Alfred Toepfer

Alfred Carl Toepfer (13 July 1894 in Hamburg – 8 October 1993 in Hamburg) was a German entrepreneur, owner of the company Toepfer International and founder of the Alfred Toepfer Foundation. He helped to shape the original internal markets of the European Coal and Steel Community, and was a philanthropist known for his celebration of the arts, sciences, and nature. Early life Toepfer was born in 1894 in Lüneburg Heath, the son of a merchant. He lived on a farm and completed an apprenticeship while learning several languages at school. Early 1912, he joined the Wandervogel, and was greatly influenced by the historian Julius Langbehn. Its leader Hans Breuer shaped his thinking, especially his call for reflection on one's own folklore. In 1913 Toepfer was one of the participants in the meeting of the first Free German Youth Day. World War I The following year he joined the Army as an infantryman, serving in World War I and participating in the Battle of Masurian, the Second Battle of Ypres, the Battle of the Somme, and the Fourth Battle of Ypres. He was wounded several times and in January 1919 was discharged a highly decorated lieutenant.