The Bicentenary Gala of Georg Fischer in Schaffhausen

The 350 guests from politics, business and culture were treated to a programme of festivities that included a presentation of the early years, a bicentenary exhibition tracing the history of the corporation right up to the present and a special panel discussion on "Sustainability" with Swiss Confederation President Kaspar Villiger, Baden-Württemberg Premier Erwin Teufel, the political advisor and management consultant, Professor Gertrud Höhler, who is also a member of the Georg Fischer AG Board of Directors, the Head of the Cantonal Government of Schaffhausen Herbert Bühl, and Georg Fischer CEO Martin Huber. The Georg Fischer Bicentenary Foundation "Community Benefit" is enjoying such widespread public support that it has already been able to collect substantial donations for its "Clean Water" project.

The gala in Schaffhausen reflected above all else the pleasure all those at Georg Fischer take in the fact that, thanks largely to its ability to strike a healthy balance between continuity and adaptability, the corporation is still going strong even 200 years after it was first founded and it has every reason to be confident about the future too. The decision to replace the usual speeches with a panel discussion on "Sustainability" chaired by Kurt Schaad not only lent the event an original touch, but also helped underscore the need for politics and business to close ranks so as to achieve their shared goal of sustainable development more effectively.

As one of Europe's oldest industrial enterprises, Georg Fischer took this opportunity not only to look back over its 200-year history, but also - and indeed above all - to look ahead, very much according to the motto "We shape the future". The corporation will use the other bicentenary events to be held all over the world to lay the groundwork for future partnerships with employees, customers, business partners and the public at large. Thanks to the shareholders' decision to waive their bicentenary dividend, the corporation was able to set up the Bicentenary Foundation "Community Benefit" that will enable it to help improve the quality of life for as many people as possible for several years to come. The first project to be funded by this foundation is the "Clean Water" project, which is providing sustainable drinking water supplies in a number of different countries. A joint venture involving close cooperation with various international aid organisations, this project has received such overwhelming public support that the surplus funds can be used to finance the next subproject as well.

The Bicentenary Exhibition "A journey through time - 200 years Georg Fischer" on show at the old steel foundry in Schaffhausen-Mühlental traces the eventful and at times affecting history of the corporation in a series of ten exhibition islands, each of which shows the manufacturing processes and products that were current at one particular era. This "Journey through time" enables visitors to piece together their own multi-faceted image of what is now an industrial corporation of international standing. The exhibition, which also features an attractive peripheral programme and child-care facilities, will be open to the public from 10 am to 6 pm from Saturday, 8 June to Wednesday, 12 June and promises visitors some impressive and fascinating insights into industry past and present.

This week, Schaffhausen will also be the venue for a number of other special bicentenary events for Georg Fischer's customers, retirees and employees.