Jaques Schiesser - An honorable entrepreneur

The founder and namesake of the German underwear manufacturer SCHIESSER, Jaques Schiesser, was born on 11 February 1848 in Linthal, Switzerland (now Glarus Süd).

He spent his youth in the years between the failed revolution of 1848 and the founding of the German Empire in 1871, a period that is now regarded as decisive and formative for the founding era.

The changes in economics, technology and social thinking that began at that time paved the way for industrialisation. This period was characterised by imaginative entrepreneurs, inventors and engineers, as well as association and party initiators and pioneers of social improvements. The company health insurance scheme set up by Jaques Schiesser was considered a pioneer and served as a role model in southern Germany.

In the 38 years of his management, the number of employees grew to 1200. Schiesser founded branches in Stockach, Bucharest and Engen, and opened up export markets in the Middle East, India, China and Japan. In 1900, Schiesser was awarded the Grand Prix at the Paris World Exhibition for innovations such as the ‘hardening underwear’. Find out more about the historical development of SCHIESSER underwear here.


Jacques Schiessers died on 18 August 1913 at the age of 65.

During his lifetime, a number of other entrepreneurs were active whose brands are also world-famous today... E.g. Julius Maggi (1846-1912), Rodolphe Lindt (1855-1909), Theodor Tobler (1876–1941) and Philippe Suchard (1797–1884).