Julius Schulte Söhne the paper producer in Düsseldorf since 1886!

The Schulte family is an old papermaking family. The oldest proven ancestor is Wilhelm Schulte; it is known that his wife was buried on February 9, 1681. He was a papermaker at Vorster in Broich (today a district of Mülheim an der Ruhr). Three generations of papermakers are said to have preceded him.

Wilhelm Schulte was followed by four generations of papermakers, master papermakers at Vorster in Delstern near Hagen and finally at Röpe in Johannestal near Hemer, before Friedrich Schulte (1802 – 1872) built the first Schulte-owned paper mill in Calle near Iserlohn in 1827 at his father’s behest.

Friedrich Schulte had four sons and one daughter. The two eldest sons Friedrich (1829-1900) and Julius (1831-1888) Schulte founded the paper mill Gebr. Schulte & Scheffen with Otto Scheffen in 1860. This paper mill marked the start of paper production in Düsseldorf. It primarily produced sugar paper.

JULIUS SCHULTE set up his own business in 1886 and founded his own paper mill on the southern bank of the Düssel to produce wrapping paper. The raw materials for all the papers were rags and waste paper.

JULIUS SCHULTE died in 1888 shortly after the factory went into operation. He was initially succeeded by his eldest son Emil (1861-1947). This was apparently followed by disputes between the siblings until 1910, when the second eldest son – also a Julius (1868-1938) – took over the management of the company. In the mid-1920s, KURT POTHMANN, a grandson of the company founder, began working for the company; he took over the management from his uncle Julius Schulte in 1938 and became the sole shareholder. He was followed in the management by his sons Dieter (*1927) and Gert (1931-2008) Pothmann. Since their departure, operational responsibility has been transferred outside the family; the company is currently in the 4th and 5th generation of direct descendants of the founder.

Location chronicle Düsseldorf

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A paper machine was used to produce 1,700 tons of wrapping and core paper per year, as well as raw roofing felt. The raw materials for all papers were rags and waste paper.

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The eldest son EMIL SCHULTE (1861 – 1947) took over the management of the company after the death of his father in 1888.

<< 1898 >> The company produced 7,000 tons per year on two paper machines.

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The second eldest son of the founder JULIUS SCHULTE (1868 – 1947) took over the management.

<< 1927 – 1929 >> Increase in production volume to 8,600 tons per year.

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Slump in production due to the global economic crisis. Only 181 working days were produced.

Output fell to 6,700 tons per year.

<< 1933-1934 >> Production increases to 13,400 to/a.

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KURT POTHMANN (1898 – 1934) took over the management of the company.

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On June 11, the paper mill was completely destroyed by a bombing raid.

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<< 1950-1959 >> Modernization of the machinery, starting with a new Dutch machine, with the renewal of paper machine 2, with the installation of a modern system for waste paper processing.

<< 1960 >> Around 1960, paper machine 1 is replaced by paper machine 3.

<< 1967 >> Commissioning of the power plant heated with heavy oil.

<< 1975 >> After overheating, the economy collapsed when the OPEC countries carried out a politically motivated boycott of oil supplies.

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Their sons DIETER (*1927) and GERT (1931-2008) POTHMANN took over the management of the company.

Since their departure, operational responsibility was placed in non-family hands. In July 1954, “drive-through operations” were started seven days a week.

<< 1990 >> At the beginning of the 1990s, the production of raw roofing felt was discontinued. The production of lamination board took the place of raw roofing felt.

<< 1993 >> Installation of a gas turbine with waste heat boiler.

<< 2000 >> Production reached 80,000 tons per year.

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Major investments were made in noise and odor reduction measures as well as in an anaerobic-biological recirculating water treatment plant, which earned the company the NRW Efficiency Award for Production-Integrated Environmental Protection (PIUS) in 2003.

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Production was expanded to 100,000 tons per year.