The history of the Zwicky company began with a silk and cotton spinning mill that was founded in 1839 in Wallisellen, a town near Zurich. In the following decades, it grew into a major industrial facility. The mill produced threads for the textile industry, which was extremely important in Switzerland at the time. In 1855, the factory employed 315 workers. In the second half of the 19th century, sales of sewing and embroidery silk were expanded. The name “Zwicky” came from Fritz Zwicky-Guggenbühl, who took over leadership of the company in 1886. In the early 20th century, subsidiaries were opened in France and Austria, and additional factories were opened in Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia and Germany. By the time production ceased in the 1990s, Zwicky was a long-established brand that was famous in Switzerland and abroad. Today, Zwicky & Co. is a real estate company that manages the former factory complex. The buildings have been converted into apartments, offices and commercial spaces. In 1946, the Swiss graphic designer Donald Brun introduced a cat figure to advertise Zwicky thread. This was a humorous decision, as Wallisellen, the company’s seat, is known among Swiss-German speakers thanks to a silly counting-out rhyme that involves a cat (Aazelle, Bölle schelle, d’Chatz gaht uf Walliselle…). Donald Brun’s cat can still be found on the logo of the Zwicky company.
The history of the Zwicky company began with a silk and cotton spinning mill that was founded in 1839 in Wallisellen, a town near Zurich. In the following decades, it grew in ...
to a major industrial facility. The mill produced threads for the textile industry, which was extremely important in Switzerland at the time. In 1855, the factory employed 315 workers. In the second half of the 19th century, sales of sewing and embroidery silk were expanded. The name “Zwicky” came from Fritz Zwicky-Guggenbühl, who took over leadership of the company in 1886. In the early 20th century, subsidiaries were opened in France and Austria, and additional factories were opened in Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia and Germany. By the time production ceased in the 1990s, Zwicky was a long-established brand that was famous in Switzerland and abroad. Today, Zwicky & Co. is a real estate company that manages the former factory complex. The buildings have been converted into apartments, offices and commercial spaces. In 1946, the Swiss graphic designer Donald Brun introduced a cat figure to advertise Zwicky thread. This was a humorous decision, as Wallisellen, the company’s seat, is known among Swiss-German speakers thanks to a silly counting-out rhyme that involves a cat (Aazelle, Bölle schelle, d’Chatz gaht uf Walliselle…). Donald Brun’s cat can still be found on the logo of the Zwicky company.
