in building the private railway from Munich to Starnberg
. In 1864 the 500th locomotive was delivered.
Well known products from his locomotive works are the express train locomotives, the S 2/6
(world record speed in 1907: 154 km/h) and the S 3/6
, that may still be admired today in the Deutsches Museum
in Munich and the Nuremberg
Transport Museum.
, the Maximilian, for boat services on Lake Starnberg
. By 1926 there were 44 steamships.
Maffei was also a city councillor (Magistratsrat) in Munich and busied himself e.g. with the construction of the famous hotel, the Bayerischer Hof
.
) in Munich.
The locomotive works he founded survived him by some 60 years, but in 1930 J. A. Maffei went bankrupt and was amalgamated with the firm of Krauss in 1930 to form Krauss-Maffei
.
Today, Villa Maffei in Feldafing
(on Lake Starnberg) houses a museum and exhibitions.
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
.
Early life
Joseph Anton Maffei was born in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, the son of an Italian tradesman from Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
. The Palazzo Maffei
Palazzo Maffei
Palazzo Maffei is a historical palace in Verona, northern Italy, on the north-western side of Piazza delle Erbe.-History:A building existed in the current location in the 15th century, but on 20 December 1469 the nobleman Marcantonio Maffei decided to expand it by adding a third floor.Construction...
still stands today on the Piazza delle Erbe
Piazza delle Erbe
Piazza delle Erbe is a square in Verona, northern Italy. Once it was the town's forum during the time of the Roman Empire.-Description:The northern side of the square is occupied by the ancient town hall, the Torre dei Lamberti, the Casa dei Giudici and the Mazzanti Houses...
. His father came to Munich in order to run a tobacco wholesale business, that Joseph Anton Maffei continued. In 1835 Maffei was one of the founding shareholders of the Bavarian Mortgage and Discount Bank (Bayerische Hypotheken- und Wechselbank).
Railway Pioneer
In 1836 Maffei founded the locomotive firm of J. A. Maffei in the English Garden in Munich. His desire was to make Bavaria competitive in the field of industrial engines. From small beginnings, a locomotive factory of world renown arose. Maffei, amongst others, also championed the construction of the railway line from Munich to AugsburgAugsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
and supported Johann Ulrich Himbsel in building the private railway from Munich to Starnberg
Starnberg
The city of Starnberg is in Bavaria, Germany, some 30 km south-west of Munich. It lies at the north end of Lake Starnberg, in the heart of the "Five Lakes Country", and serves as capital of the district of Starnberg...
. In 1864 the 500th locomotive was delivered.
Well known products from his locomotive works are the express train locomotives, the S 2/6
Bavarian S 2/6
The Royal Bavarian State Railways' sole class S 2/6 steam locomotive was built in 1906 by the firm of Maffei in Munich, Germany. It was of 4-4-4 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or 2'B2' h4v in the UIC classification scheme, and was a 4-cylinder, von Borries, balanced compound locomotive. ...
(world record speed in 1907: 154 km/h) and the S 3/6
Bavarian S 3/6
The Class S 3/6 steam locomotives of the Royal Bavarian State Railways were express train locomotives with a 4-6-2 Pacific or 2'C1' wheel arrangement....
, that may still be admired today in the Deutsches Museum
Deutsches Museum
The Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany, is the world's largest museum of technology and science, with approximately 1.5 million visitors per year and about 28,000 exhibited objects from 50 fields of science and technology. The museum was founded on June 28, 1903, at a meeting of the Association...
in Munich and the Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
Transport Museum.
Other Achievements
In 1851 Maffei supplied the first steamerSteamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
, the Maximilian, for boat services on Lake Starnberg
Lake Starnberg
Lake Starnberg , 25 kilometers southwest of Munich in southern Bavaria, is Germany's fifth largest freshwater lake and, due to its large average depth, the second richest in water...
. By 1926 there were 44 steamships.
Maffei was also a city councillor (Magistratsrat) in Munich and busied himself e.g. with the construction of the famous hotel, the Bayerischer Hof
Hotel Bayerischer Hof, Munich
The Hotel Bayerischer Hof is a five-star luxury 350-room hotel in the city center of Munich, Germany. It is mainly housed in an 1841 building. As of 1924, it was the largest hotel in Europe. Since several decades it is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. The hotel is owned by the Volkhardt...
.
Maffei's Legacy
Joseph Anton Ritter von Maffei died on 1 September 1870. His grave may still be found today at the Old Southern Cemetery (Alter SüdfriedhofAlter Südfriedhof
The Alter Südfriedhof is a cemetery in Munich, Germany. It was founded by Duke Albrecht V as a plague cemetery in 1563 about half a kilometer south of the Sendlinger Gate between Thalkirchner and Pestalozzistraße.-History:...
) in Munich.
The locomotive works he founded survived him by some 60 years, but in 1930 J. A. Maffei went bankrupt and was amalgamated with the firm of Krauss in 1930 to form Krauss-Maffei
Krauss-Maffei
The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co KG or simply Krauss-Maffei is an injection molding machine manufacturer and defence company based in Munich, Germany...
.
Today, Villa Maffei in Feldafing
Feldafing
Feldafing is a municipality in Starnberg district, Bavaria, Germany, and is located on the west shore of Lake Starnberg, southwest of Munich.- History :...
(on Lake Starnberg) houses a museum and exhibitions.
External links
- There is a relevant English-language forum at Railways of Germany