Researching Hermann Schmitz

His personal collection of data on flies and the literature of flies were looted by the Nazis during World War II. He was a Jesuit of German origin living in Limburg (Netherlands), at the time.

Schmitz was a priest in Valkenburg. He is best known for his studies of Phoridae. His collections are in Natuurhistorisch Museum Maastricht (Diptera and Hymenoptera) Museum Alexander Koenig in Bonn (world Phoridae and Lepidoptera from the Canary islands)

He wrote Phoridae In: E. Lindner, Editor, Die Fliegen der palaearktischen Region (Lieferung 165) 4 (33) (1951) and many scientific papers mostly on this family.

Schmitz was born in Essen on 1 January 1881, son of factory worker Diedrich Schmitz and Luise Wöhrmann. In 1898 he began studying at Ahrenbergische Aktiengesellschaft für Bergbau und Hüttenbetrieb in Hessen, and in 1905 he entered the Commerce College in Nuremberg. After completing his studies, he was hired by Metallurgische Gesellschaft (metallurgy company), where after some time he became consultant of Wilhelm Merton, member of the superivosors' council of the company, who helped Schmitz promote his career.

In 1914 he was required to serve in the army. He was injured during the First World War and, after recovering from his injuries, he was made Reich's supervisor for chemical products production in the matériel department (1915).

In 1919, as an expert in fertilizers and nitric salts, he took part in the assembly that negotiated the Treaty of Versailles. There he met Carl Bosch, a chemist of worldwide fame. In July 1919 Schmitz was hired at BASF by Bosch as his financial advisor. He was promoted to administrator of BASF's exterior department, a position he maintained after the company became part of IG Farben. As per his job requirements he maintained contacts with large businesses, such as Standard Oil, with which he took part in negotiations, always having the support of that era's governments in the interests of IG Farben.