Charles Kiefer-Hablitzel

Karl Anton Kiefer was born May 17, 1872, in Basel, Switzerland. He was the son of a tailor formerly of the Grand Duchy of Baden, who naturalized as a Swiss citizen in 1868. Following his formal education in a trade school, he completed a commercial apprenticeship at Bank Heusser & Cie.^[5]

Then was employed in several companies in Basel until he decided to emigrate to France and England in 1884. After trying to establish his own company in Brussels, which ultimately failed, he decided to restart overseas. In 1900, Kiefer arrived in Rio de Janeiro, and changed his name to Antoine Charles, since the Brazilian upper class spoke French at the time. Initially, he was the representative of Ciba-Geigy in Brazil. Over the years, Kiefer amassed several participations in Brazilian companies, hotels and manganese mines.^[6] During World War I, he was a supplier of the armament industry. Further, he launched the silk manufacturing industry in Brazil and became a successful manufacturer of silk ribbons. He was a substantial part of the development of the textile industry in the country. In the 1920s, he was introduced to the Vogt brothers, also of Switzerland, who recently came to Brazil to seek industrial participations. Through this alliance, Companhia Fábrica de Botões e Artefatos de Metal, was handed over to Guido E. Vogt (1901-1939).^[7][8]

In his later years, he focussed in banking and philanthropic activities . He and his wife, were principal shareholders of Banco do Brazil, the oldest and second largest banking institution in Latin America. His philanthropic work also started in Brazil. His wife was the founder of an orphanage and a small charity hospital. Kiefer-Hablitzel was active in the Société Philanthrophique Suisse, an organization which provided endowments for Swiss emigrants in need.