The first family records are found in Posen, province of Prussia from 1848 to 1918 and, as such, part of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918, inhabited by poles, germans and jews. Today called Poznan, polish town old and cultural .

In Posen lived the family of Isidor Goetz and Martha Licht, parents of Oscar, Herbert, Rudy and Margot. Wealthy and cultured family that enjoyed living and sharing life. They owned a liquor factory. Isidor Goetz died when his son Herbert was 11 years. In Berlin, in 1925, Herbert Goetz and Lilly Silberstein married, parents of Ellen and Renate.

Photo: Herbert Goetz in military uniform, World War, Germany, 1917.

A lawyer by profession, Herbert worked as a banker in Berlin and for many years as a financial advisor in Reichskredit Gesellschaft. He achieved recognition and economic status. His daughters inherited their parents' passion and love for music, especially the piano and the arts in general. With the advent of a new government to power, Herbert had to leave his job at the bank and serve as an independent, to begin the journey of travel and travel in search of a destination promising and likely to succeed. Herbert Goetz and his family travel to England, arriving disoriented and not knowing the language. Adapting as can embark for the United States where they spend 10 days in Ellis Island, New York, principal country custom in those days. The ship Santa Maria would bring New York to Chile, arriving at Valparaiso in 1939.

Photo: Herbert Goetz and Lilly Silberstein, Germany, 1936.

The family moved to a small house in Chorrillos, Viña del Mar, until Herbert was promoted to manager of El Mercurio de Valparaíso. Upon appointment, the family moved to a spacious and comfortable apartment in the same building where El Mercurio, in Esmeralda 1002, facilities maintained until today. The evolution of the original families again testify to the entrepreneurial strength which are made.

Photo: Martin Engel and Gertrud Seckel, Hamburg.

Herbert Engel and his brother Harald, studied in Hamburg. Both have fond memories of childhood. In Europe the prospect of war grew, and before the crisis hit in Germany, Martin Engel was fired from his position as manager at Dresdner Bank in Hamburg. Then Engel Seckel family travels to Holland, then to England. Before the question of where to live and settle down, decide to travel to Chile for references they had. Seckel family many years earlier had established businesses in the country. In 1856 Carlos Seckel, a 25 year old arrived in Chile, sent by his family to establish a home in Valparaiso importing furniture. In 1861, he married Cecilia Rehfich, german jew from Breslau, in the Matrix Church, Valparaiso. As recorded in the records of the Book of Marriages of Dissenters, is the first jewish marriage made in the country and was celebrated by a catholic priest who served as minister of faith, as there were no rabbis in Chile. In 1864, Herrmann Seckel arrives, brought by his uncle Carlos to work on the Casa Seckel subsidiary in Santiago, located in Alameda corner Estado, which had a large tank and a maestranza in Arturo Prat 118, which would manage with Max Seckel.

Photo: Casa Julio Seckel in Santiago, Chile.

The Casa Seckel imported fine furniture, lamps, fabrics, household generally and a range of European luxury. Together with subsidiaries of Valparaiso and Santiago family business had branches in Berlin, Hamburg and Paris. Unfortunately the maestranza located at Arturo Prat, in Santiago, burned before the arrival of Martin Engel, Gertrud Seckel and her children to Chile. The Casa Seckel in Valparaiso closed its doors in 1920 and the Casa Seckel in Santiago does the same in 1940.

Seckel family usually traveled between Hamburg and Chile. Therefore, Gertrud was born in Chile and stayed until seven. She was student founder of Liceo No. 1 in Santiago. When she visits the Liceo many years after they pay a tribute in his honor. Because Gertrud had chilean citizenship, his sons Harald and Herbert Engel Seckel, they can easily get the same citizenship. Unlike Goetz Silberstein family, the Engel Seckel family could bring all their belongings on board the ship Orduna that brought Liverpool to Valparaiso in 1935. Herbert Engel was eight years old and his brother Harald fourteen.

