Leo Goldberger (manufacturer)
After Samuel Goldberger's death, his wife Elisabeth Adler took over the management of the factory, which quickly recovered and in 1854 was again granted the right to wholesale.
Due to the problems of raw material supply, Leo Goldberger had already considered setting up his own spinning and weaving mill alongside the fabric making and printing factory, but this was not possible until after the end of the war in 1923.
In 1922, the company bought the office building in the centre of Budapest, in what is now Arany János Street, where it had rented until then, and set up its headquarters and a large part of its warehouse.
He immediately recognised the importance of copper oxide rayon,[5] which had appeared at the beginning of the century and could be used to make soft, shiny fabrics similar to natural silk.
In 1919 he began using it to make his 'Parisette' brand (fabrics for dresses, blouses and underwear), for which he acquired the exclusive finishing rights from the German firm Bemberg.
In 1938 to 1939, they reached their peak: they won prizes and awards at several world exhibitions, and their "Parisette" fabrics were a huge success.
Goldberger was the owner of a 17th century painting of Saint Andrew thought to be the work of Jusepe de Ribera.
[8] Goldberger was in contact with writers, scientists, actors, various professional and social associations and charitable institutions, on whose boards he served.
In 1937, with Goldberger's financial support, the Department of Textile Chemistry of the Royal Hungarian Technical and Economic University was established.
After the Second Jewish Law (1939), Goldberger received special permission from the Minister of Industry to retain his position as company CEO.
They suffered considerable damage due to bombing and the loss of export markets, but production was restarted after the war with great difficulty.
Mihály Burg became chairman of the board of directors, and in 1945 Antal Goldberger, who had returned from a concentration camp, took over as CEO.
