Key facts about Max Stähelin-Maeglin
- He was a Basel-born commercial lawyer and director of the Schweizerische Treuhandgesellschaft.
- He travelled to New York on business involving a Swiss embroidery company with financial difficulties.
- He boarded at Southampton, held ticket 13214 and occupied first-class cabin B50.
- He spent time aboard with fellow Swiss passengers Alfons Simonius-Blumer and Maximilian Frölicher-Stehli.
- He survived in Lifeboat 3 and returned to Europe in May 1912.
- His later career included senior leadership in Swiss banking and industry.
A Basel lawyer travelling to New York on business
Max Stähelin-Maeglin was born in Basel on February 18, 1880. He trained as a lawyer and moved into finance, becoming a director of the Schweizerische Treuhandgesellschaft in 1907. He married Anna Martha Maeglin in 1906, and the couple had two children before his Titanic voyage.
His 1912 trip was business rather than tourism. Swiss accounts connect the journey to Arnold B. Heine & Co., an embroidery concern facing financial trouble in the United States. Stähelin-Maeglin was sent to examine the situation in New York.
Cabin B50 and a small Swiss circle aboard Titanic
Stähelin-Maeglin boarded Titanic at Southampton with ticket 13214 and occupied cabin B50. He was travelling without his wife and children. Other Swiss first-class passengers included industrialist Alfons Simonius-Blumer and textile businessman Maximilian Frölicher-Stehli, and the men spent considerable time together during the crossing.
Accounts from the Swiss group describe meals and card games together. On the evening of April 14, Stähelin-Maeglin, Simonius-Blumer and Frölicher-Stehli had been together in the first-class smoking room before retiring for the night shortly before the collision.
The collision and the move to the Boat Deck
After Titanic struck the iceberg, Stähelin-Maeglin left his cabin to find out what had happened. The first signs of danger were confusing, as they were for many first-class passengers, and there was no immediate understanding that the ship was going to sink.
He and Simonius-Blumer eventually reached the Boat Deck. Specialist passenger and lifeboat records place both men in Lifeboat 3, one of the starboard boats. Frölicher-Stehli survived separately in Lifeboat 5.
Survival in Lifeboat 3 and arrival in New York
Lifeboat 3 was lowered from Titanic’s starboard side and later reached Carpathia. Stähelin-Maeglin and Simonius-Blumer arrived in New York with the other survivors on April 18. Contemporary Swiss reporting followed their arrival closely because both men held prominent positions in Swiss business.
Stähelin-Maeglin still completed the business purpose of his trip before returning to Europe. He sailed from New York in early May, only a few weeks after the disaster.
A long career after Titanic
The sinking did not end Stähelin-Maeglin’s professional rise. He later became president of the Swiss Bank Corporation and held senior industrial positions, including leadership connected with Ciba. His career placed him among the more prominent Swiss business figures who survived Titanic.
He remained in Basel and died there on August 3, 1968, aged 88. His long post-Titanic life stands in sharp contrast to fellow Swiss passengers who did not survive the sinking.
Sources used for this biography
Swiss historical material supplies the strongest detail on Stähelin-Maeglin’s business trip and later career, while specialist Titanic lists confirm his passenger details and Lifeboat 3 assignment.
- Titanic-Verein Schweiz: Dr. Max Staehelin-Maeglin Swiss-focused account of his business trip, cabin B50, companions and experience of the sinking.
- Encyclopedia Titanica: Titanic passenger survivors Confirms Stähelin-Maeglin as a first-class survivor.
- Encyclopedia Titanica: Titanic Lifeboat 3 Specialist roster listing Stähelin-Maeglin among Lifeboat 3 occupants.
- Encyclopedia Titanica: Titanic passengers with the occupation lawyer Confirms his age, ticket number, fare, occupation and Lifeboat 3 listing.
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Max Stähelin-Maeglin?
He was a Swiss commercial lawyer and financial executive from Basel who travelled first class on Titanic for a business trip to New York.
Which cabin did Max Stähelin-Maeglin occupy?
He occupied first-class cabin B50.
Which lifeboat did Max Stähelin-Maeglin survive in?
Specialist Titanic rosters place him in Lifeboat 3.
What happened to Max Stähelin-Maeglin after Titanic?
He returned to Switzerland and later held senior leadership positions in Swiss banking and industry. He died in Basel in 1968.