1 biography 1.1 youth 1.2 weimar germany 1.3 nazi germany 1.4 world war ii 1.5 later life biography youth thyssen born in mülheim in ruhr area. father, august, head of thyssen mining , steelmaking company, had been founded father friedrich , based in ruhr city of duisburg. thyssen studied mining , metallurgy in london, liège, , berlin, , after short period of service in german army joined family business. on 18 january 1900 in düsseldorf married amelie helle or zurhelle (mülheim rhein, 11 december 1877 – puchdorf bei straubing, 25 august 1965), daughter of factory owner. child, anna (anita), (later anita gräfin zichy-thyssen), born in 1909. thyssen again joined army in 1914, discharged on account of lung condition. weimar germany thyssen political conservative , german nationalist. in 1923, when france , belgium occupied ruhr punish germany not meeting reparations payments in full, took part in nationalist resistance against occupiers, leading ruhr steelmakers in refusing co-operate in...