Father of Thierry Hermes leaving France for Germany
Thierry Hermes father was of protestant religion. The persecution of the Huguenots pushed Hermes to leave the Kingdom of France and to emigrate to the Rhineland, Germany where he could live in peace. Under the reign of Louis XIV and Louix XV Hugenots were persecuted in France which was a country of catholic religion. France had know religions wars for centuries. Thierry Hermes father (1770 - 1820 ?), in German Dietrich Hermes married Agnese Kuhnen (1780 - 1820 ?). Hermes was French, his wife Agnese German. They run a silk business on Königstrasse in Krefeld, 8km from the river Rhine. Krefeld is north of Duesseldorf and south of Dusiburg. The city had a long history in the silk industry and was also called "Samt und Seidenstadt", in English "city of silk".
Born in the French Department of the Roer, today part of North Rhine Westfalia, a state of Germany
1797the area became French as it was conquered by Napoléon Bonaparte. The Roer department was created, beeing part of the north of the First French Empire / Premier Empire. La "Département de la Roer" was one of the 133 Departments of Napléons Premier Empire with the main administative ("chef-lieu") city beeing Aachen.
The French liberalised trade laws, making it easier for newcomers to settle in the Krefeld silk industry, until now very much dominated by the wealthy von der Leyen family. 1801 january 10 Thierry Hermes was born At the time of his birth Creveld / Crefeld / Krefeld was under French administration. Thierry Hermes was the youngest of six children. 1814 january 14 Napoléon was defeated, end of the First Empire the Roer department was divided between the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Prussia. Thierry Hermes was 13 years old when his hometown Krefeld became part of the Prussian Province of Jülich Cleves Berg. shortly later part of the Rhine Province, the westernmost province of Prussia.
First Hermes companies Hermes & Co and Hermes frères Growing up in the Silk industry
The city to Crefeld / Krefeld was known for its textile industry. The town's weavers were supplying velvet, brocade and silk to many countries. At the end of the 18th century Crefeld / Krefeld was like Lyon one of Europe's most important centers for silk production.
The industry is dominated by the von der Leyen family, the brothers Friedrich und Heinrich von der Leyen had established in 1731. They had made a fortune as silk weaving industrialists and silk merchants. Von der Leyen was ennobled in 1786, Napoleon made them Barons in 1813 confirmed by the King of Prussia in 1816. The von der Leyen dynasty enjoyed many priviledges.
Under the local predominance of the von der Leyens it was difficult for Thierry Hermes father, once an immigrant from France, to succeed. This particulary after the departure of Napoleon's French Premier Empire administration and the return of Krefeld to Prussia . According to some sources Thierry's parents also operated a Hotel which might have been located next to their small factory.
It is possible that young Thierry Hermes was part of the Hermes frères company (Hermes brothers) in Krefeld. More research would be necessary to find out. At the age of 20 he decided to leave Germany and emigrated to France, country of his fathers ancestors. In his luggage nothing but a savoir-faire in textile that would later help him to start a new Hermes comany in Paris.
Moving to Normandy
1821 Thierry Hermes moved to Normandy
He settled in Pont Audemer, a small town located between Deauville and Rouen, 160 km north west from Paris. The city beeing located on the risle river has many water chanels which was ideal for the leather industry needing a lot of water to clean leather. Pont Audemer is also called 'Venice of Normandy"
In addition to his knowledge with textiles Thierry Hermes learned the scills of handling leather. He was employed by the Pleumer family who owned a sucessful leaver production company, the precise expression in French is "sellier-harnacheur". Trying to find more information about Thierry Hermes the idea came up to make a trip to Pont Audemer. The city was very beautiful, but quite asleep. No café would serve someting to eat after official lunch hours. Nobody on the streets knew anything about Thierry Hermes ... until the owner of a shop directed us to rue Sadi Carnot.
This is where we met an interesting person, right on rue Sadi Carnot "Madame Pleumer". A long long time ago her husband Monsieur Pleumer employed the young Thierry Hermes.
How could we talk to Madame Pleumer that was probably born before 1800 ? Well her face is engraved into the facade of the beautiful building. She was talking to us through the voice of present owner of the house a glamorous and very cultivated Lady: "I bought the house 5 years ago, it was fallling apart, all the stone which are coming from Caen were all black ... of course it's historty interests me" The Lady shared the information with us.
