Wilhelm Poppe

Wilhelm Poppe (1850 Schlawe/Pomerania - 1920 Kiel) was initially a brass caster in the well-known Kiel machine factory of Howaldt. In 1884 he set up his own business in Fischerstrasse, and in 1890 he moved the business to Faulstrasse in Kiel's old town. At the turn of the century Poppe advertised his raw casting of the latest alloys, as well as turning and milling work. The main products manufactured were boiler fittings and compressors, as well as ship windows and adjustable-pitch propellers made of special bronze, and occasionally yacht keels made of lead. During the First World War, precision mechanics for the navy's mine and torpedo production were added to the product range. After 1918, the junior manager Wilhelm (1889-1965), who had trained as an engineer, worked with Ernst Fleischmann on the development of small "balance" boat engines, which the company advertised for the first time in 1921. In 1922, W. Poppe received a patent for the short-circuit ignition used in his HAEM design. These machines were two types of outboard motors: Both were two-cylinder two-stroke gasoline engines.

The larger type (initially known as HAEM) produced 2.5 hp, the smaller, called PARV US, was available in 1922 in two versions, with 2.5 and 5 hp respectively. Apparently neither HAEM nor PARVUS were identical to the later cardboard brands LIBELLE (I) and LIBELLE (II).

The literature provides inconsistent data on this. A fourth brand, LEVIS, passed down orally in the family tradition, has so far not been verified either by literature or in surviving examples. The LIBEL LEN produced 1.25 hp in the single-cylinder version, and 2.5 hp in the two-cylinder version. Little is known about the manufacturing conditions.

The cardboard engines were supplied both as trailers and as built-in machines. All parts made of bronze or aluminum were manufactured in-house, while the gray cast iron cylinder heads, carburettors and ignition machines were purchased from outside. Poppe's engine production was still mentioned in specialist literature in 1929, but was discontinued in 1930. The extent of its production is unknown. In 1932, W. Pappe AG employed around 70 workers and employees. There is also only vague information about the sales of the engines. The customer base probably consisted mainly of sailing and motorboat enthusiasts in the greater Kiel and Hamburg areas. There is also talk of export to the Netherlands and Great Britain. These outboard motors were advertised with some very original artistic graphics. Two DRAGONFLIES remained in the company, which was relocated to Pries near Friedrichsort in 1924 and to Grasweg in Kiel in 1957. The renowned medium-sized company W. Pappe & Sohn still exists there today as a modern specialty foundry, now in the fourth generation.