Dornheim, Georg Carl

Compiled by Larry B. Schuknecht

George Carl August Friedrich Dornheim (Jan. 30, 1842- 1933) was the son of Carl Dornheim and Dorothea Mattenklodt. On Oct. 5, 1863 Georg Carl married Anne Marie Böckelmann. George Carl also had a brother-Gustav Ernst Christoph Dornheim (April 8, 1846- ). Georg Carl and Anne Marie had three sons and a daughter. The sons were-

George Friedrich Carl Heinrich Dornheim (Feb. 3, 1865-June 23, 1903) He died in Magdeburg, Saxony Anhalt, Germany.

Diedrich Ernst Otto Dornheim (April 8, 1872-Dec. 11, 1936) He died in Madgeburg, Saxony Anhalt, Germany.

Arnold Christian Karl Eugen Dornheim (Dec. 2, 1873-May 21, 1951) In 1939-1940 he lived in Weimer, Kassel, Hesse, Germany.

G. C. Dornheim GmbH Suhl– was founded in Lippstadt in 1863 when Georg Carl Dornheim inherited a small business from his father- Carl. Georg Carl was obviously a very astute business man and over the years the business expanded and grew by absorbing and combining with other firms while putting his sons- the brothers George Friedrich Carl Heinrich (Georg Carl Jr.), Arnold Christian Karl Eugen (Eugen), and Diedrich Ernst Otto (Ernst) in charge of the various branches in scattered locations around Germany.

In 1901 Dornheim acquired the weapons and ammunition factory-Waffen und Patronen Fabrik B. Stahl in Suhl. This was probably the foundation of the Suhl location of the Company. Eugen Dornheim managed this branch of the Company. It is reported that the company did not manufacture any firearms themselves but marketed firearms made by many of the other companies located around Suhl.

On October 29, 1908 the trade name “Gecado” was registered by G. C. Dornheim G.m.b.H. of Lippstadt. The trade name was the combination of the first two letters of each of Georg Carl Dornheim’s name.

Dornheim G.m.b.H. KG, Cologne- located at Rheinstrasse 7, this branch of the firm was operated by Ernst Dornheim. The company took over (possibly as early as 1898) the business of Wilhelm Bittner who distributed hunting and target weapons, handguns, ammunition and hunting equipment. The trademark was Loreley.

Dornheim AG, Nuremberg- located at Königsgraben 1, circa 1912.

Dornheim AG G.m.b. H., Berlin- located at Wallstrasse 23/24. This was a wholesale distributer of hunting weapons, handguns, and ammunition, circa 1912.

Dornheim AG G. m. b. H., Madgeburg- operated by Otto Dornheim, this was another wholesale outlet for the company circa 1900-1916.

On May 7, 1926 the trade name Selkado was registered by Selve=Kronbiegel=Dornheim for a line of ammunition.

In 1927 Gustav Genschow & Co. (Geco) took over the entire Dornheim company.