Wilhelmj, August Wilhelm

Lawyer, wine merchant

born: 19.06.1813 in Bad Schwalbach

died: 18.11.1910 in Hattenheim

Wilhelmj studied law in Göttingen (together with Bismarck) and in Berlin. He began his legal career as an accessory (candidate for judicial and administrative service) in Usingen in 1839, then in Königstein. In 1843 he married the singer and pianist Charlotte Petry (1820-1903) from Usingen. From 1844-66 he was procurator at the Nassau court and court of appeal, initially in Usingen, where it had been temporarily relocated in 1832 due to the domain dispute, and from 1850 in Wiesbaden, where he became senior procurator.

His sons Albert (1844-1905) and the later "violinist king" August Wilhelmj were born in Usingen. Wilhelmj himself was already an excellent violinist. He kept an open house for artists; he was in close contact with Richard Wagner during his stay in Biebrich in 1862 and beyond.

He collected Rheingau wines and began to trade in them. He made Rauenthal and other vineyards not associated with the state wineries or Metternich generally known. After his retirement, he ran the wine trade professionally. He opened a store in Wilhelmstrasse.

At the Paris World Exhibition in 1867, he received a gold medal for his Auslese wines. He was equally successful at the World Exhibition in Vienna in 1873 and other competitions. He acquired vineyards in Rauenthal and Hallgarten, among others, which totaled 36.38 hectares in 1890. In 1872, Wilhelmj moved his main winery to Hattenheim (today the Georg Müller Foundation winery). Wilhelmj was known as the "Wine King" and supplied the German Emperor, the Crown Prince, the Tsar and the Khedive of Egypt. He owed many customers to his prominent son August.

In 1889, he acquired Reichartshausen Castle in Oestrich and had the annex built there in the form of an artificial ruin.

Wilhelmj was buried in the northern cemetery.