Anton Freissler
Anton Freissler ( born March 13, 1838 in Klantendorf ( Kujavy ), Moravia, Austria - Hungary, † February 29, 1916 in Vienna ) is written, Anton Freissler, was an Austrian industrial entrepreneurs, engineers and developers of elevators. He was the first producer of electric passenger and goods lifts in Austria. His company was a leader in his time and he became the imperial Appointed purveyor to the court.
Youth, education, first year
The spelling of his name is found in various forms. On his baptismal certificate is Anton Freissler, he signed the first patent with freisler, his company was registered as Freissler.
Anton Freissler was ( at Fulnek ) born 10th child of a farmers family in Klantendorf in northern Moravia. His childhood was marked by modesty and frugality. Nevertheless, the family was ready to periods of hunger to help others in need; Freissler later became known for social welfare for its employees.
In school he got good grades and later attended Against his father's lower secondary school in Opava. At 18, he was allowed to move to Vienna, to study there. He started at the Polytechnic, where he could finish under very adverse financial circumstances with the help of his younger brother, who was now a businessman, his studies.
He could not find work and initially was finally after 31 personal interviews in the engine rooms, boiler and metal goods factory Ferdinand Dolainsky recorded in 1861 as a volunteer. Dolainsky employed more than 400 workers and produced various facilities for factories. Freissler could be incorporated in a short time and be put to the proof. The lack of supply of workers drove him to establish a general health insurance first in Vienna, whose honor he became a member later. However, his thirst for knowledge and his ambition soon brought him to seek a new position. In 1866, he joined the civil engineering office Erb and Henrici, which deals with the construction of municipal water supplies that were needed for the construction of the Ringstrasse, dealt.
Freissler belonged to the Lower Austrian Trade Association and in 1867 dispatched with a number of other young engineers to Paris for the World Expo. There he was to urban facilities study and a report on the topic, which was received with great enthusiasm in Vienna. In his report he wrote about the latest developments in the field of hydraulic lifts. This topic interested him very much and he began to deal with the construction of technical lifts. In 1867 he presented the request for a privilege, then a predecessor of today's patents. In it he suggested a significant improvement in this technique before; the privilege was examined by the Vienna Polytechnic and under the number 2618/493.
Entrepreneur
In order to implement his ideas, he started his own business and bought with the help of relatives a small metalworking shop in the 4th district. On January 15, 1868, he began with four workers with the construction of hand-operated elevators. Due to its technical knowledge and business skills he was able to increase its operation soon. He married on 18 September 1869, the daughter of the former owner of the company. In 1870 he built his first elevator in Vienna.
A hydraulic passenger elevator was installed in the house Wipplingerstraße 2 in Vienna's 1st district, and was the first of its kind in Vienna. At the Vienna World Exhibition of 1873, he presented his eight lifts. Due to his success, he moved his factory to the soon Erlachplatz 3 in the 10th district. In 1876 he received the first export order for the Rotterdam Central Station.
His care for his employees was known, in 1889 he had a house specially set up for them.
With the invention of the dynamo by Werner von Siemens, the development of elevators could go another step. 1883 was presented in a lift at the International Electrical Exhibition in the Rotunda for the first time in Austria - Hungary, the electric motor.
In 1884, Freissler the title of k.u.k. Farm machinery manufacturers. In 1895, a branch office in Davidgasse 2 in VI. District of Budapest opened. 1896 two car lifts have been installed with a capacity of 30,000 kg of it on the main customs office train station, which was a sensation at the time. Some years later he prepared for the workshop of the kk priv Ferdinand Northern Railway Locomotive - a lift of 60,000 kg capacity.
In 1909 he erected a paternoster in the House of Industry at the Schwarzenberg Platz. This oldest in Austria elevator of this type is still in operation today. In 1910 he registered the patent No. 41612, an improvement of the push-button control, which was mainly used in hospitals. He also suggested further improvements in the field of urban facilities such as electricity and water supply, which were also put into practice.
At 70, he retired from the labor force and handed the reins to Max Steskal, who worked until 1920. In the period 1910-1914 more than 100 different lifts were produced annually.
Anton Freissler died in 1916 just before his 78th birthday.
As a Liberal MP, he belonged from 1875 to 1878 at the Vienna City Council.
Continued existence of the company
The First World War and the collapse of the monarchy brought hard times for the company. Franz Freissler, the nephew of the founder, the company of Max Steskal, who resigned for health reasons took over. The company has built up again over slowly. During this time a lift with a lifting height of 96 meters was made for the gas tank Leopoldau.
After the Second World War, modernization and new development took place. 1950 300 lift systems were exported to Greece, 1958 consisted export contacts in more than twelve countries in Europe, South America and the Middle East. In addition to elevators and electric hoists and escalators were produced.
The company was about one hundred years autonomously, 1969 Otis became the majority owner. When Otis subsidiary of the Group philosophy was in the 1970s, following, renamed Freissler in Freissler - Otis. In 1991, the renamed Otis Austria GmbH was. So after 123 years was the traditional name of the Austrian elevator industry history.