History of BERNINA sewing machines

1890
Karl Friedrich Gegauf founded an embroidery and mechanical workshop in Steckborn, Switzerland, where he produced a device he had designed for embroidering monograms.

1893
Friedrich Gegauf invented and manufactured the world’s first sewing machine for hemstitching. Moreover, the machine had a relatively high speed—100 stitches per minute.

1929
Friedrich Gegauf’s sons, Fritz and Gustav, built a new factory in Steckborn to expand their machine production. This is the current location of the Bernina company.

1932
The Bernina 135 sewing machine appeared on the market—the first machine under the “BERNINA” name, named after a mountain in Switzerland. This household sewing machine was known for its high quality. It was immediately recognized and sold very well.

1943
The Bernina factory, also known as “Fritz Gegauf,” produced the world’s first sewing machine with a zigzag stitch and a free-arm platform (Bernina Portable Kl. 125). This marked a significant milestone in the history of sewing machine manufacturing.

1975
Odette Ueltschi-Gegauf, daughter of Fritz Gegauf, began to lead the company with energy and attention.

1986
The first electronic sewing machine, Bernina 1130, appeared on the market. It was known for its ease of use, as well as its high quality and reliability.

1988
Hans-Peter Ueltschi, a fourth-generation family member, took over leadership of Fritz Gegauf AG. He successfully continued the company’s policy of technical production process improvement.

1998
The Artista 180 sewing machine appeared on the market. This machine is now referred to as a sewing computer. The production of the Artista 180 sewing computer incorporated the most advanced sewing and embroidery computer technologies. It is a sewing-embroidery system fully adapted to user needs, inspiring sewing and embroidery enthusiasts.

2002
In 2002, the Bernina Artista 200 sewing system set new standards in sewing machine manufacturing. Thanks to innovative ideas and collaboration with Microsoft, Bernina engineers discovered a new path in the development of household sewing machines.

Outlook
BERNINA offers new innovative products every year. Visit the “News and Useful Articles” page, where you will find plenty of helpful information about sewing, embroidery, and the latest BERNINA products.

More (in English): www.bernina.com/en-US/Why-BERNINA-US/Quality-Tradition/History