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An institution in Essen becomes 150:
Distillery Felix Rauter since 1853
The “Rauterstraße” in Essen is well-known by the city centre’s and long-time residents of Essen. The fact that it had been called “Ritterstraße” before it has been renamed in 1937 in honour of Felix Rauter, the founder of the distillery Rauter, is less common.
Who was Felix Rauter?
The chronicles of the city Essen say, that his commitment to his native town was outstanding, he was even decorated for his social commitment.
He was born in Essen-Steele in 1841 and spent his younger days with his parents in Essen
where he attended grammar school.
He attended his military service in Düsseldorf and started afterwards a business career.
It was a good decision, because already at the age of two, Felix Rauter’s father Heinrich, who hold property, went into business for himself and founded with a friend the company
Rauter & Butenberg, which was specialised in manufactoring sheet and hollow glass.
Johannes Wilhelm Butenberg
left the company in 1845 and Heinrich’s uncle Ignaz Wisthoff became new partner. He bought up the company in 1853 and quit it out of respect of the Königsteele’s glassworks.
Heinrich Rauter inherited his father’s vinegar factory and brickyard, which he handed down to his son Felix. He died as retiree in 1889. He had an outstanding reputation as a business man, but as well as an always neat dressed gentleman.
Facetious he was called “fiener Rauter” which means “the fine Rauter”.
Felix Rauter enlarged the vinegar factory and to manufacture brandy:
today’s distillery Rauter was founded.
At that time the vinegar factory was seated between the today’s opera and the Kettwiger Straße. Rauter’s residential house is a post office now.
He was very commited in his company and invested a lot of time and money in community services. Felix Rauter wanted to offer the industrial area’ workmen a cheap brandy and created the “Bergalten”, that became popular in this region.
In 1895 he handed the company down to his son Heinrich and consecrated hisself only to his honorary offices.
He had been a member of the municipal council for about 25 years and worked hand in hand with major Erich Zweigert.
One of his acquisitions of that time is the expansion of the museum of local history, which he consigned an extensive collection of pictures and written documents about development and history of the city Essen during the 19 th century.
An important concern were socially disadvantaged people:
On the occasion of 50 th business jubilee, he founded a bigger foundation for the poor.
Furthermore he enabled the construction of a maternity home.
When he dropped out of the civil service due to physical reasons, he was awarded with the title of "Königlich-Preußischer Kommerzienrat".
Felix Rauter died in 1909 at the age of 69 during a stay of a health resort in Bad Godesberg.
His son Heinrich had also started a business career and returned after some stays in France and the USA to his father’s company.
He expanded carefully and efficiently the distillery and founded the Vita-Zahnfabrik in Essen, which has been moved to Bad Säckingen during Second World War.
In 1937 he died of a heart-attack. His wife Helene Rauter-Stierlin returned after the loss of her house to her home Luzern and died in 1962.
Though the company has been extended in 1889 and moved to the Brunnenstraße where it is still seated, the tradition of the “Bergalten” and Rauter’s “Wermuthes” is still alive.
Even today the Bergalte is included in the family-run concern’s assortment, which has been considerably expanded of course.
Another main pillar of destillerie Rauter is the sales of variations of the private brand “Tabu-Absinth”, which bases on the reactivated family's recipe of Rauter’s Wermuthe that had fallen victim to the prohibition of Absinthe in 1923.
Furthermore wine imports from Piemont and other selected regions of viniculture in Italy belong to the diversified assortment of the medium-sized company, which is still property
of family Rauter.
Again a remembrance to the past, because Felix Rauter was keenly wine trading.
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