Bertrand Vogt

Bertrand Othmar Vogt known bis his initials B.O. Vogt (German: [bɛrˈtrænd vɔt]; 1857 - September 23, 1936[1]) was a Swiss industrialist, philanthropist and politician. He served on the Grand Council of Aargau from 1909 to 1917 for the Free Democratic Party.[2][3][4] He was controlling shareholder and president of Hediger Sons, a tobacco manufacturing concern, which was later integrated in Villiger Sons.[5][6] Since 1908 he was also a member of the Aargau Natural Research Society[7] and since 1920 he served on the Board of Directors of Bank in Menziken (a predecessor from Valiant Bank).[8] He has also been a major investor into Fischer Reinach.[9]

Bertrand Vogt
B.O. Vogt in 1917
Member of the Grand Council of Aargau
In office
April 10, 1909  January 1, 1917
ConstituencyKulm District
Personal details
Born
Bertrand Othmar Vogt

1857 (1857)
Menziken, Switzerland
DiedSeptember 24, 1936(1936-09-24) (aged 78)
Reinach, Aargau, Switzerland
Political partyFree Radical Liberals
SpouseEmilie Hediger
Occupation
  • Businessman
  • philanthropist
  • politician

Early life and education

Vogt was born in 1857 at Menziken, Switzerland, the second eldest legitimate son of Melchior Vogt, Sr. (1811-1893) and Elisabeth (née Heiz).[10] He had one elder brother and three younger sisters. His father hailed from a well-established family who became affluent operating bath houses, brothels and inns before switching into the cotton industry in the late 18th century. Melchior was also active as mayor of Menziken and founder and president of the largest regional bank at the time.[11][12] He completed the schools in Menziken and Reinach before completing a commercial apprenticeship in a banking house.

Career

Initially, Vogt was employed as signing officer with several companies, before taking up residence in Basel, Switzerland working for E. Staehlin-Simon, a tobacco trading company and money change house, near the central station.[13] After the death of his father-in-law he and his wife returned to Reinach, Aargau where he ultimately became a partner in Hediger Sons, back then the largest manufacturer of tobacco in the region, with an investment of 60,000 Swiss Francs. Since 1904, the company was managed as a corporation, which ultimately was presided by Vogt.

Personal life

Vogt married Emilie Hediger, a daughter of the tobacco manufacturer Johann Rudolf Hediger (1827-1893) who was the proprietor of Hediger Sons (which later merged into Villiger Sons).[14] The couple did not have children. His estate was turned into the Vogt Brothers Fund in 1937 by his younger brother Manfred Linus Vogt (who also died without issue in 1943).[15]

References

  1. Obituary of B.O. Vogt-Hediger https://www.e-newspaperarchives.ch/?a=d&d=NZZ19360925-03.2.30.1&srpos=3&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN--------0-----
  2. Regierungsrat, Aargau (1954). 150 [i.e. Hundertfünfzig] Jahre Kanton Aargau im Lichte der Zahlen, 1803-1953 (in German). Verlag zur Neuen Aargauer Zeitung.
  3. Vogt-Hediger (neu) = Vogt-Hediger (newly elected) https://www.e-newspaperarchives.ch/?a=d&d=NZN19090415-02.2.6&srpos=5&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN-Vogt%252DHediger-------0-----
  4. re-elected in 1915 (to serve until 1917) https://www.e-newspaperarchives.ch/?a=d&d=NZN19150212-01.2.8&srpos=6&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN-Vogt%252DHediger-------0-----
  5. May 24, 1899 partner with Fr. 60'000 after the death of Johann Rudolf Hediger (1827-1899), the father of his wife E. Hediger. https://www.e-periodica.ch/digbib/view?pid=sha-001%3A1899%3A17%3A%3A885&referrer=search#885
  6. Incorporation, 1904 - B.O. Vogt serves as chairman of the BoD https://www.e-periodica.ch/digbib/view?pid=sha-001%3A1904%3A22%3A%3A1045&referrer=search#1045
  7. Zuerich, ETH-Bibliothek. "Mitglieder-Verzeichnis". E-Periodica (in German). Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  8. Board of Directors, Bank in Menziken (1920) https://www.e-periodica.ch/digbib/view?pid=sha-001%3A1920%3A38%3A%3A1453&referrer=search#1453
  9. Thomas Zurfluh: Die Häftlimacher (in German)
  10. Family Registry, Menziken-Burg
  11. M. Vogt (cotton company), commercial registry https://www.e-periodica.ch/digbib/view?pid=sha-001%3A1883%3A1%3A%3A631&referrer=search#631
  12. Christoph Zurfluh; Die Häftlimacher Die Magaziner, 2017 (in German)
  13. Schweizerisches Finanz-Jahrbuch (in German). 1899.
  14. lettrafot (2022-04-25). "Die Anfänge der Tabakindustrie im Aargau". Tabak, Drinks and more (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  15. Max Baumann; Ein Menziker Kaufmann in Afrika Historische Vereinigung Wynental (in German)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.