Schneider, Eugène

Eugène Schneider, in full Joseph Eugène Schneider, (born March 29, 1805, Bidestroff, France—died Nov. 27, 1875, Paris), one of the great industrialists of the 19th century and a prominent figure in French politics.

Schneider lost his father when quite young and, left penniless, started working in the banking house of Baron Seillière. He proved to be bright, capable, and energetic and in 1830 was made director of the Bazeilles ironworks. In 1836, with his older brother Adolphe, he bought the metalworking factories at Le Creusot, the royal foundry started by Louis XVI. The company prospered, and, when Adolphe died in 1845, Joseph took over as sole owner. Schneider et Cie, now Schneider SA, became one of the greatest industrial establishments in the world. The company expanded into shipbuilding and armaments, built the first steam locomotive (1838) and river steamboat (1840) in France and acquired major concerns in Bohemia (now in Czech Republic), Hungary, Romania, Poland, and elsewhere. Innovations were made in labour relations and workmen’s compensation for Creusot employees.

Schneider decided to enter politics and in 1845 and 1846 was elected deputy to the national legislature. For a brief period in 1851, he served as minister of agriculture and commerce. In 1852 he was again elected deputy and from that time on supported Napoleon III. Reelected in 1857, 1863, and 1869 and serving at various times as vice president and president of the legislature, Schneider was known as a strong advocate of liberal empire. After his death, the company was run by his two sons, both of whom went into politics and became deputies. His grandson Charles-Prosper-Eugène Schneider directed the family firm during World War I, when it manufactured armour plate, aircraft, and other war matériel. After World War II there were subsidiaries in Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland, Brazil, Canada, and the United States.