1819
Christian Fischbacher, born 1803 in the village of St. Peterzell in Eastern Switzerland, founds the company at the age of sixteen. A son of a farmer, the young Christian collects cotton fabrics woven by farmer’s wives and trades them in the market in St. Gallen, travelling nearly 30 km on foot to get there.
13th to 19th Centuries
From the 13th century onwards, St. Gallen acquires affluence with the production and trade of linen fabrics, known then as “White Gold”. Until the advent of the Industrial Revolution, linen fabrics are woven by hand and bleached using water and sunlight only.
1854
Christian Fischbacher moves his family to St. Gallen and acquires the property of Oberer Graben 24, where the business is managed from for the next twenty years.
1850 - 1860
During the middle of the 19th century, embroidery factories and related textile mills rapidly develop in and around St. Gallen, due to the strong demand for Swiss embroideries from Europe, Russia and America.
1874
Working together with his two sons, Christian Fischbacher purchases a new property on Vadianstrasse 6 in order to accommodate the growth of the business. Soon, even this new building is no longer large enough for the expanding firm and in 1890 the adjoining house is acquired as well.
1880s
Born in 1845, Christian Fischbacher II is known as a man of great wisdom and kindness. He leads the company successfully through the First World War, a time when many St. Gallen textile companies have to close down. His wife, referred to as “Mama” by the employees, works closely by his side, starting and leading the handkerchief department which carries on until the 1990s.
1892
This old invoice from 1892 was found in our company archives and is the only documentation remaining with Christian Fischbacher II’s original signature. His signature was used to develop the logo which you see today.
1928
Otto Christian Fischbacher becomes the sole owner of the company and leads the company during the stock market crash. Otto and his strong management force are able to preserve the good name and capital of the company, and also to further expand it, despite the challenging times.
1930s - 1940s
Otto Fischbacher brings together the largest collection of paintings by Giovanni Segantini (Today, the collection can be viewed at the Segantini Museum in St. Moritz, Switzerland). He is also a great voyager, travelling to Africa, Asia, the Middle East and other exotic destinations.
1939
Christian Fischbacher IV is born in St. Gallen in 1915. The youngest of four children, he is educated in Switzerland and England and begins working for the family business at the age of twenty-one. He leaves for the United States at the age of twenty-four.
1940 - 1952
In New York, Christian Fischbacher IV establishes the company’s first subsidiary, FISBA Fabrics Inc. This photo is his last one as CEO of FISBA and was taken during the company’s farewell party, just days before moving back to Switzerland to run the headquarters.
1955
Throughout his adult life, Christian Fischbacher IV is an ardent Cresta runner, winning many championships. He continues to play the sport until the age of seventy-seven.
1960s
Christian Fischbacher IV establishes ties with the Parisian Haute Couture. Learning from his experience on 7th Avenue, New York, he expands the design department, bringing a new, fashion-forward vision to the company.
1960s
Starting in 1961, the company establishes a number of subsidiaries in various countries around the world, including Italy, Germany, Holland, England, France and Japan, all of which remain operative to this day.
Circa 1970 - 1983
Born in 1938, Christian Fischbacher V spends the first twenty-two years of his life in the United States, before he moves back to his motherland, Switzerland. After completing his education at Princeton University and the University of St. Gallen, he joins his father in running the company and runs the Fashion Accessories division, before taking over as CEO in 1983.
1972
An ardent skydiver, Christian Fischbacher V heads the Swiss national team to win the world championship for precision jumping in 1972. He also establishes the highly acclaimed skydiving school Para Centro in Locarno, Switzerland.
1984
Following Christian Fischbacher IV’s bold vision, the company collaborates with trend-setting textile designers, making headlines and shaping trends. In 1984 we win the British Design Council Award for a home furnishing collection called Six Views, designed by the famous British textile design sister team, Collier Campbell.
1980s
During Christian Fischbacher V’s time as CEO, our core business begins to shift its emphasis from fashion textiles to home furnishings. As we grow into a global brand for home textiles, we keep the creative and fashion-driven spirit of the fourth generation.
Circa 1988
Picture of an ad for a home fabrics collection we create together with Gianni Versace.
1998
In the 1990s, many efforts are made to modernize our operations, including relocating all of our stocks to one central location. In 1998 we also move our headquarter into a state-of-the-art building in St. Gallen, Winkeln.
1990s
While the history of our fine bed linens goes back more than 60 years, from the 1980s, the company’s focus shifts towards home textiles. We make it our goal to become the world leaders in the production of luxury bed linens. Many creative designs are introduced and we become known internationally for our exclusive Swiss quality luxurious satin and finely detailed prints.
2007
Christian Fischbacher VI takes over as Sales Manager East, expanding our sales network to new markets in Eastern Europe and countries formerly belonging to the Soviet Union, building an unprecedented distribution network in the region.
2008
After completing his studies as a Sinologist and working in Malaysia and China, Michael Fischbacher joins the company in 1997. He works alongside his father for twelve years before taking over as CEO in 2008. Since then, Michael works on further developing the company, while staying true to its founding principles of bold innovation and attention to detail.
2009
In 1990, Michael and Camilla Fischbacher meet at Oxford University where they both study. They get married in 1995. Since 2008, when Camilla became Art Director, the couple works together side by side, running the business in the sixth generation. Camilla and Michael have three children.
2014
With her bold and creative spirit and her background as an Iranian-American who has lived for many years in both Europe and Asia, Art Director Camilla Fischbacher brings a global perspective to her role. Under her direction, our team of expert textile designers create some of the most extraordinary fabrics produced today.
2019
2019 marks the 200th year of our company’s existence. This makes us the oldest textile editor that is still in the same family! For six generations we have continued our business, with ups and downs, but overall successfully. However, longevity in itself is no achievement for a firm. Rather, what we are proud of is that we have stayed true to ourselves over all this time.
