On 1st August 2009 the Managing Director of two companies, the Freisinger Fensterbau GmbH and Optiwin GmbH, as well as a board member of the IG Passivhaus Österreich, unexpectedly died in a mountain accident on the Matterhorn at Zermatt, at the age of just 44.
Paulus Freisinger, graduate engineer, leaves behind a wife and three children.
Paulus Freisinger took over the business’s management in 2003 from his father, and is considered to be a pioneer and innovator of the passive house. In testimony to this, numerous new developments for windows have laid the foundation for patents and corresponding production throughout Europe. A year ago Paulus Freisinger made seminal changes to production in his own company, and was one of the first manufacturers of windows to produce windows exclusively for passive houses worldwide. The sales successes, even during economically challenging times, proved Paulus' vision right.
He was active in several networks and a founder member of:
IG Passivhaus Tirol – Board Member
Optiwin GmbH - Managing Director
Austrian Passive House Group
IG Passivhaus Österreich – Board Member
As member of the Board of the IG Passivhaus Österreich, Paulus Freisinger and his expertise in networking played a vital role as a connecting link between organizations.
His contributions to sustainable and environmentally conscious construction engineering have had effects beyond the Austrian borders. He successfully achieved pioneering work for the passive house in Belgium, France, Italy, Ireland and the Baltic states. Owing to his initiative and boundless energy, the Austria House for the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver/Whistler, a passive house, was shipped to Canada only a week ago.
In Paulus Freisinger, we have lost a charismatic, energetic and positive-thinking personality. He was a role model in many ways, and furthermore will continue to be so in the future.
It was the wish of the decedent that the companies Freisinger Fensterbau and Optiwin GmbH be run by the family.
Paulus has always been a reliable friend and partner, both on the mountain and in business life.
We would like to express our deepest sympathies to his dear family for this severe stroke of fate.