15 rue Sadi Carnot on Google Street View Thierry's house was located rue de la Brasserie, but it looks as if the building no longer exists. 1828 april 17 Thierry Hermes married Christine Pierrat (1805- 1896).
Moving to Paris
1837 Thierry Hermes moved to Paris
Rue Basse du Rempart
The original Hermes store located on 56 rue Basse du Rempart in what is today the 9th district of Paris (near the borders of the 1st and 8th Arrondissement). Thierry Hermes's saddlery products became popular. Hermès specialized in the horse harnesses needed for calèches, and carriages. Over 70,000 horses lived in Paris at the time. more about the first Hermes workshop coming soon ...
1837is the year where Queen Victoria became Queen of England. It is also the year where Charles Lewis Tiffany opened a shop in New York. The future Empress Eugénie was 11 years old and spend her vacation in Biarritz. 1842 ended the constrution of the eglise de la Madeleine located nearby the first Hermes store.
Pavillon des Drapiers ex right side of Cremerie de Paris N°1 link between Hermes & Cremerie de Paris
Interest in textile activites connect Thierry Hermes to the history of Cremerie de Paris from where this article is written. In fact before becoming a "Cremerie", a cheese store, during the times of the Les Halles foodmarket the right side of Cremerie de Paris N°1 lays on the grounds of another historic building, the Pavillons des Drapiers.
Pavillon des Drapiers (Cremerie de Paris N°1 - right side)
Thanks to the Pavillon des Drapier Cremerie de Paris has a very long "textile" history. 1527 the corporation des Drapiers et Bonnetiers aquired a house on 13 rue des Chargeurs (13 rue des Déchargeurs) The building would today occupy by the grounds of current rue des Halles. 1648 the corporation buys the neighboring house on 11 rue des Déchargeurs (today Cremerie de Paris N°1). It is located between their house on 13 rue des Déchargeurs and the Hotel de Villeroy, 9 rue des Déchargeurs.
1660the architects Sébastian Bruand and his son Jacques Bruand build the Pavillon des Drapiers.
The corporation of the Drapiers et Bonnetiers defends the interest of the French textile industry and negociates their interests with the different Bourbon Kings of France.
Today the exact same location on 11 rue des Déchargeurs has become Cremerie de Paris N°1
Thierry Hermes saw both
- the Pavillon des Drapiers, hotspot for the textile industry - and Cremerie de Paris, iconic milkstore at the Halles Centrales foodmarket replacing it.
It would be so interestig to be able to talk to him ... We would love to know all the people he met at our place when it was in a "textile universe" We would love to know what he thought about Empress Eugenie he knew when she was still young while we only know her through stories when she was old ...
Had Thierry Hermes ever met young Werner von Siemens travelling to Paris. We only know Siemens came by during the Expo de l'Electricité in 1881. But it's very possible he has been to Paris before. Von Siemens would have ben surprised Thierry Hermes spoke German and he would have loved the Hermes acessories for his horses. So many questions to ask ...
History never stoped ... Marguerite de Navarre was there long before, the Pavillion des Drapiers Louis IX has seen it beeing constructed Thierry Hermes saw it during it's last years as an operating "textile hotspot". 1870 the place was converted into an iconic milk store at the les Halles foodmarket, the Cremerie de Paris. It's unique history fascinated Empress Eugénie who transmitted the legends of the place to a young girl so that half a century later Coco Chanel would discover it. Again half a century later, thanks to a little jewel left by Chanel it became the first Internet Cafe in Paris (which explains how we got VB.com the ultra short two letter adress of this website)
What is left from the times of the Pavillon des Drapiers are - the stone walls in the lower part of the Cremerie de Paris,
- the facade moved to the Musée Carnavalet
- the stones on the walls of the lower part of Cremerie de Paris
- and the window on 9 rue des Déchargeurs between the historic Villeroy Bourbon gate on the right and the former Pavillon des Drapiers on the left. In the picture behind the window a view into our historic courtyard all the Bourbon Kings of Frace have been to and franco-australian filmmaker David Aaron Benali, working on some Cremerie de Paris videos you can see on 75001.fr
If you come to Paris take the subway to Chatelet les Halles, take the metro exit 1 "Marguerite de Navarre", the window is only a few metres from the subway exit. Rest a moment .. Have a view into our courtyard there are 650 years of history , a spot Thierry Hermes has been to many times between 140 and 180 years ago. Before Hermes it was a Telecom Hotspot with another fascinating history that continues today with the Phone Book of the World
"Meeting place of the World's most famous Brands".
