City of Offenbach mourns the loss of long-standing entrepreneur Dr. Wolfgang Kappus

The City of Offenbach has received the news of the death of Offenbach entrepreneur Dr. Wolfgang Kappus with great sadness. For around 170 years, the name Kappus was closely associated with the city of Offenbach am Main through his family and company. His commitment to the common good always played a central role. The Offenbach native and recipient of the city's badge of honor died a few days ago at the age of 92. The city's condolences go out to his family and the bereaved.

"For Wolfgang Kappus, commitment to our city was a matter of course, a civic duty. It was an honor to know him. The way I experienced him, his deepest inner conviction was that entrepreneurial initiative, social responsibility and civic commitment should always be seen together. A social entrepreneur of the old school in an absolutely positive sense. Being able to walk through his work with him was a very special experience. You could feel how much he loved the soap he made. He stood by his product, it wasn't just anything to him. And he was respectful to every employee, a real role model. Outside of his work, he often spoke to the people of Offenbach with clear words and a sharp tongue, spoke out on local politics and never minced his words on any subject. But that shaped and ennobled him in equal measure: He always expressed criticism in a constructive and objective manner, never disparaging individuals. For him, the good of his home town was always on a par with the good of his company. Throughout his life, he always kept the "Offenbach flag" flying high, as he once put it himself. Now we hold him and his work high in our thoughts," said Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke sadly and gratefully.

Dr. Wolfang Kappus was born in Offenbach in 1933. As the only son among four children, he joined the Kappus soap factory, founded in 1848, as an entrepreneur in 1960, following the family tradition. He worked there for 58 years, although his actual career aspiration was to become a journalist. However, his love of language and writing remained with him throughout his life. He expressed his thoughts, observations and life experiences in poetic form in several volumes of poetry.

The Offenbach native studied business administration and economics and completed his doctorate in political science at the age of 50. From 1994 to 2000, Kappus was President of the Offenbach Chamber of Commerce and Industry and made a great contribution to the area of industrial settlement. In close cooperation with the then Lord Mayor Gerhard Grandke, he worked to create future prospects for the people in his home town.

Kappus was also involved in a wide range of social and cultural activities in the city. Among other things, he actively or financially supported the former municipal retirement home, the city archive, the professional fire department, the German Leather Museum, the sports foundation and numerous other Offenbach institutions. For this decades-long commitment, Kappus was awarded the City of Offenbach's badge of honor in 2023. It is the highest distinction that can be awarded by the Honorary Commission and the second highest award in the city after the title of Honorary Citizen.

"In him, the city of Offenbach has lost a committed fellow citizen, clever admonisher, generous donor and philanthropist," concluded Mayor Schwenke.