About Friedrich Harkort
Lived 1793 – 1880 (aged 87). Friedrich Harkort was a German industrialist, politician and entrepreneur.
Friedrich Harkort (February 22, 1793, Hagen - March 6, 1880), known as the "Father of the Ruhr," was an early prominent German industrialist and pioneer of industrial development in the Ruhr region.
In 1819, he founded the first industrial workshop at Castle Wetter. An early proponent of railroads, he proposed the construction of a railway line from Cologne to Minden in 1825, which eventuated as the Cologne-Minden trunk line, completed in 1847. In 1826 he built a small test track, as a monorail following a design of the Englishman Henry Robinson Palmer.
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Important facts
People in Friedrich Harkort's life
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Friedrich Harkort?
German industrialist (1793-1880)
When was Friedrich Harkort born?
Friedrich Harkort was born on 25 February 1793 in Haus Harkorten.
When did Friedrich Harkort die?
Friedrich Harkort died on 6 March 1880 in Hombruch.
What was Friedrich Harkort's occupation?
Friedrich Harkort was an industrialist, politician and entrepreneur.
What nationality was Friedrich Harkort?
Friedrich Harkort was German.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Friedrich Harkort
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Friedrich Harkort. https://biography.guide/friedrich-harkort/
MLA: "Friedrich Harkort." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/friedrich-harkort/.
Chicago: "Friedrich Harkort." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/friedrich-harkort/.
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