Berthold Leibinger
A German engineer who transformed his family's metalworking shop into a global powerhouse of industrial laser technology.
1930–2018 (age 88)·German businessman·Birthday: November 26·The Silent Generation
Biography
Berthold Leibinger's story is one of marrying deep engineering intuition with visionary business strategy. Joining Trumpf, the company his father-in-law owned, in the 1950s, he recognized the revolutionary potential of the laser. Under his leadership, Trumpf pivoted from traditional machine tools to become a pioneer in laser cutting, welding, and marking systems. Leibinger drove the development of the company's own laser sources, refusing to depend on external suppliers and securing its technological independence. Beyond the factory floor, he was a passionate advocate for the social responsibility of business owners, founding a significant prize for laser research and a cultural foundation. He shaped Trumpf into a model of German Mittelstand success: innovative, family-owned, and globally dominant.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Berthold was born in 1930, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Berthold Was Born
The biggest hits of 1930
#1 Movie
All Quiet on the Western Front
Best Picture
All Quiet on the Western Front
Berthold's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1930Born
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1935Started school
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1943Became a teenager
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1946Could drive
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1948Could vote
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1951Turned 21
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1960Turned 30
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 40
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 50
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 60
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 70
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 80
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2018Died at 88
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
Key Achievements
- Led the development of the first commercially viable CO2 laser for material processing at Trumpf in the 1970s.
- Oversaw Trumpf's expansion from a regional workshop to a multinational corporation with a dominant market share in industrial lasers.
- Founded the Berthold Leibinger Stiftung, a foundation awarding an international prize for innovations in laser technology.
- Served for decades on the supervisory boards of major German corporations like Daimler and Bosch.
Did You Know?
He was an accomplished pianist and a great patron of music, especially supporting the Händel Festival in Karlsruhe.
Leibinger received the Werner-von-Siemens Ring, one of Germany's highest honors for technical achievement.
He authored several books on corporate ethics and the role of business in society.
“The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope.”
