Tobacco manufacturer and theater lover

The Kraffts came to Offenbach as Huguenots via Kaiserslautern. There they founded a smoking tobacco factory called Geelvink, Krafft & Co. in 1789, which was later named after Philipp Casimir Krafft (1773-1838). The representative of the industrial founding generation left his mark on Offenbach's city history above all as the founder of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, where he served as the first president from 1821 to 1836. In 1820, after the constitution of the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt came into force, Krafft became Offenbach's first deputy in the Second Chamber of the Estates (comparable to today's state parliament).

The tobacco and cigar manufacturer was also socially committed: Philipp Casimir Krafft shared his wealth with his workers and supported the "Komödientheater" (comedy theater) on Kirchgasse, which was founded in 1791. To this day, "Krafftstraße" in Offenbach commemorates him, as does the "Krafftsche Villa" at Schlossstraße 27. This early classicist commercial and residential building, the last architectural reminder of the traditional Offenbach company, has largely been restored to its 19th century condition. The elegant façade design shows the important role that tobacco processing played in the economic fabric of the Rhine-Main region until the early 20th century. The company produced 80,000 pounds of smoking tobacco annually on the premises.

Krafft had four children with his wife Louise Christiane, née Heintz. The House of City History in Offenbach has been exhibiting two renovated portraits of the couple from the 1840s since 2016.