Albert Borer

Albert Borer (born May 31, 1875 in Büsserach , † October 19, 1922 in Breitenbach ) was a Swiss industrialist and politician . In 1903 he founded the Schweizerische Isola-Werke AG, which was the first company worldwide to supply mica products to the electrical industry , especially for high-voltage motors and generators .

Life

Albert Borer was born in Büsserach as the son of smallholder Franz Josef Borer and his wife Klaudine Borer. He grew up with two brothers and five sisters and, despite the poor economic conditions in the region, was able to enjoy a good education. After completing his school career at the Breitenbach District School and the Pruntrut Cantonal School , he took up a commercial position at the Bärschwil lime and plaster factory in 1891 . There he took over the technical management in 1894 and was director from 1896 to 1901.

The industrial boom through electricity had only just begun in other regions when Albert Borer recognized the great possibilities in the crystallized mineral mica ( mica ), which combines excellent thermal , chemical and dielectric properties and the previously used insulating materials such as wood , rubber , glass and Was far superior to textiles . However, mica is not easy to process, which is why he developed a new type of flat, flexible mica product. Together with three employees, he began to process split mica for the first time, which was glued together layer by layer as an electrical insulator . At that time it was completely new in electrical engineering and mechanical engineering . The young business that he was able to set up thanks to his marriage to the well-off widow Julia Kessler grew rapidly, while the demand for Isola mica products rose steadily year after year. In 1905 he was able to expand the factory. From 1909 he was director and chairman of the board of directors of Isola.

From 1908 until his death in 1922 he was also a liberal Solothurn cantonal councilor .

literature

Albin Fringeli : Albert Borer. In: Isola-Rundschau, H. 1-3, 1970.
Oltner Tagblatt from October 20, 1922.

Web links

History of Von Roll and the Swiss Isola-Werke AG
Peter Walliser: Albert Borer. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .

Individual evidence

^ Peter Walliser in: Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz.
↑ Albin Fringeli, Gottlieb Loertscher: The districts of the Canton of Solothurn. A series of considerations. In: Isola-Rundschau 1973. Volksfreund printing house, Laufen.
^ Walter Studer: People in the Thierstein. 2010
^ Rudolf P. Allemann: Family tree of the Kessler in Breitenbach. In: Dr Schwarzbueb 2010, Solothurner Jahr- und Heimatbuch, 88th year.
^ Von Roll AG, History of the Swiss Isola-Werke AG.
^ Hermann Obrecht : In: Dr Schwarzbueb, Solothurner Jahr- und Heimatbuch, Volume 1, Years 1923–1927. Jeger-Moll printing house, Breitenbach, p. 100.

personal data
SURNAME	Borer, Albert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Swiss industrialist
DATE OF BIRTH	May 31, 1875
PLACE OF BIRTH	Büsserach
DATE OF DEATH	October 19, 1922
Place of death	Breitenbach

[1] Peter Walliser in: Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz.

[2] Albin Fringeli, Gottlieb Loertscher: The districts of the Canton of Solothurn. A series of considerations. In: Isola-Rundschau 1973. Volksfreund printing house, Laufen.

[3] Walter Studer: People in the Thierstein. 2010

[4] Rudolf P. Allemann: Family tree of the Kessler in Breitenbach. In: Dr Schwarzbueb 2010, Solothurner Jahr- und Heimatbuch, 88th year.

[5] Von Roll AG, History of the Swiss Isola-Werke AG.

[6] Hermann Obrecht : In: Dr Schwarzbueb, Solothurner Jahr- und Heimatbuch, Volume 1, Years 1923–1927. Jeger-Moll printing house, Breitenbach, p. 100.