Max Meirowsky founded a company near Porz in 1894 to manufacture essential insulating materials for the burgeoning electrical and motor industries. This enterprise eventually evolved into the family corporation Meirowsky AG in 1910, marking his shift from a regional producer to a significant industrial figure within the German economy before the rise of the Nazi regime.
Industrial Expansion
By 1910, the company Meirowsky AG employed new corporate structures to manage the production of mica, monazite, and feldspar. The firm benefited from the rapid technological advancements in electrical engineering and motor manufacturing at the time. Beyond his industrial pursuits, Meirowsky resided in a house in Lindenthal, Cologne, specifically designed by the architect Ludwig Bopp.
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In 1917, Meirowsky attempted to donate 1.2 million gold marks to the city of Cologne, aiming to support research into children's nutrition. Mayor Konrad Adenauer sought to redirect these funds to attract a Kaiser Wilhelm Institute to the city. By 1919, Meirowsky increased his offer to three million gold marks, though economic instability and high inflation ultimately prevented the realization of these specific research objectives.
Art Collection and Restitution
Meirowsky amassed a significant collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works, including pieces by Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, and van Gogh. In 1912, he received recognition for his support of the Sonderbund International Art Exhibition. Following his forced exile, his collection was liquidated during a 1938 auction at H. W. Lange. Legal battles regarding the provenance of his former holdings have continued into the 21st century; in November 2021, a restitution agreement allowed for the sale of van Gogh's Meules de blé for $35 million.
Persecution and Aryanization
Under Nazi rule, Meirowsky’s assets were systematically confiscated. Meirowsky AG underwent Aryanization in 1938 and was renamed Dielektra AG by 1941. His property in Berlin-Reinickendorf was sold under duress to Norddeutsche Dornier-Werke Wismar. His brother, the dermatologist Emil Meirowsky, lost his position at the University of Cologne in 1933 and eventually fled to the United States. Tragically, Emil's daughter, Lisamaria, was deported to Auschwitz and murdered.
Fast facts
- Born: 1866, Dobre Miasto, Poland
- Died: 1949, Geneva
- Company founded: 1894
- Meirowsky AG formed: 1910
- Forced liquidation of art: 18 November 1938
- Aryanization of company: 1938
- Spouse: Amélie Paula Feldsieger
Questions readers ask
What became of Meirowsky AG after it was Aryanized?
It was renamed Dielektra AG in 1941, eventually joining the Siemens group in 1990.
Did any of Meirowsky's family survive the Nazi era?
His brother Emil escaped to the United States in 1939, but Emil's daughter Lisamaria was murdered at Auschwitz.
Achievements
- Holdings: Haystacks near a Farm, Reclining Nude and Still Life with Grapefruit
