Bargetzi
Bargetzi is the name of a Swiss stone carving family from Solothurn .
The family tradition began with Caspar Bargetzi, who settled in Solothurn in 1742. When the city of Solothurn leased the five quarries in operation, Caspar's great-grandson Josef Bargetzi and Urs Bargetzi (1794–1865) took over the two most valuable ones.
In 1859 four of the five Solothurn quarries were in the hands of the Bargetzis. During this time, the Solothurn stone industry experienced an enormous boom. The branch of industry at times employed up to 300 people. The new railway made it possible to deliver the stones to all major cities in Switzerland. The Bargetzi stone was also a sought-after quality product in neighboring countries.
The order situation deteriorated around 1890. Poor stone quality in the quarries and the relatively high prices caused a deep crisis. It was not until 1930 that Arnold Bargetzi initiated the long-awaited upswing with new mining and processing methods. In 1948 Arnold Bargetzi converted the company into a stock corporation and expanded it into one of the largest natural stone plants in Switzerland in the 1950s.
Another important representative of the family was the civil engineer Oswald Bargetzi (1856–1914).
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c Karl H. Flatt: Bargetzi, Urs. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
- ^ Karl H. Flatt: Bargetzi, Oswald. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .