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Henry Christian Louis Dunker (6 September 1870 – 3 May 1962) was a Swedish businessman and industrialist in
In 1891, Dunker's father Johan founded Helsingsborgs Gummifabrik AB. The rubber footwear produced by the factory was of poor quality, so the younger Dunker travelled to Russia to learn how to produce better rubber. During a visit to 
In 1894, Dunker took over control of the factory and, after some time, expanded the factory. In 1905, Dunker, along with Johan Kock, changed the Velox factory in
Dunker was married to Gerda Sylvan (1879–1936), a daughter of the merchant August Sylvan and Gustava Eleonora Lundgren.
Dunker died in 1962 in Helsingborg. Upon his death, he willed his fortune to the Henry and Gerda Dunker Foundation which subsequently funded many improvements to Helsingborg. The Henry and Gerda Dunker Foundation, together with the Henry and Gerda Dunker Donation Fund No. 2, own the majority voting interest of Trelleborg AB. Dunker is buried at Donationskyrkogården in Helsingborg.
Helsingborg
Helsingborg (, , , ) is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Scania (Skåne), Sweden. It is the second-largest city in Scania (after Malmö) and ninth-largest in Sweden, with a population of 113,816 (2020). Helsingborg is the cent ...
, Sweden. His father was the founder of Helsingsborgs Gummifabrik AB ( sv), also known as Tretorn AB, a manufacturer of rubber products which Dunker established as an international business. At the time of his death in 1962, Dunker was Sweden's wealthiest man. His fortune was donated to the improvement of the city of Helsingborg.
Early years
The Dunker family had its origin inSchleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...
. The family lived in Esbjerg
Esbjerg (, ) is a seaport town and seat of Esbjerg Municipality on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. By road, it is west of Kolding and southwest of Aarhus. With an urban population of 71,698 (1 January 2022) ...
, Denmark
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, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
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, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
when Henry was born in 1870. Henry was two years old when his father Johan Dunker, who was an engineer at the time, was asked to lead the work and building of property at the Port of Helsingborg.
Business
In 1891, Dunker's father Johan founded Helsingsborgs Gummifabrik AB. The rubber footwear produced by the factory was of poor quality, so the younger Dunker travelled to Russia to learn how to produce better rubber. During a visit to Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, Russia, he did not find any new material, but in Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the ...
, Latvia he met chemist Julius von Gerkan, who agreed to help him improve the rubber formula. His company was known for creating a rubber that was soft when cold but not sticky when the weather improved.
In 1894, Dunker took over control of the factory and, after some time, expanded the factory. In 1905, Dunker, along with Johan Kock, changed the Velox factory in Trelleborg
Trelleborg () is a town in Skåne County, Sweden, with 43,359 inhabitants as of December 31, 2015. It is the southernmost town in Sweden located some west from the southernmost point of Sweden and the Scandinavian peninsula. It is one of the ...
into the Trelleborgs gummifabrik. Through a network of sales offices not only in Sweden but also in Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan a ...
, Berlin and Vienna
en, Viennese
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, registration_plate = W
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, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, Dunker gained better control over the distribution chain. With time, the rubber products produced by his company expanded to include tennis balls, shower caps and tires. In 1912, Dunker created a cartel with the purpose of increasing its competitive power abroad. Prices for the rubber increased in Sweden but were lowered abroad.
Dunker gave his workers free healthcare and subsidized medicine. He installed wooden floors in his factories to improve the comfort of his workers. In 1911, he started a day care facility (''barnkrubban'') to provide care for his employees' children during the workday, a phenomenon that began in the 1850s but was still unusual in the early 20th century.
In 1961, at 90 years of age, Dunker was still chair of the board of his company Trelleborgs Gummifabriks AB. The business employed 5,000 people and had a floor area of .
Death and legacy
Dunker was married to Gerda Sylvan (1879–1936), a daughter of the merchant August Sylvan and Gustava Eleonora Lundgren.
Dunker died in 1962 in Helsingborg. Upon his death, he willed his fortune to the Henry and Gerda Dunker Foundation which subsequently funded many improvements to Helsingborg. The Henry and Gerda Dunker Foundation, together with the Henry and Gerda Dunker Donation Fund No. 2, own the majority voting interest of Trelleborg AB. Dunker is buried at Donationskyrkogården in Helsingborg.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunker, Henry 1870 births 1962 deaths Swedish business executives Swedish industrialists People from Esbjerg People from Helsingborg