Once installed the family in Santiago, Harald and Herbert enter the Grange School. At first it was difficult because they did not speak Spanish and less English. Although it managed to integrate very well at school. For the first day of class, Herbert had no school uniform, then dressed in a suit "tirolés" causing great feeling. Harald founded the school magazine called The Gryphon, Herbert was the editor. The brothers enjoyed more to journalism than sport. The magazine to be published today in school.

Martin Engel arrived in Chile with good letters of recommendations. Soon got a job and created a special section in the brokerage firm Renato von Schroeders. Martin Engel ill health and deepened over time. Then hires his nephews Fernando and Francisco Friedmann to work in the brokerage firm. Martin died in 1938. Herbert was 11.

Herbert Engel graduated from school at seventeen and soon was working. He was hired by Gibbs & Company, an english company that was engaged in the import, export and distribution. With his fluent English achieved a strong position despite his young age. His brother Harald got a job at Perez Reitze & Benitez as manager of the export department.

Appraising experience through the years the brothers Harald and Herbert are associated with Arturo Alessandri Matte and form his own company in 1952 to represent some products of chemical giant Dupont. As well, in 1955 married Herbert Engel and Renate Goetz, parents of Eduardo and Claudio.

In 1979 Harald and Herbert separate business, what motivates Herbert to create the company F.H. ENGEL S.A, maintaining links with Dupont, and adding the liquor import business and groceries.

Frank Herbert Engel was a workaholic man, every year he traveled to Hamburg, his hometown. History tireless reader, writer, worship, art admirer and connoisseur, presided for years the company he founded, until 1985 when called his son Claudio, Civil Engineering at University of Chile, who resided in the United States, getting there a MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and both worked successfully in Raychem Corporation, now Tyco Electronics, electrical components company, to be integrated into the family business.

Photo: Claudio standing, sitting Herbert, two generations of entrepreneurs. Behind the portrait of Martin Engel.

Claudio manages to lead the company to the next level. Create the logistics company LUNIBEN - TOPFRIO (Luniben is an acronym created by Claudio with the names of their children: Lucas, Nicolas and Benjamin. Francisca, youngest daughter of Claudio, was out of this acronym because he was born after 1997, the year of creation of this company). Create Impeke cleaning products, Viva la Vitta products, and ERBI supermarkets, among other endeavors. Currently Claudio Engel Goetz, is President of the various companies within the group F.H. ENGEL.

Today, with over 500 products and 15 different lines, Claudio Engel says: "There are more than 90% chance that any chilean daily consume or use a product marketed or carried by any of the four business areas we administer: trade, logistics, import of chemicals and materials for the food industry and supermarkets". The offer includes biotechnology, cable TV parts, brands like Grants whisky, Remy Martin cognac, sherry Tio Pepe, Löwenbräu beer, Dole pineapples, Twinings tea and condiments Mc Cormick among others. They also sell their own brands: Tuna Otuna, Three Crowns Palm Hearts and Impeke Cleaning Products.

Claudio's brother, Eduardo Engel, is Mathematical Engineering at University of Chile, has a PhD in Statistics from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Economics from MIT (Massachuset Institute of Technology). Since 2001 he lives in America. Work at Yale University and travels the world giving lectures and talks on economy, which has become a famous academic and international consultant.

This nonprofit institution aims to promote art and culture in their different manifestations, especially the visual arts, such as painting and sculpture and all its manifestations, including film, video and other similar artistic expressions.

Until 2016 was in operation the ENGEL FOUNDATION, a non-profit institution established in 2004, which provided an alternative mental health care assistance to people who were not able to access private or public psychological and psychiatric heatlh care systems because of economical difficulties..

This concern and genuine feeling to give back to the country that welcomed them, is in the ADN of Engel, either because it was instilled through generations or the events that they have to live with family members during history.

The legacy of Herbert Engel, who died in 2005, and Renate Goetz, who died in 2010, is seen in the employees that make F.H. ENGEL COMPANIES. The way they act, the values they profess and their word, are synonymous with commitment to all its customers and community.