Eduard Haas
Encyclopedia
Eduard Haas III was an Austria
n businessman. In 1927, Haas developed the Pez
confectionery.
near Linz
in Austria-Hungary
into a rich family, his grandfather being a doctor and his father Eduard Haas II owning a flourishing grocery store. As an adolescent, he patented a light baking powder
mixture for Gugelhupf
cakes, developed after a recipe left by his grandfather. The small "Hasin" powder bags soon were sold all over the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
In the 1920s, Haas began to purchase peppermint oil from a chemist, and with it, he created in 1927 the small, flat, minty candy known as Pez
(the name was coined from "Pfefferminz", the German
word for peppermint). Pez gradually gained popularity as an anti-smoking mint; however, Haas decided to broaden the appeal of Pez. After World War II
, Haas and colleagues developed small dispensers shaped like lighters; the Pez dispenser debuted in 1947.
In 1952, Haas shifted his base to New York City
where he developed a fresh marketing scheme aimed at children. The new Pez featured varying dispensers with popular figures as "flaps" and colored mints. To this day, Pez dispensers are sought out as collectors items.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n businessman. In 1927, Haas developed the Pez
PEZ
Pez is the brand name of an Austrian confectionery and the mechanical pocket dispensers for the same...
confectionery.
Biography
Haas was born at LeondingLeonding
Leonding is a city situated to the southwest of Linz, Austria in the state of Upper Austria. It has a population of about 22,269 and an area of 24.05 km²...
near Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
in Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
into a rich family, his grandfather being a doctor and his father Eduard Haas II owning a flourishing grocery store. As an adolescent, he patented a light baking powder
Baking powder
Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked goods such as muffins, cakes, scones and American-style biscuits. Baking powder works by releasing carbon dioxide gas into a batter or dough through an acid-base reaction, causing bubbles in...
mixture for Gugelhupf
Gugelhupf
A Gugelhupf or Gugelhopf is a southern German, Austrian, Swiss and Alsatian term for a marble cake or Bundt cake. The part "Gugel-" is a variation of the Middle High German word Kugel...
cakes, developed after a recipe left by his grandfather. The small "Hasin" powder bags soon were sold all over the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
In the 1920s, Haas began to purchase peppermint oil from a chemist, and with it, he created in 1927 the small, flat, minty candy known as Pez
PEZ
Pez is the brand name of an Austrian confectionery and the mechanical pocket dispensers for the same...
(the name was coined from "Pfefferminz", the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
word for peppermint). Pez gradually gained popularity as an anti-smoking mint; however, Haas decided to broaden the appeal of Pez. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Haas and colleagues developed small dispensers shaped like lighters; the Pez dispenser debuted in 1947.
In 1952, Haas shifted his base to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he developed a fresh marketing scheme aimed at children. The new Pez featured varying dispensers with popular figures as "flaps" and colored mints. To this day, Pez dispensers are sought out as collectors items.