Charles A. Schieren
Charles Adolph Schieren | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Neuss, Rhine Province, Kingdom of Prussia |
| Died | March 10, 1915 (aged 73) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, financier, public official |
| Known for | Mayor of Brooklyn before consolidation |
Charles Adolph Schieren (February 28, 1842 – March 10, 1915) was a German-born American entrepreneur, financier, and public official who held the position of one of the last Mayor of Brooklyn before its consolidation.
Life
Schieren was born in Neuss, located in the Rhine Province of the Kingdom of Prussia. He emigrated to Brooklyn in 1856 to join his father, who was a merchant and an advocate for the 1848 German Revolution. Beginning his career in the cigar industry, Schieren shifted in 1864 to the leather belting sector, working under Philip F. Pasquay in New York City. Following Pasquay's passing, Schieren operated the enterprise for three years before establishing his own firm, the Charles A. Schieren Company, which grew into a leading national manufacturer of tanning products and belts. Beyond manufacturing, he held influential roles including trustee at the Brooklyn Trust Company, board member of Germania Life Insurance and Nassau National Bank, president of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and executive offices at Germania Savings Bank. Schieren also contributed innovations to belt production and published works on the subject.
A dedicated Republican, he actively supported Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 presidential bid as part of the Wide Awakes and later restructured Republican efforts in Brooklyn during the 1880s. Elected as Brooklyn’s mayor in 1893, Schieren directed significant projects such as rebuilding Wallabout Market, expanding municipal parks, initiating development plans for the Williamsburg Bridge, and advocating for the consolidation of New York City. In 1898, President McKinley appointed him treasurer of the Cuban Relief Committee. His service extended to state commissions appointed by Governors Black and Roosevelt, where he contributed to proposals for enlarging the Erie Canal and revising the Greater New York Charter. Additionally, he fulfilled duties as a presidential elector in 1904.
Schieren was actively involved with the Lutheran church and married Marie Louise Bramm in 1865. Their children—Charles Jr., Ida May, George Arthur, and Harrie Victor—later assumed leadership roles within his company. Schieren succumbed to pneumonia on March 10, 1915; his wife passed away one day afterward. Both were laid to rest at Green-Wood Cemetery.