Karl Ludwig Deffner was born on the 8th February 1817 in Esslingen and was a German manufacturer, geologist and politician. He was the son of politician and manufacturer, Carl Christian Ulrich Deffner (1789–1846). Following the death of his father, he took over management of a metal goods factory. In the 1850s he gradually handed over the company's business to his younger brother, Wilhelm Deffner (1829–1897). He died on the 11th June 1877 in Esslingen.