Martin Schempp

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Martin Schempp (23 March 1904 - 9 July 1984) was a glider pilot and founder with Wolf Hirth of Schempp-Hirth, a major manufacturer of gliders.

He was born in Stuttgart. He emigrated to the United States in 1926 and was inspired by Charles Lindbergh to take up flying. He returned to Germany in 1928 but emigrated again to the US but was forced home by the Great Depression in 1934. He started collaborating with Hirth in 1935 and they founded their company in 1938.

During World War II, the company built some company built DFS Habicht training gliders, tail assemblies for Bf 109s and other aeroplane parts. After the war, Schempp Hirth made furniture and other wooden items. Glider production restarted in 1951.

Schempp appointed Klaus Holighaus as the chief designer of the company in 1965 and handed over management to him in 1972. Holighaus bought the company from Schempp in 1977.

Schempp died after a long illness in 1984

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