Louisa Catharina Harkort

Louisa Catharina Harkort (1718-1795), was a German ironmaster. She founded the iron and export company Wittib Harkort (Witwe Harkort) and became known as Die Märckerin.

She married landowner Johann Caspar Harkort III (1716-1760) in 1748. She took over the estate as a widow, and between 1775-80 founded five iron works and became a major iron trader, exporting to Russia and along the Ruhr and in with the princess Abbess of Essen as one of her most important business partners. She played an important role in the industrialization of the Ruhr area.

References

• Christiane Maibach: Louisa Catharina Harkort (1718–1795). Lebenswelt und Handlungsspielraum einer Unternehmerin im späten 18. Jahrhundert. unveröffentlichte Magisterarbeit, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, o. J.