Johann Viktor Kottmann

Johann Viktor Kottmann (1822-1881) was a Swiss military officer and businessman who founded the Langendorf Watch Company. His family remained in control of the firm, later called Lanco, through the 1950s.

The son of upright and wealthy parents, Johann Kottmann was born on September 30, 1822 in Solothurn. After completing the city's primary schools and high school, he spent a year in a boarding house in Neuchâtel studying the French language and commercial subjects. For further professional training, he then worked at a commercial business in Neuchâtel for four years.

Returning to his hometown, Kottmann joined the management of his brother's tobacco and cigar factories in Treibeinskreuz and Langendorf. After his brother's death, he took over the management of both factories and also founded a watch factory in Langendorf. He continued to manage all three factories until his death, supporting about 600 workers.

An autodidact, Kottmann worked on his further education throughout his life through private studies. Above all, he diligently studied military works and magazines. He was focused on managing his three factories and promoting the Swiss military. Making use of his wealth of relevant knowledge and experience, he often gave interesting lectures in military societies in Solothurn. He also continued to study German and foreign classics with great zeal and left behind a valuable library in this area. For his further education he traveled through Germany, Austria, Belgium, Holland, England, France and Italy. A great lover of music, he was an active member of the "Liedertafel" in Solothurn for many years.

In the spring of 1843, at the age of 20, Kottmann entered military service as a cavalry recruit and took part in the Sonderbund War in 1847 as a cavalry corporal. From then on he quickly advanced from one level of military honor to another, becoming a cavalry lieutenant in 1848 and receiving the rank of captain in 1853. After joining the federal staff as a major in 1862, he attended several general staff schools in Thun. As a cavalry captain, he was president of the Eastern Swiss Cavalry Association for several years. Becoming a lieutenant colonel in 1867, he was given command of a cavalry reserve division according to the military organization at the time. In 1871 he became a federal colonel and commander of the 23rd Infantry Brigade and in this capacity took part in the troop gathering in eastern Switzerland in 1872 under the division commander and later Federal Councilor Scherer. On the occasion of the internment of the Bourbaki army in 1871 he was the field commander in Freiburg. In 1875, after the introduction of the new military organization, he was given command of the 9th Infantry Brigade. On February 7, 1877, he was appointed commander of the 4th Army Division in place of Colonel Merian von Basel. In 1880 he worked together with the HH during the autumn maneuvers of the 3rd Army Division. Federal Colonel Feiß and Siegfried as judges.

On Friday, November 18th, shortly after lunch, he suffered a stroke in the Gasthof zum Engel in Lucerne. After suffering for eight days, Kottmann died at the age of 59.

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• Johann Viktor Kottmann