Karl Fazer

Karl Fazer’s father was a Swiss-born furrier, originally named Fatzer. Karl’s siblings included the sugar producer Max Fazer, concert pianist and director of the Finnish Opera Edvard Fazer, founder of Fazer’s music shop Konrad Fazer, and piano artist Naëma Fazer. Karl’s wife Berta was the daughter of a master baker.

Karl Fazer was a pioneer in the Finnish confectionery industry and studied the business abroad. At the age of 18, he became an apprentice at a pastry shop in St. Petersburg and subsequently worked in other shops in the city, as well as in Berlin and Paris. After returning to Finland, Fazer opened his own French-Russian confectionery shop in 1891. A café was established next door and Fazer lived on the top floor of the house. In due course, he opened more cafés in other parts of Helsinki.

Fazer founded a confectionery factory in Punavuori and started production of sweets in 1897. Gradually, his company grew, and Fazer expanded by buying, for instance, a biscuit factory in Hanko in 1928. The Fazer company still exists and several of its products have become classics in Finland. Karl became one of the three most famous persons in Finland and was appointed trade advisor in 1926. Additionally, he was member of the board of other trading companies and of Finnish hunting associations.

Fazer was a nature lover, hunter, fisherman, and competitive shooter. He participated in shooting competitions domestically and internationally, including the trap shooting events at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. He was instrumental in implementing bird protection areas in the Åland archipelago and Karelia. In 1901, Fazer brought pheasants to Finland as a game bird and founded pheasant farms. He died at the age of 66 after suffering a heart attack while on a hunting trip.