Röhss family
Encyclopedia
Röhss was a family of merchants in the city of Gothenburg
, Sweden
, noteworthy through their significant donations to several local and national institutions.
The family originates in Schleswig
, where Johan Gottlob Röhss (1766-1842) was a book dealer. He had three sons who settled in Gothenburg; the most important of these was Wilhelm August Fredrik Röhss (1796-1858), who started his career as a pharmacist but changed his occupation to trade with Scandinavia. He settled in Gothenburg in 1827, where he helped the merchant Johan Gabriel Grönwall in establishing a dyeing
plant at the river Mölndalsån. Röhss married Grönwall's granddaughter in 1831. After Grönwall retired in 1839, Röhss took over his trade and shipping business, in addition to other businesses. After his death in 1858, Wilhelm Röhss's business was taken over by his widow and two sons, Carl Wilhelm Christian Röhss (Wilhelm Röhss the younger; 1834-1900) and Johan August Anders Röhss (known as August; 1836-1904).
Wilhelm Röhss the elder conducted trade and shipping on a large scale and owned a brewery and factories for cotton, sugar, paper, among other things. His two sons continued the father's industrial activities, and invested in iron works in Värmland and in saws in the booming timber industry in Norrland.
Wilhelm Röhss the younger (1834-1900) attended the Göteborgs handelsinstitut (Gothenburg School of Trade). He was a city councillor in Gothenburg, a member of the board of the bank Göteborgs enskilda bank, and in several railroad companies. He was consul in Gothenburg for the city of Hamburg
, and later for the German empire
. Of his fortune, Wilhelm Röhss left 1,5 million Swedish kronor to the city. 250,000 kronor were given to the establishment of the craft and design museum known at the time as Röhsska konstslöjdmuseet (now Röhsska museet för konsthantverk och design, and in English as the Röhsska Museum). It was built at Vasagatan in central Gothenburg and opened in 1916. Another quarter of a million was used immediately for other purposes. The remaining million was left to a trust, Röhss' donationsfond. The interest of the capital was to be used for the promotion of Gothenburg's commerce, industry or communications. The first payment, in 1911, was used for a new building for Wihelm Röhss's alma mater, the Göteborgs handelsinstitut. The institute later merged with the Hvitfeldtska gymnasiet
, and the building is part of the current Hvitfeldtska campus.
Wilhelm Röhss's brother, August Röhss (1834-1904) attended the Chalmers School for Craft (now known as the Chalmers University of Technology
) and Bergsskolan, the mining school in Falun
. He became his brother's business partner and was its sole owner from 1900 until its liquidation in 1902. He was a patron of several artists and museums. He donated considerable sums to the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and a large book collection to the Gothenburg Public Library. He added 180,000 kr to the money already given by his brother for the future Röhsska Museum. He gave 350,000 kr to Gothenburg University
for the establishment of three professorial chairs, one in political economy and sociology, another one in geography and ethnography, and a third in political science and statistics. August Röhss was elected an honorary member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
in 1891, and was a member of the Royal Society of Sciences and Letters in Gothenburg
.
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, noteworthy through their significant donations to several local and national institutions.
The family originates in Schleswig
Schleswig
Schleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark; the territory has been divided between the two countries since 1920, with Northern Schleswig in Denmark and Southern Schleswig in Germany...
, where Johan Gottlob Röhss (1766-1842) was a book dealer. He had three sons who settled in Gothenburg; the most important of these was Wilhelm August Fredrik Röhss (1796-1858), who started his career as a pharmacist but changed his occupation to trade with Scandinavia. He settled in Gothenburg in 1827, where he helped the merchant Johan Gabriel Grönwall in establishing a dyeing
Dyeing
Dyeing is the process of adding color to textile products like fibers, yarns, and fabrics. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular chemical material. After dyeing, dye molecules have uncut Chemical bond with fiber molecules. The temperature and time controlling...
plant at the river Mölndalsån. Röhss married Grönwall's granddaughter in 1831. After Grönwall retired in 1839, Röhss took over his trade and shipping business, in addition to other businesses. After his death in 1858, Wilhelm Röhss's business was taken over by his widow and two sons, Carl Wilhelm Christian Röhss (Wilhelm Röhss the younger; 1834-1900) and Johan August Anders Röhss (known as August; 1836-1904).
Wilhelm Röhss the elder conducted trade and shipping on a large scale and owned a brewery and factories for cotton, sugar, paper, among other things. His two sons continued the father's industrial activities, and invested in iron works in Värmland and in saws in the booming timber industry in Norrland.
Wilhelm Röhss the younger (1834-1900) attended the Göteborgs handelsinstitut (Gothenburg School of Trade). He was a city councillor in Gothenburg, a member of the board of the bank Göteborgs enskilda bank, and in several railroad companies. He was consul in Gothenburg for the city of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, and later for the German empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. Of his fortune, Wilhelm Röhss left 1,5 million Swedish kronor to the city. 250,000 kronor were given to the establishment of the craft and design museum known at the time as Röhsska konstslöjdmuseet (now Röhsska museet för konsthantverk och design, and in English as the Röhsska Museum). It was built at Vasagatan in central Gothenburg and opened in 1916. Another quarter of a million was used immediately for other purposes. The remaining million was left to a trust, Röhss' donationsfond. The interest of the capital was to be used for the promotion of Gothenburg's commerce, industry or communications. The first payment, in 1911, was used for a new building for Wihelm Röhss's alma mater, the Göteborgs handelsinstitut. The institute later merged with the Hvitfeldtska gymnasiet
Hvitfeldtska gymnasiet
-External links:*...
, and the building is part of the current Hvitfeldtska campus.
Wilhelm Röhss's brother, August Röhss (1834-1904) attended the Chalmers School for Craft (now known as the Chalmers University of Technology
Chalmers University of Technology
Chalmers University of Technology , is a Swedish university located in Gothenburg that focuses on research and education in technology, natural science and architecture.-History:...
) and Bergsskolan, the mining school in Falun
Falun
Falun is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 36,447 inhabitants in 2005. It is also the capital of Dalarna County...
. He became his brother's business partner and was its sole owner from 1900 until its liquidation in 1902. He was a patron of several artists and museums. He donated considerable sums to the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and a large book collection to the Gothenburg Public Library. He added 180,000 kr to the money already given by his brother for the future Röhsska Museum. He gave 350,000 kr to Gothenburg University
Gothenburg University
The University of Gothenburg is a university in Sweden's second largest city, Gothenburg.- Character :The University of Gothenburg is the third-oldest Swedish university, and with 24,900 full-time students it is also among the largest universities in the Nordic countries...
for the establishment of three professorial chairs, one in political economy and sociology, another one in geography and ethnography, and a third in political science and statistics. August Röhss was elected an honorary member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
The Royal Swedish Academy of Arts or Kungl. Akademien för de fria konsterna, founded in 1773 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden...
in 1891, and was a member of the Royal Society of Sciences and Letters in Gothenburg
Royal Society of Sciences and Letters in Gothenburg
The Royal Society of Sciences and Letters in Gothenburg or Kungl. Vetenskaps- och Vitterhetssamhället i Göteborg is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. It was founded in the 1760s in Gothenburg, and given Royal Charter in 1778 by Gustav III of Sweden....
.