For over six generations, the Henschel family has shaped life in Kassel. Founded in 1810 by Georg Christian Carl Henschel as a foundry, the Henschel Works developed into one of the most significant machine and vehicle manufacturing companies in Germany. Over the decades, they have experienced all the highs and lows: inflation and the Great Depression, their time as a military supplier during World War II, and the post-war years. "Henschel is Kassel and Kassel is Henschel," was the saying back then. The Henschel family has always demonstrated that economic success and social responsibility go hand in hand. All of that is long gone. Yet, reminders of the Henschel family remain, such as the Sophie Henschel Park in front of the Red Cross Hospital and the university located on the site of the old main factory. Author Thomas Siemon recounts the rise and fall of a great and influential family business in his richly illustrated book. He portrays the entrepreneurial personalities that gave Henschel a face through the ages and reflects on the close connection between the factory and the city of Kassel.