Jola Spezialschalter Celebrated Its 70th Anniversary
The small but excellent company Jola Spezialschalter was founded on 3 December 1952 by Karl and Liselotte Mattil in order to independently market the inventions made by the electrician Josef Lambrecht. In 2022, it celebrated its 70th anniversary as a renowned maker of measurement and control technology.
Already the previous year had indiciated and given first signs that 2022 would be special. In the middle of 2021, the door signs of Jola’s predecessor companies were hung in their old place to represent our company history since 1868: next to the (now historical) entrance of the administration building.
But nothing is without effort, as it is stated in the direction’s old business motto:
« To create and to strive | is our imperative, | progress is life, | stagnation is death ! »
Jola had a lot planned for the big anniversary year.
At the start of the anniversary year, Jola supported a special kind of concert. On 28 January 2022, the Kammerchor Stuttgart (Stuttgart Chamber Choir) presented an “A Cappella” program in the Protestant Church in Lambrecht. The internationally renowned vocal ensemble conducted by Frieder Bernius who has family ties to Lambrecht and is always happy to return to the “old homeland”.
On 17 September 2022, Jola presented a benefit event in the “northern building” in Klostergartenstraße in Lambrecht: “The Children of Fukushima”. The well-attended performance offered an artistic collage of the fate of persons affected by nuclear catastrophes and their lives and suffering, bridging the gap between Hiroshima (1945), Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011) and the problems of the Ukraine conflict (2022). The artistic concept was delivered by Wolfram Blank (Orffeo Studio, Mannheim) who also recited voices of contemporary witnesses. Visitors were welcomed on the exceptionally illuminated first floor with sculptures by Johannes Peter from Grünstadt. During the event, the artist also showed a large-scale video installation dealing with nuclear catastrophes. The programme was supported by Japanese art songs sung by the two sopranos Rie Mattil and Kei Suzuki, accompanied on piano by Genya Kai. Between the pieces, Noriko Howoldt-Nagai and Hans-Jürgen Howoldt recited short poems (haiku). The Protestant parish of Lambrecht-Lindenberg was involved as a cooperation partner, represented by Pastor Martin Groß. Donations went to the benefit of Ukraine aid through Hilfe im Tal e.V.
Between the two events, the highlight of the year was the anniversary celebration on 16 July 2022. The programme was varied:
- the presentation of Jola’s new website with UX Designer and Brand Strategist Désirée Berger (hangzumschoenen)
- the presentation of Jola’s first image film with Enrico Markx (enrico markx content creation)
- a concert by the German-Turkish duo “Benyonca” and the presentation of the first Jola CD containing exclusive recordings
- quickly and creatively made drawings of those present by cartoonist and publisher Steffen Boiselle
- the opening of the “Jolaseum” (Jola‘s company museum), which will make the enterprise’s history come alive
- a historical photo puzzle in the lattice box storage
- and much more …
The event brought together tradition and modernity, old and young, past and present. For the first time in many years, it was an occasion to gather many former and current employees, as well as long-time and fairly new companions of the company.
In order to honour the past, there were also some special events throughout the year. On behalf of all those people who have advanced Jola Spezialschalter, four important persons were called to mind. On the anniversary of their respective death, a small commemoration ceremony was held in the inner courtyard shortly before the lunch break, at which the management celebrated their lives and work. In the months of May, July and November, corresponding videos were published on the YouTube channel “Inside Jola”. The last one will be published in January 2023.
https://www.youtube.com/@insidejola
Dieter Mattil (11.02.1939-21.03.1995)
– Jola‘s second Managing Director 1966-1995
Date of death: Monday, 21 March 2022
Video on “Inside Jola”: Tuesday, 3 May 2022
Liselotte Mattil (18.10.1916-01.07.2004)
– Jola‘s Co-Founder and “good soul”
Date of death: Friday, 1 July 2022
Video on “Inside Jola”: Wednesday, 6 July 2022
Karl Mattil (12.02.1897-13.09.1982)
– Jola‘s Founder and first Managing Director 1952-1982
Date of death: Tuesday, 13 September 2022
Video on “Inside Jola”: Tuesday, 8 November 2022
Josef Lambrecht (31.12.1906-21.09.1958)
– Electrician of the cloth factory Gebrüder Haas and inventor of the “Jola Switches”
Date of death: Wednesday, 21 September 2022
Video on “Inside Jola”: Monday, 2 January 2023
In order to honour not only the past but also the present, Jola shed light on its customer groups in 4 videos, and explain which products they prefer to buy. These videos were published on “Inside Jola” on 6 June, 1 August, 4 October and 5 December.
Finally, more videos about Jola were released:
From Cloth-makers to Technicians
on the smooth transition from the cloth factory to the electrotechnical company
(published on 6 January)
Jola’s New Superstructure
about the Direction’s old business motto, about Jola’s new compass, and about the company’s other guiding principles
(published on 14 March)
The new image film
Jola Spezialschalter – German Quality since 1952
(published on 21 July)
The Birth of Jola
about the beginnings of the Jola Spezialschalter company
(published on 12 December)
The last festivity in the anniversary year was an internal get-together in the inner courtyard on Monday, 5 December. The staff and management toasted to the company’s successful past and future over children’s punch, roast sausages and chestnut Saumagen, a local delicacy.
Managing Director Lars Mattil summarised in his speech at the anniversary celebration in summer:
“You notice: persevering and striving has always been “in”. It is not always easy, but we can achieve a lot if we want to! That was the case in the past. And I wish us all that it will also be so in the future! In this spirit, we raise our glass to 70 and many more years of Jola Spezialschalter !!!”
A short video about the anniversary year is available here:
Jola Spezialschalter Celebrates Its 70th Anniversary
More information about Jola’s 70th anniversary here: