Union Giesserei Königsberg

From a Königsberg merchant family, Maria Schnell married an English-born founder Charles Hughes, and in 1826 bought a silver refining business.

[1][2] Her brother Gustav Schnell [de], together with his brothers-in-law Friedrich Laubmeyer and Carl August Dultz, established an iron foundry, run by Hughes, on 1 May 1828, which was named Union Giesserei in 1845.

[2] In 1855, Union Giesserei launched its first steamship Schnell on 5 June, and on 5 December delivered its first steam locomotive, built for the Prussian Eastern Railway.

[2] When Elias Radok died, the factory was taken over by senior engineers, Georg Panck and Paul Fischer, together with the master builder, Max Hartung.

[1] In 1927, however, Union Giesserei was finally given orders for the construction of the DRG Class 64 and 80 steam locomotives as part of the 'eastern regions aid' (Ostlandhilfe) scheme.