Levi Strauss

Levi Strauss ( born February 26, 1829 Loeb Strauss in Buttenheim, † September 26, 1902 in San Francisco ) was a German - American industrialist. Considered together with his business partner Jacob Davis as the inventor of jeans.

Life

Strauss was born under the name Loeb Strauss in the Upper Franconian Butt home in Bamberg, the son of Jewish parents. His father, Hirsch Strauss, a poor peddler, died of tuberculosis when Loeb was 16 years old. The large family fell into economic hardship. 1847 emigrated with his mother Rebecca the youngest children - him and two of his sisters - to America. They were responding to the two oldest Strauss brothers to New York that there earned their bread by the textile trade. Strauss changed his name to Levi, acquired American citizenship and was active in the business of brothers.

The news of gold discoveries spread among the by the American West to the East Coast. 1853 Levi Strauss followed the gold rush and moved to San Francisco. His brother in law, his brother Louis and he there founded a wholesale dry goods business. The range has been further supplemented by things like toothbrushes, braces, buttons and nightlife clothes for the rough Wild West pioneers.

Strauss sold his goods, not only in San Francisco, but because of the prices paid there even with the gold diggers on site. Since he had previously dealt with clothing and haberdashery as peddlers, Levi bolts of cloth, tarpaulins, and sewing kit had taken. He soon found out that the gold miners needed hard-wearing pants with their hard work.

As a wholesaler, he also sold the so-called " Duck Pants" from segeltuchartigem material that were eventually taken out of the range due to lack of profitability. The seams of the pockets were not robust enough since the gold rush crammed their pockets with all sorts of material from the mines. The so-called " Duck Pants" are often confused with the "Jeans", which it was but only with such patent application. Contrary to a popular story, there is no evidence that jeans were made from hemp or precursor textiles.

In December 1870, the native of Riga tailor Jacob Davis came up with the idea to reinforce the corners of the pockets and the lower end of the Hosenlatzes with rivets of a horse harness. Because he lacked money for patenting his process developed in 1872, he turned to Levi Strauss, who provided him with bales of cloth. Strauss supported the project, and received together with Davis on May 20, 1873, the corresponding patent. The riveted waist overalls came across a huge demand. By the end of 5875 dozen trousers and coats were sold from denim. Two factories produced these pants. Ten years later, 535 employees were already working for the company.

In 1902, the textile manufacturer, died unexpectedly at his home in San Francisco, where he lived with the family of his sister Fanny. His Established in 1853, Levi Strauss & Company, he bequeathed to his four nephews, since he had no children. He was buried in the cemetery Hills of Eternity in Colma south of San Francisco.

The Group

From co-founded by Levi Strauss Company is an internationally oriented group (2008 of 31 December ) employees and $ 4.4 billion revenue, which supplies its products to over 100 countries with developed around 11,400.