The engineer, inventor and entrepreneur was born on April 20, 1929 in Lörrach (Baden-Württemberg) and grew up in Zell im Wiesental.
In 1949, he began studying mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). It was there that he met his future wife Ayhan Gökay. In 1960, he completed his doctorate on the subject of friction and wear in water-cooled rotary compressors.
From small beginnings to a global corporation
According to his company, Busch was not only a pioneer in the field of vacuum technology, but also a caring father, mentor and role model. In 1963, he and his wife Ayhan Busch founded the company Busch Vacuum Solutions - with just 5,000 Deutschmarks in start-up capital. Over the following decades, he built it up into a globally active technology group with an annual turnover of over 2 billion US dollars. Today, more than 8,000 people in 44 countries work for the Busch Group, which includes the Busch Vacuum Solutions and Pfeiffer Vacuum+Fab Solutions brands.
His life's work continues to shape the innovative power of vacuum technology in a wide range of industries worldwide. He combined visionary thinking with the attention to detail of an engineer. His inventions, such as the Huckepack and R5 vacuum pumps for food packaging, were more than technical masterpieces - they reflected his demand for practical relevance and product quality. The R5 was revolutionary in its design and became the world's most successful vacuum pump with millions sold.
Beyond his entrepreneurial achievements, Busch was a great family man. Dr. Karl and Ayhan Busch were spouses, parents and managing directors for 62 years - always as a team of equals. As a father, he was a patient listener, full of curiosity and trust. He involved his children in the company early on, sought their advice and shaped a corporate culture based on family cohesion and shared values.
"Never give up!" as a motto in life
His personal motto in life - in Alemannic dialect: "Nit luck lo!" - meant something like: "Never give up!" This motto ran like a red thread through his life, be it on hikes through the Black Forest into old age, a half marathon at 87 or during negotiations for the first German-Chinese joint venture in 1978.
Busch was an adventurer and explorer at heart. He loved the world and its people. Whether cycling from Maulburg to Istanbul, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or on a classic car trip around the world with his sons Kaya and Sami in 2000 - he lived his life full of energy and joy. His strong sense of responsibility was also evident in his social commitment: he was involved in charitable projects, supported his home region and helped the next generation to continue his life's work.
Dr. Karl Busch active into old age
He attended the last managers' meeting in the Netherlands. Their last business trip together took him to Bavaria less than a year ago. And just two months ago, he celebrated his 96th birthday in Italy, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. Just a few days before his death, he said that he was at peace with his life - an expression of his unshakeably positive spirit.
Busch's legacy lives on in the company he built, in the innovations he inspired, in the corporate culture and in all the people whose lives he touched.
He leaves behind his wife Ayhan, his children Ayla, Sami and Kaya and their partners, six grandchildren and a global family of colleagues and friends who will miss him dearly.