Schroeter-Traktoren West
| Company type | Vehicle manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive manufacturing |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Defunct | 1959 |
| Fate | Closed |
| Headquarters | Rotterdam-West, Rotterdam, Netherlands |
Key people | Goswin Schroeter (managing director) |
| Products |
|
| Owner | Schroeter family |
| Era | Middenvader Era |
Schroeter-Traktoren West was a Dutch vehicle manufacturer established in Rotterdam-West in 1949 after a dispute within the Schroeter family caused Schroeter Traktoren to split. Goswin Schroeter managed the company, which built passenger car prototypes and produced small numbers of microcars. It closed in 1959 following the dissolution of Schroeter Traktoren.
History
[edit | edit source]After the Second World War, Goswin Schroeter opposed Ferdinand Schroeter's management of the family manufacturing business. In 1946, he confronted Ferdinand at the Rotterdam factory over the company's wartime military production and demanded that the western relatives take control of passenger vehicle manufacturing. Ferdinand refused. Goswin then gathered supporting relatives at his warehouse on Vierhavensstraat, where they signed an ultimatum demanding control over road vehicle production and investment decisions. Ferdinand also rejected this demand.[1]
Goswin attempted to buy one of Ferdinand's road vehicle workshops in 1947, but Ferdinand refused to sell it. The disagreement continued until the first Middenvader Commissie in Vriendendam in 1949. The family failed to reach an agreement, and Schroeter Traktoren split into two branches. Ferdinand retained the original business, while Goswin became managing director of Schroeter-Traktoren West. He kept the Schroeter-Traktoren name despite Ferdinand's objections.[1][2]
The western company operated workshops in Rotterdam-West. In 1950, Goswin obtained a bank loan secured against his Vierhavensstraat property to buy machinery. The workshops built passenger car prototypes and manufactured a small number of microcars for customers. They also repaired machinery and made vehicle components, although the company never began large-scale passenger car production.[1]
The rivalry with Ferdinand continued. In 1954, a letter Goswin had written to his father ten years earlier became public. At a meeting of western relatives in Rotterdam, he defended the letter's criticism of Ferdinand and declared that Schroeter-Traktoren West would surpass the original company. His remarks caused further arguments within the family.[1]
At the second Middenvader Commissie in 1959, Goswin demanded that Schroeter Traktoren be dissolved and that the family give up ownership of its farms. Ferdinand opposed both proposals. Goswin left the meeting with the western delegates after the discussions broke down.[3]
On 5 July 1959, Ferdinand and his wife, Johanna Berendsen, were shot dead at their farmhouse in Stolwijk. The killings led to renewed fears of armed conflict between the family branches. Later that month, the Schroeter family agreed to close Schroeter Traktoren and signed a truce prohibiting its re-establishment. Schroeter-Traktoren West also closed, and Goswin lost his position as managing director.[4][1]
Former employees continued working at premises associated with the western company after its closure. Around 1960, Goswin began collecting rent at one of its former workshops under an arrangement with the new owner. He later used contacts among former mechanics and local property owners to establish the Rotterdam-West faction in 1962.[5]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Schroeter-Traktoren West". Goswin de Eindbaas. Vrienden Universe Wiki.
- ↑ "First commission (1949)". Middenvader Commissie. Vrienden Universe Wiki.
- ↑ "Second commission (1959)". Middenvader Commissie. Vrienden Universe Wiki.
- ↑ "Assassination and dissolution". Middenvader Commissie. Vrienden Universe Wiki.
- ↑ "Rotterdam-West". Goswin de Eindbaas. Vrienden Universe Wiki.