Eberhard Bezner celebrates his birthday. The long-standing managing director, current co-partner of Olymp Bezner KG and co-founder of the foundation of the same name, will be 90 years old on December 31st, Olymp announced on Wednesday. The Stuttgart native has been shaping the development of the shirt company for more than six decades.
As the only child of Olymp founder Eugen Bezner, he took over the management of the up-and-coming shirt brand at the age of 24 after his unexpected death in January 1960. “I knew back then: Only those who act quickly can secure the company – and at the same time maintain jobs in Germany,” remembers Bezner of the early years. Under his leadership, Olymp developed from a regional brand into an internationally recognized premium manufacturer.
One of his central entrepreneurial achievements was the early internationalization of production. As early as the end of the 1960s, Bezner recognized the growing bottlenecks in domestic textile production and consistently relied on manufacturing solutions abroad. At the same time, he attached great importance to product quality: “We wanted to create shirts that set standards in terms of non-iron, comfort and durability,” says Bezner, who introduced numerous innovations into shirt manufacturing.
The management of the family business is now in the third generation. Bezner’s son Mark continues to run the international brand today, while grandson Bastian Fischer manages the “Eberhards” hotel and restaurant project. Bezner himself remains active as a co-partner and ensures the connection between tradition and modernity.
In addition to economic development, Bezner was also socially and politically involved. For decades he was a member of the Bietigheim city council for the CDU and at times took on the honorary position of city leader on behalf of the mayor. For his services, he was awarded the Baden-Württemberg Baden of Honor and the Federal Republic of Germany’s Cross of Merit.
Philanthropic commitment also plays a central role. In 2008, Bezner and his children founded the OLYMP Bezner Foundation, which supports projects in education, health and upbringing worldwide. “It is far more blessed to give than to receive,” is his motto and reflects his humanistic standards.
Culture and sport are other matters of the heart. In 2001, Bezner initiated the “Jazz in Olympus” festival, which has established itself as a cultural highlight in the region. He has also been supporting handball sports in Bietigheim-Bissingen for decades and is one of the most successful private supporters in top German sport.