Today Cremerie has become a Hotspot for Pop Up Store Expos. The videos shows Amazon, an important distributor of Hermes perfumes and currently the world's most valuable company. Marie Hélène Galet who designed the Pop Up also creates some of the iconic Hermes store windows ...
The next Videos two textile companies, not sure Thierry Hermes would like the style but Nike and Under Armour share with Hermes to have created someting unique ...
Hotel de Villeroy / VB mansion current left side of Cremerie de Paris N°1
Cremerie de Paris is also part of a century old mansion where the young Bourbon King Louis XIV had lived a long time ago. It was the house of the children François and Catherine de Villeroy, their father Nicolas V de Villeroy was the tutor of the young king. The presence of Louis XIV during the years 1646 leaves an aura on the Cremerie, which Thierry Hermes must have been aware of.
Impact of the Second Empire on Hermes Empress Eugenie, Napoléon III Baron Haussmann under construction
1848 Napoléon III is elected President of France. 1852 he becomes Emperor of the French. The new reign is not without impact on Thierry Hermes. Their project is to make Paris become the Worlds most beautiful city. With the Baron Haussmann, prefect of the Seine is decided to reshape the city, replacing small streets like rue Basse du Rempart by large avenues like the newly erected Boulevard de la Madeleine. Hermes needs to find a new company seat.
Another project is the renovation of the Halles Centrales foodmarked affecting the Pavillon des Drapiers. The landscape of Paris changes.
The historic Hermes Store dissapeares as the rue Basse du Rempart is replaced. The store would be located on current Place de la Madeleine and the beginning of the Boulevard de la Madeleine. At the same time the Second Empire brings a lot of economic prosperity to France. Thierry Hermes benefits from this trend and is able to continiously enlarge his business.
Empress Eugenie would have loved the commercials todays Hermes company made with Clement Sibony for Terre d'Hermes, even though they might have been a little to much for her époque.
The new Hermes Company
1859 february 12 Charles Emile Hermes marries Aline Fanny Le Pavec. 1859 Sun Charles Emile Hermes takes the management of the already well established Hermes company.
1860s Thierry Hermes has more time for himself. Sometimes you can see him in Lobby of the Hotel Meurice, the firt Grand Hotel of the World to open in Paris. 1867 Hermes wins a medal at the Expo Universelle. 1870 Franco Prussion war ending in the End of the Second Empire. Difficult times for France. 1878 Thierry Hermes dies
1880 shortly after the death of Thierry Hermes the company moved to a new location on 24 rue du Faubourg St Honoré, the initial store beeing anulled by he Second Empire urbanisation projects.
Issue - Hermes children
Thierry Hermes is survived by his son Charles Emile Hermes (1831- 1919) Elisabeth Josephine Hermes (1833 - ??) married to Arend Vinkenvleugel three grandchildren from his son Charles Emile Adolphe Hermes (1860 - 1933) Aline Emile Hermes (1870 - 1959) Emile Maurice Hermes (1871 - 1951) six granddaughters from his daughter Elisabeth Sandrina Catharina Vinkenvleugel Johanna Vinkenvleugel
Thierry Hermes did not know his great grand-daughters Yvonne Hermes (1901 - 1996) married to Francis Puech Jacqueline Hermes (1903 - 1970) married to Robert Dumas Simone Hermes (1905-1920) Aline Hermes (1907 - 2006) married to the perfumer Jean René Guerrand
Visiting Thierry Hermes
When you come to Paris, visit the historic Hermes Store on 29 Faubourg St Honoré. It's one of the world's most fascinating clothing store decorated like a museum with hundreds of horse paintings. Thierry Hermes is looking at you right in the main staircase ...
continue - the Hermes company after Thierry Hermes - discover the Hermes Stores around the World
- Books related to the universe of Hermes
- Hermes perfumes
a little thank you to Emile Lochon and Yoline Sale for having helped us finding information for this articel In case you have pictures or information concerning Thierry Hermes we could add to this article please contact Cremerie de Paris / VB.com mail: b "at" vb.com or instagram:cremeriedeparisofficial or linkedin
