Ernő Gschwindt

He was born on 27 September 1881 in Budapest, Hungary to a rich, Roman Catholic noble family of German ancestry. His paternal grandfather, Mihály Gschwindt de Győr (1817-1897), deserved his family the noble title in 1872, after that the descendants used their family name as győri Gschwindt (transl. Gschwindt de Győr). The grandfather started to trade with tobacco until it became a national monopoly. Than he turned to distillery which under the leading of the father, György became profitable. The family bought shares in a coalmine, a bank, a leather manufacture and a railway company. The factory was established in 1856 and stood on the corner of the Üllői út and Grand Boulevard. Mihály bought the factory from Pál Günther and expanded it with the production of vinegar and liqueur.

Ernő Gschwindt studied at the Budapesti Egyetemi Katolikus Gimnázium (Academicum et Universitatis Collegium) than at the Faculty of Arts at the University of Budapest. Then he spent longer time at the University of Heidelberg, Germany where he doctorated. He also visited courses in chemistry and economics.[6]

In 1907 at the age of 26 he became the CEO of the family company, the Gschwindt-féle Szesz- és Élesztőgyár.

For town planning purposes the factory was removed in 1908. The distillery was moved to Budafok and Nagykőrös. The production facilities for yeast and spirit was relocated in Ferencváros.

During his life he expanded the company with plants across Hungary. Under his management facilities were built in Szombathely, Komlódtótfalu, Fülesd, Fehérgyarmat and Zalaszentgrót.

During the First World War he spent four years at the front, he achieved the rank of hussar captain for his valiant behaviour.

He was in his later years active in public life and became a well-known conservative political figure. He was twice (1922, 1927) elected into the National Assembly with the program of the Unity Party representing the Törökbálint constituency. Beside his job as MP (1922-1931)[7] he did not neglect his own business and the work at his company.

Until his death he was a member of the National Alliance of Industrialists (Gyáriparosok Országos Szövetsége (GYOSZ)), the National Alliance of Chemical Industrialists (Vegyészeti Gyárosok Országos Egyesülete (VGYOE)) and the Hungarian Commercial Bank of Pest.[8]

On 7 December 1923 he got the title of Royal High Councilor from Franz Joseph.[9]

Today his name is known as the former head of the Ferencvárosi TC which position he held between 1923 and 1931. He supported the club from his fortune. The club experienced huge successes in Hungary and also abroad.[10][11] He spent during his presidency 250,000 Hungarian pengő on the club.[12]