August Oetker

August Oetker ( born January 6, 1862 in Upper Church, † January 10, 1918 in Bielefeld, Germany ) was a German entrepreneur and founder of today's Oetker Group.

Life

August Oetker was born on 6 January 1862 as son of August Oetker Adolph and Bertha Oetker. His father was a master baker, and his mother the daughter of a lawyer. He had two siblings. After public school he went to high school in Adolfinum Biickeburg, where he graduated from high school in 1878. This he concluded an apprenticeship as a pharmacist at the pharmacy council in Hagen. This required Oetker every day around 16 kilometers from his native Upper churches to walk. In 1881 he passed the examination with a grade of good. Then his wandering years began. First, in Langen, near Offenbach, then some more unknown stations. Probably 1884, he came to Hanau in a company that produced mainly equipment for the pharmacies. Here he met his future wife, Caroline know. But first Oetker began the study of natural sciences in Berlin and studied this subject for four semesters. He graduated with a grade of very well. Then he began his dissertation on the topic Displays the pollen in the subdivisions of the plant family characteristic differences? in botany, which he successfully concluded at the University of Freiburg, 1888.

Oetker started his professional life with some first unsuccessful entrepreneurial experiments in Berlin, where he had moved with his wife Caroline. On 20 March 1889 he had married the young woman from Hanau, in November 1889, his son Rudolf was born. In the same year he also acquired the Aschoffsche pharmacy in Bielefeld and operating there and in the bakery Müller developing a leavening agent, which should ensure a success of the pastry. After 1893 filled Oetker baking powder from his, to which he gave the name " Backin ", thus laying the foundation for the Oetker Group, which manufactures it today in an unchanged recipe. On September 21, 1903 Oetker left his " process for the production of lasting baking soda or flour backfertigem " patented.

With the business idea to market baking powder in small quantities for private use, August Oetker laid the foundation for his later success. But his idea was not the baking soda but the application. Over 30 years ago Oetker Eben Norton Horsford had already, a former student of Justus Liebig invented a baking powder that was recommended in the U.S. as baking powder bakers.

Due to its clever marketing his product was sold like hot cakes, and from his pharmacy quickly became a successful business. Built in 1900 Oetker the first factory and sold in 1906 already 50 million parcels backin.

His grandson Rudolf- August Oetker took over the company in 1947, this was followed by the Younger August Oetker.

Works

• Dr A. Oetker's basic teachings of the art of cooking and award-winning recipes for the home and kitchen. 1895 ( eText at Project Gutenberg )