History
De Dietrich History
The history of the de Dietrich family has been linked to that of France and of Europe for over three centuries. To this day, the company that bears the family name continues to play a major role in the economic life of Alsace.
Thanks to an unbroken chain of historical, family and technical information, the De Dietrich heritage is both wonderfully rich and impressively diversified. The essential mission carried out by the De Dietrich Association is to preserve and enhance this heritage - a mission recognised by official decree on 13th June 1996.
De Dietrich Heritage
The De Dietrich Association is located at Company Headquarters at the Castle of Reichshoffen, built in 1770 by Jean de Dietrich.
The De Dietrich Association has owned, since 1996, the Dietrich patrimony linked to the history, spanning more than four centuries, of both the Dietrich family and the De Dietrich company. It strives to fulfil its duty dedicated to preceding generations and to ensure that all these sources of information are made available to the public.
The Castle, now a listed building, has maintained all of its 18th century character and is the permanent home of more than 100 000 drawings and 1 200 glass photographic plates representing an invaluable record of De Dietrich's achievements in the fields of automobile manufacture and railway construction.
Among the many treasures and collectors' items kept in the Castle are a portrait gallery, the "Marseillaise" original painting, a collection of cast-iron stoves and firebacks, together with a "De Dietrich Bollée" motor car built in 1898 and lovingly restored in 1970.
