Günther Caspar was born in Hannover on May 30th 1914 and completed his business doctorate exam in Berlin during the mid 30s. Like all other German men he was drafted into the project of building a new national infrastructure. Upon learning that Germany planned to declare war on Poland he declined participation in an unlawful act. As the family were Swedish consular representatives in Hannover, Günther Caspar received a travel exit permit from Germany to Sweden and moved to Stockholm in September 1938.

He arrived without money but with a few pieces of art in his luggage. By selling the artworks to Prince Eugen, a member of the royal family, he acquired a small capital to start a new life in Sweden.

With his good business education and a working knowledge of four languages, Günther Caspar obtained a job in the Swedish furniture industry, where he worked as a successful export sales representative.

At the beginning of the 1950s Günther Caspar started his own business, selling various services through unmanned vending machines. Snabbfoto AB grew rapidly and within a decade covered all the Nordic countries. In the 60s he started Sveatrade AB, a company active in excavation and construction machinery. Both companies became Nordic leaders within their respective business fields. Determined to do what it took to succeed he had a colossal capacity for work and his credo was ‘never postpone to tomorrow what you can do today’.

Günther Caspar’s personality was characterized by great courage, uncompromising honesty, a deep sense of fairness, and great patience. He had a profound distaste for any sort of conspicuous consumption, and simplicity marked his everyday life.

In 1957 he moved to Switzerland where he set up headquarters and from where he continued to direct his various companies.

Günther Caspar felt that a successful entrepreneur should also take responsibility for important social and cultural matters. This led to his strong desire to create a foundation with a part of his wealth in order to enable and support relevant projects.

After a long and remarkably successful life, of which he spent 54 years in Switzerland, Günther Caspar died on 5th August 2011 at the age of 97.