Kornwestheim honors honorary citizen Jakob Sigle on the 90th anniversary of death!

Kornwestheim honors honorary citizen Jakob Sigle on the 90th anniversary of death!

Kornwestheim, Deutschland - Today, on July 8, 2025, the city of Kornwestheim commemorates its honorary citizen Jakob Sigle on the occasion of his 90th death. Mayor Nico Lauxmann and Mayor Martina Koch-Haßdenteufel ceremoniously put down a wreath on Sigles Grab and thus appreciated his life's work and his contribution to the city's history. Sigle was born on November 17, 1861 in Kornwestheim and laid the foundation for a remarkable career in the shoe industry early on.

After completing his apprenticeship as a shoemaker, Jakob Sigle opened his own master company in 1885. Just a few years later, in 1891, he founded the Jakob Sigle & Cie shoe factory together with Max Levi, which later became known for the brand name Salamander international. At the beginning, the factory employed over 100 employees, and with the knowledge of the latest production methods from America, annual production rose to around 250,000 pairs of shoes within ten years.

The roots of salamander history

With the aim of offering well -fitting shoes at an affordable price, Salamander was on growth course from the start. The brand name "Feuersalamander" was registered as a trademark in 1899, and in the following years Salamander developed into Germany's largest shoe brand. By 1905, the company had already produced over two million pairs of shoes and had thus become a significant size in the industry. In the late 1920s the brand was in demand internationally and set standards in terms of design and comfort.

In 1930 the company was converted into a stock corporation, and Jakob Sigle played an active role in the citizens' committee and the local council until his death on July 5, 1935. His merits were recognized in 1916 with the appointment as an honorary citizen. The history of the company is continued today by Salamander AG, which is part of the Astormueller Group, and combines traditional shoemaker art with a modern design.

culture and history in Kornwestheim

The connection between Kornwestheim and the Salamander shoe brand can also be felt in the cultural area. The association for history and home care Kornwestheim has collected significant exhibits for over 38 years, including 4,300 model shoes from Salamander. This collection has an important place in city history, even if the long -term vision of an official city museum was rejected by the city.

In 2018, the collection already comprised 20,000 exhibits, but after the spokesman's house was demolished, the frustration grew among the club members. The city of Kornwestheim did not offer an adequate replacement for the exhibition rooms, which caused the association to decide not to further expand the collection and to give away the exhibits to the German Schuhmuseum in Hauenstein.

The exhibits handed over not only contain machines from the Salamanderwerk, but also agricultural equipment and everyday objects. A significant part of the collection was handed over to the city of Kornwestheim to preserve the local history. The city has announced that it will check the donations and decide on their acceptance.

The Heimatverein plans to concentrate on the publications "Contributions to Kornwestheim's history" in the future, which regularly contain references to the history of the Salamander brand and Lurchi. For interested readers, these publications are available for 5 to 6 euros - while stocks last.

Jakob Sigles Erbe continues in Kornwestheim, not only through the Salamander brand, but also through the commitment of the local people who are committed to the history of their city. Here it becomes clear: Kornwestheim has its roots in shoe history, and the memories of important personalities like Jakob Sigle will continue to be held up.

For more information about the history of Salamander and the development of the company, please click on Salamander . An exciting overview of the exhibits and the collection in the Kornwestheim City Museum can be found on Collection Heroes . The memory of the city of Kornwestheim to Jakob Sigle is described in detail in the Stuttgarter Nachrichten .