[Ludwig Loewy (1887-1942) and Erwin Loewy (1897-1959) were two dynamic brothers from Czechoslovakia who made significant advances in the field of hydraulic engineering and heavy press construction that influenced progress during the twentieth century. Ludwig, initially worked for Sack, a machine tool company, located in Düsseldorf, Germany, where he developed the diesel engines that enabled transatlantic passage of the great oceanliners. In 1914, he joined the firms of Walter Schloemann where he began to design and construct complete hydraulic press installations. Upon the death of W. Schloemann shortly thereafter, his nephew and Ludwig took over the company and Ludwig became the Director and Chief Engineer. His brother Erwin joined the firm in 1931 as Sales Manager.

After the brothers were forced to escape the Nazis in the mid 1930s, their careers were bound up in national defense. Ludwig established a company in England, and Erwin, first in France, and then in the United States. Both men confronted the governments of their respective new homes, and persuaded them to build extrusion presses for the production of the airplanes that were so decisive in the outcome of WW II. After Ludwig’s death in 1942, Erwin continued to build on his brother’s legacy. His crowning achievement was the design and completion of a mammoth 50,000 ton forging press, erected in 1955, which, among many other things, made the development of jet aircraft possible. Subsequently, Erwin entered space-age technology with designs for the first motion simulator for the Polaris missile and the first launch pad for the Vanguard Rocket.

Erwin Loewy was born in Becov, now in Czech Republic, on September 18, 1897. He escaped from Germany in 1935 and from France in 1940. He came to the United States and worked to influence the Armed Forces and industry to accept the need for large extrusion presses to form airplane parts, as had already been developed in Europe. After World War II, Loewy helped relocate some large presses from Europe. He and his company continued to develop extremely large presses for civilian use in the United States. Erwin Loewy died July 13, 1959.

[The Loewy Family Foundation was created to honor the significant achievements of these two brothers, and selected Lehigh University to carry on their innovative work with the establishment of the Loewy Chair in Materials Forming and Processing (1992) and a Loewy Visiting Professorship (1999), and a Loewy Graduate Fellowship (2008)].

1887

Ludwig Loewy born 1 March in Becov, Czechoslovakia

1897

Erwin Loewy born 18 Sept. in Becov, Czechoslovakia

1912

Ludwig graduated from the University of Vienna Prior to 1915 in Berlin, Ludwig operated a tool and machine tool factory

1914

Ludwig joined the firm of Eduard Schloemann (now SMS) in Dusseldorf

Schloemann dies. Schloemann nephew and Ludwig assume management

1915

Erwin graduated from the University for Commercial Science, Pilsen (Plzen), Czechoslovakia and entered the perfume industry in France [as manager of Lentheric]

1916

Company incorporated, 50% Ludwig Loewy and 50% Mr. Multhaupt

1928

Erwin joins his brother Ludwig at Schloemann

1936

Ludwig establishes Loewy Engineering Co. Ltd. in England

1933

Erwin heads Schloemann after his brother's departure for England

1935

Erwin leaves Germany, joins Ludwig in England. Then settles in Paris and establishes SPIDEM (Societe pour l'installation d'Etablissements Metalliques)

The Hydropress Company, chartered Nov. 9, 1935 in England

1939

Erwin left France for the U.S. (June 10, 1940 Germans outside Paris), arrives in U.S. November 6, 1940, retained at Ellis Island.

1940

Incorporates Hydropress in the U.S. Hydropress Inc. Divisions: Loewy Construction Co. Loma Machine Machinery & Supply Sintercast

1942-10-10

Ludwig dies 10 Oct.

1954

Erwin becomes chairman of the City Symphony Orchestra.

1955

Hydropress and Loewy Construction purchased by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton

1959-07-13

Erwin dies 13 July

Subsequently

Loewy Engineering Co., Ltd, in England sold to Tube Investing

Loma Machine sold to Hill Acme

Sintercast sold to Chrome Alloy

Loewy Machine Supply was owned and operated by another brother, Alfred Loewy and his wife Rose Loewy. It is now in the hands of a nephew-in-law.