German industrialist, Catholic activist and local politician, who was first to introduce the mechanical loom he had seen in England to the textile town of Mönchengladbach in 1865.
Brandts worked from 1849 to 1872 in the textile business of his father. In 1872 he founded his own company, which developed very successfully. He initiated a workers committee. The factory regulations issued in 1885 guaranteed employee involvement in company matters, so it was a precursor to a works council in the modern sense. The factory of Franz Brandts had its own health insurance, loan office, library, company kitchen, kindergarten and sewing school. Brandts built apartments that his workers could buy cheaply. Social engagement was groundbreaking for the time.
In 1880, Brandts became chairman of Georg von Hertling’s Association of Catholic Industrialists and Workers’ Friends called “Arbeiterwohl”, which was supposed to strengthen employers’ social responsibility and the partnership with the workers. From this developed in 1890 the People’s Association for Catholic Germany, which Brandts founded together with Franz Heat, Ludwig Windthorst and others. He was chairman and the headquarters of this association was therefore also Mönchengladbach. In addition, Brandts worked from 1871 to 1904 as spokesman (chairman) of the center faction in the city council.
He had the catholic chapel of St. Aloysius (today Kath. Brandtskapelle St. Aloysius) built in Mönchengladbach-Waldhausen, which was consecrated in 1896.
He died on 5 October 1914, aged 79.

Link to Wikipedia biography (German)