Otto Ernst Meyer

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Ernst Otto Meyer, founder of VARIG .

Ernst Otto Meyer LaBastille (born November 25, 1897 in Hanover , † 1966 in Porto Alegre , Brazil ) was a German emigrant who went to Brazil in 1921. According to American sources, he is descended from a German father and a French mother with Haitian roots. He was naturalized under the name Otto Ernst Meyer in South America, was the founder and first president of the formerly largest Brazilian airline VARIG .

Ernst Otto Meyer was a pilot on the Eastern Front during the First World War . After emigrating to Brazil, he quickly recognized the opportunities for aviation in large-scale Brazil and established the company Viação Aérea do Rio Grandense, SA in Porto Alegre with a share capital of 1000 Contos de Réis (500,000 Reichsmarks ). The Lufthansa subsidiary Condor Syndikat contributed the eight-tonne Dornier-Wal “Atlantico” flying boat to the company for 20 percent of the 5000 shares . It was with this aircraft that the transport of mail sacks began in southern Brazil.

The German-born medical student Ruben Martin Berta responded to an advertisement in the local newspaper in 1927 and became Meyer's first employee at the age of almost 20. When he resigned for political reasons at the end of 1942 because of the Second World War , Ruben Berta became his successor a short time later and thus long-standing President of VARIG . During the Second World War, however, business declined to such an extent that Ruben Berta was only able to save VARIG by selling his valuable stamp collection. In December 1945 he founded the Ruben Berta Foundation , which benefited VARIG employees and their families. Over time, the foundation acquired 87% of the airline's share capital.

Otto Ernst Meyer had a niece in the USA, Anne LaBastille .

Fonts

  • The society "Germania" today Sociedade "Independencia" of Porto Alegre. Reflections on their history on the occasion of the centenary celebration on June 23, 1955 . Tipogr. Mercantil., Porto Alegre 1955

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Origin of immigrants lateinamerikasutien.at, accessed February 26, 2012
  2. ↑ Anne LaBastille's Final Obit fourth section, called February 26, 2012 (s)
  3. ↑ Brasilgate - Airlines accessed February 26, 2012
  4. ↑ Biografia - Ruben Berta ea Varig ( Memento from July 26, 2012 in the web archive archive.today ) accessed February 26, 2012 (pt)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Meyer, Otto Ernst
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Meyer LaBastille, Ernst Otto (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German-Brazilian aerospace operator
DATE OF BIRTH November 25, 1897
PLACE OF BIRTH Hanover
DATE OF DEATH 1966
Place of death Porto Alegre , Brazil