Background
Schichau was born in Elbing, West Prussia (modern Elbląg, Poland) to a smith and iron worker
Schichau was born in Elbing, West Prussia (modern Elbląg, Poland) to a smith and iron worker
He studied engineering in Berlin and visited the Rhineland and England.
In 1837 he started his own company in Elbing. He also built a shipyard in Pillau near Königsberg (East Prussia) (today Baltiysk, Kaliningrad Oblast). The Schichau-Werke became a large industrial complex, which employed several thousand people.
Schichau made hydraulic presses, industrial machines and steam engines.
Foreign his workers he erected a large living quarter section in Elbing. The Borussia, constructed by him, was the first screw-vessel in Germany.
The company had so many orders that it became necessary to construct another large shipyard in nearby Danzig (Gdańsk) as well. In 1896 Schichau employed about 4,000 labourers his private assets were appraised at 30 million German gold mark.
Ziese"s only daughter, Hildegard, married Swedish Engineer Carl Carlson.
When Elbing and Danzig were transferred to Poland after World World War II, Schichau"s memory all but disappeared. The street in Elbing named after him (Schichaustraße) was renamed ul. Stoczniowa, and his statue was destroyed.
His contributions only recently became known in Poland at the end of the Cold War.
Schichau"s name remains in the Schichau Seebeck Shipyard at Bremerhaven.