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Siegfried Bettmann (1863-1951) was born in Nuremberg, Germany. He moved to Britain in 1885 and became totally committed to his adopted land. He was a bicycle, motorcycle and car manufacturer and initiator of the Triumph Motorcycle Company. Triumph became one of the most famous motorcycle trade-names in the world.
Siegfried met an married Annie ('Millie') Meyrick. In 1914 they established the Annie Bettmann Foundation to help young people start businesses - a charity which still runs to this day.
He was president of the Coventry Liberal Association, and a founder member and president of Coventry’s Chamber of Commerce. He served as a Justice of the Peace, and in 1913 he became Mayor of Coventry – the first non-British subject ever to do so.
Sadly 1914 was not a good time to be either Jewish, or of German origin. Bettmann was forced to register with the Home Office as a German-born immigrant and within weeks he was ousted from the board at Triumph. He appointed English directors to the board of Triumph – replacing himself and two fellow Germans – and even the Cycle Manufacturers Union, which he had founded, tried to expel him.
By November 1914, a relatively small but vociferous group caused him to resign as mayor - even though he was providing the much needed Triumph motor cycles to the British Army.
Siegfried & Annie Bettmann donated their home, 'Elm Bank', in Stoke Park, Coventry as a gift to the City. It became the City's teaching training facility. When the training centre moved to it's current location in Cheylesmore, it took the name Elm Bank with it.
See these Links for further information: (Note: These are external links for which we have no responsibility for the content)
Siegfried Bettmann - Wikipedia
Siegfried Bettmann biography on Triumph Works website
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