Günther Ziehl

Günther Ziehl (5 September 1913 – 20 July 2002) was a German engineer and businessman. His father, Emil Ziehl, founded ZIEHL-ABEGG, a company which was later led and rebuilt by Günther Ziehl.

Childhood Günther Ziehl was born in Berlin-Weißensee. His father’s company had been in business for three years by then, and Emil Ziehl used to take his son with him to work. This woke Günther Ziehl's early interest for technology and motors.

Start at ZIEHL-ABEGG After successfully passing the German Abitur, Günther Ziehl started his Engineering studies at the Technische Hochschule in Berlin-Charlottenburg (now Technische Universität Berlin) in 1934. As his father laid on his deathbed in 1939, he gave Günther Ziehl full power of attorney and control over the company. At that time, Günther Ziehl was preparing to take his final university exams. Emil Ziehl’s will was for his son to inherit the company, so at the age of 25 Günther Ziehl became the owner and leader of ZIEHL-ABEGG. The young student was now responsible for over 1000 employees.

A few weeks after his father‘s funeral, Günther Ziehl took his final exams and graduated as an Engineer. He then focused his time and energy to the family business and pushed the further development of ZIEHL-ABEGG. The production in Berlin got so big, that most of the German lift Motors were supplied by ZIEHL-ABEGG in the early 1940s.

End of WWII and restart of the company The war left the facilities in Berlin fairly untouched. The Soviet Administration expropriated the company after war’s end and demanded Günther Ziehl to dismantle the facilities and to load them in railroad cars. Everything was to be sent to Russia. Günther Ziehl himself was in danger to be deported, in order to accompany the transport and re start the production line there. Günther Ziehl saw no other possibility for his family and for himself than to secretly flee.

The fact that Günther Ziehl was the sole manager and director of ZIEHL-ABEGG until end of the WWII made the restart of the company easier and swifter. The name and the patents could be used again. Günther Ziehl also took plenty of construction documents and drawings with him as he fled. This proved to be a very wise idea.

From 1949 on, Künzelsau’s ZIEHL-ABEGG grew to become once again a respected company and a reliable supplier. Heinz Ziehl was brought to the company after his war’s imprisonment and together with his brother Günther, they further led the company.