Origins & Early Life

Friedrich "Fritz" Hoffmann-La Roche respectively Hoffmann-von der Mühll (24 October 1868 – 18 April 1920) was a Swiss industrialist and businessman who founded the pharmaceutical concern F. Hoffmann-La Roche & Co (presently known as Roche) in 1896. Hoffmann was born 24 October 1868 in Basel, Switzerland, the third of five children, to Friedrich Hoffmann (1838–1897), silk ribbon manufacturer, and Anna Elisabeth Hoffmann (née Merian; 1845–1913), into a Protestant family belonging to the Daig. His siblings were; Alfred Leonhard Hoffmann (1864–1867), Maria Elisabeth Koechlin (née Hoffmann; 1866–1931), Karl Rudolf Hoffmann (1872–1944) and Ernst Walter Hoffmann (1880–1905).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His godparents were his maternal grandfather, Johann Heinrich Merian (1818–1874), an affluent merchant who also owned Teufen Castle in Freienstein-Teufen, and his uncle, Carl Felix Burckhardt, who served as Mayor of Basel, and Anna von der Mühll. His paternal and maternal families belonged to the Daig. Hoffmann completed compulsory schooling Basel. In 1886, he completed an apprenticeship at a bank in Yverdon-les-Bains, in Romandy. He ultimately returned to his home town, where he became...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adah Isaacs Menken — Contemporary (Died in 1868) (1868): American actress, painter, and poet known for sensational stage performances.
• Arnold Sommerfeld — Contemporary (Born in 1868) (1868): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for quantum and atomic structure models.
• Benjamin Guinness — Contemporary (Died in 1868) (1868): Anglo-Irish brewer and philanthropist who significantly expanded the Guinness brewing empire.
• Alberto Sordi — Contemporary (Born in 1920) (1920): Pillar of Italian Cinema, master of Commedia all'italiana comedy.
• Alfred Peet — Contemporary (Born in 1920) (1920): Dutch-American founder credited with starting the US specialty coffee revolution.
• Amedeo Modigliani — Contemporary (Died in 1920) (1920): Italian painter and sculptor known for elongated, modern portraits and nudes.
• Antonie van Leeuwenhoek — Shared historical date (10-24 · Born) (1632): Pioneering Dutch microscopist, known as the Father of Microbiology.
• Bob Kane — Shared historical date (10-24 · Born) (1915): Pioneering American comic book artist, co-creator of Batman, and animator.
• Albert Einstein — Shared historical date (04-18 · Died) (1955): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for the theory of relativity and E=mc2.
• Alexandre Alexeieff — Shared historical date (04-18 · Born) (1901): Russian-born artist, filmmaker, and illustrator known for inventing the pinscreen technique.
• 1868 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1868
• October 24 (10-24) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on October 24
• 1920 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1920
• April 18 (04-18) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on April 18