Foba

History

The story of FOBA begins in a time when things were not rosy. 1939, just after World War II started in Europe, imports of photography products such as lights or dry presses from Germany was reduced to a trickle. Walter Friedrich, a precisions engineer, saw his chance in these troubled times. Whoever could provide these rare pieces of equipment now would likely have it made for the next couple of years. Together with his wife, in their rented home's small basement, he began to manufacture commodities for professional photographers, delivering the goods – to save on shipping costs, but also to keep up the personal contact to his customers – himself by bicycle. He called his startup 'FOBA – Fotogeräte- und Elektroapparate-Bau' (Manufacturing of photographic and electrical equipment) and also supplied, a first in Switzerland at that time, cooking plates with integrated heating coils.