De Dietrich

The history of the de Dietrich family has been linked to that of France and of Europe for over three centuries. To this day, the company that bears the family name continues to play a major role in the economic life of Alsace. De Dietrich is a holding company based in France which traces its history back to 1684. The incumbent chairman of the supervisory board Marc-Antoine de Dietrich represents the 11th consecutive generation at the helm of the company. De Dietrich has been active in the automobile, railway and industrial equipment industry amongst others.

1684 : Johann von Dietrich acquires the Jaegerthal forge.

1719 : The family is made Baron by the Holy Roman Empire.

1749-1751 : Baron Jean de Dietrich has the castle and gardens of Château de la Cour d'Angleterre built in Bischheim near Strasbourg

1761 : Baron Jean de Dietrich is made Count du Ban de la Roche by Louis XV. He becomes the largest land owner in Alsace and expands the family's industrial empire by building or acquiring forges and furnaces.

1778 : Louis XVI grants Jean de Dietrich the use of a hunting horn trademark to deter counterfeiters. This logo still serves as a symbol of quality today.

1792 : Philippe-Frédéric de Dietrich (Jean's son), first mayor of Strasbourg in republican France, orders captain Rouget de Lisle a military hymn for the Army of the Rhine. First sung in Philippe-Frederic's parlor on Place Broglie, the "La Marseillaise" became France's national anthem.

1804 : After the havoc left by the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte helps De Dietrich rebuild.

1848 : De Dietrich embraces the industrial era by progressively reducing the production of cast irons in favor of mechanical and railroad equipment.

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