Escher Wyss & Cie., also known as Escher Wyss AG, was a Swiss industrial company with a focus on engineering and turbine construction. Its headquarters were in the Zürich quarter of Escher Wyss, which takes its name from the company.
The company was founded, as Escher Wyss & Cie., in 1805 by Hans Caspar Escher and Salomon von Wyss. After having originally started the company as a textile spinning business, the two expanded their enterprise to include a machine shop that manufactured textile machinery, water wheels, water turbines, power transmission equipment, and starting in 1835, ships, including boilers and steam engines.[1]
After 1860, under the direction of Hans Zoelly, the company concentrated on hydraulic systems, steam engines and cooling systems. Between 1904 and 1929 steam turbines were produced for thermal power plants, ships and locomotives. The company also manufactured the hydraulic systems of hydroelectric plants. Around this time it provided equipment for Norsk Hydro.[2] During WWII, the company was a supplier for the German war effort manufacturing and supplying flamethrowers.[3] The company remained in existence until it was taken over in 1969 by Sulzer AG,[1] now inside of the group Andritz AG.
