About Dornier

Claude Honoré Desiré Dornier was born on May 14, 1884, in Kempten. After studying mechanical engineering, he began his career in 1910 at Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH, where he developed a revolutionary rotating hangar for airships. Count Zeppelin immediately recognized and nurtured Dornier’s exceptional talent, granting him his own department to focus on technical designs and experimental projects.

From this department, Dornier-Metallbauten GmbH, based in Friedrichshafen-Manzell, emerged. In 1932, Claude Dornier became the sole owner of the company. During the 1920s, he realized numerous groundbreaking aircraft projects—most of them built almost entirely from metal, a technological revolution at the time. The Merkur set seven world records, while polar explorer Roald Amundsen undertook spectacular Arctic expeditions in 1925 using the Wal. The flying boat Do X became the largest aircraft of its time, securing its place in aviation history.

Since many of the more than 100 aircraft models were manufactured abroad, Dornier gained international recognition early on. After his passing on December 5, 1969, the Dornier Group transitioned into an inheritance community shared by his widow and six sons.