Carl Sickler (fl. 1853-1970+), Karlsruhe.

     Carl Sickler (Johann Carl Sickler) was born in Wesenberg, Russian Empire, in 1827. In 1848, he was admitted as a student at the Freiberg Mining Academy (Bergakademie). In December 1853, Sickler commenced operations of a precision engineering and glass blowing enterprise at his residence at Langestrasse 136. His product range encompassed geodetic instruments, which were renowned for their meticulous construction, in addition to telegraph apparatus, physical and glass instruments, aiming devices for field and fortress artillery, and weights and measures. Sickler is most notable for his incorporation of a tilting screw into a levelling instrument, illustrated in fig. 1 below.

     In 1854, Sickler participated in the Allgemeine Deutsche Industrieausstellung in Munich, where his analytical scale received an honourable mention. In June 1855, he was awarded the title of Hofmechanikus. In 1860, Sickler was appointed as an inspector for weights and measures. By 1863, the company, which employed between 14 and 16 workers, had produced 40 theodolites, 85 large levelling instruments and 145 smaller levelling instruments and inclinometers. These were exported to Switzerland, Austria, Russia and the Netherlands. In 1864, Sickler facilitated the establishment of the inaugural sewing machine factory Haid & Neu in Karlsruhe by constructing a factory building on his property and acting as a long-standing partner in the firm [6][7][11].  

     Following the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71, Sickler constructed a new residence at Langestrasse 152, which then served as the company's new headquarters. Subsequently, the street was renamed Kaiserstrasse.

     In 1877, Sickler's son-in-law, Karl Scheurer (born 1847, died 1934), became a partner and assumed control of the entire business in 1896. Karl Sickler died on 20 December 1897 in Karlsruhe at the age of 70. His son-in-law, Karl Scheuer, took over the company following his death and subsequently passed it on to his own son, Alfred Scheuerer, who returned from the First World War. The company continued to operate until well into the second half of the 20th century. The 1955 edition of the 'Adressbuch der Stadt Karlsruhe' lists Otto Mayer as the proprietor, while the 1967 edition names Josef Massino as the owner.

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[1] Jahrbuch für den Berg- und Hüttenmann. 1849, p.150. [MDZ]

[2] Jahrbuch für den Berg- und Hüttenmann. 1850, p.193, [MDZ]

[3] Reich, F.: Die Bergakademie zu Freiberg, 1850, p.63 [MDZ]

[4] C. Sickler; Kleines Universalinstrument: Repertorium für Experimental-Physik, für physikalische Technik, mathematische und astronomische Instrumentenkunde. 4. 1868 [MDZ]

[5] C. Sickler; Kleines Universalinstrument: Die Fortschritte der Physik. 24. 1868 (1872), p.6. [MDZ]

[6] Seit dem 22. Juli 1865 bestand in Carlsruhe die offene Gesellschaft „Haid und Neu" zum Betrieb der Fabrication von Nähmaschinen. Gesellschafter waren Carl Sickler, Georg Haid und Carl Neu. Zeitschrift für badische Verwaltung und Verwaltungsrechtspflege, 10.1878, p.177. [Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin]. Karlsruher Tagblatt. 18.8.1865 (No. 225). 

[7] Die Nähmaschinenfabrik von Haid & Neu dahier beschäftigt 24 Arbeiter und liefert im Jahr ca. 400 Maschinen im Preise vom 100 bis 120 fl. pro Stuck. Jahresbericht der Handelskammer der Großherzoglichen Residenzstadt Karlsruhe 1865.

[8] Georg David Haid (*1825;†1895) and Carl Wilhelm Neu (*1831;†1909) https://stadtlexikon.karlsruhe.de

[9] 85 Jahre deutsche Feinmechanik und Optik. Der Führer, 19.12.1938 [Badische Landes-Bibliothek]

[10] Die Gewerbe im Großherzogthum Baden, 1863. p.46. [MDZ] 

[11] Das Verkaufslokal der Nähmaschinenfabrik von Haid & Neu befindet sich von jetzt an Langestrasse Nr. 136, bei Herrn Mechanikus C. Sickler, und wird daselbst auch der Unterricht in Maschinenähen erteilt. Karlsruher Tagblatt, 6.8.1864 Nr. 214. [Badische Landes-Bibliothek]

[12] Apparat zum graphischen Rechnen für die speciellen Zwecke der Tachymetrie (Tachymeter-Schieber). Von Emil Teischinger, Ingenieur. [Zeitschrift des österreichischen Ingenieur-Vereines, 1883, p. 114; ANNO]. ZfV Vol. 4. 1884 [GoogleBooks]. Patent DE24373A.