Eduard Haas facts for kids

Eduard Haas III (born 1897, died 1989) was an important businessman from Austria. He is best known for creating the famous Pez candy in 1927.

Biography of Eduard Haas III

Early Life and Family

Eduard Haas III was born in 1897 in Leonding, a town near Linz in Austria-Hungary. His family was quite wealthy. His grandfather was a doctor, and his father, Eduard Haas II, owned a very successful grocery store.

First Invention: Baking Powder

Even as a teenager, Haas showed his inventing skills. He created and patented a special, light baking powder mixture. This mix was perfect for Gugelhupf cakes, using a recipe from his grandfather. Small bags of this "Hasin" powder quickly became popular. They were sold all over the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which was a large empire in central Europe at the time.

Creating Pez Candy

In the 1920s, Haas started working with peppermint oil. In 1927, he used it to create a small, flat, minty candy. He called it "Pez," a short name taken from "Pfefferminz," the German word for peppermint.

Pez candies first became popular as a way to help people stop smoking. They were a fresh-tasting mint. However, Haas wanted Pez to appeal to more people. After World War II, Haas and his team came up with a new idea. They developed small devices that looked like lighters. These were the first Pez dispensers, and they came out in 1947.

Pez Goes to America

In 1952, Haas moved his business to New York City. There, he created a new marketing plan especially for children. The new Pez candies came in different colors. The dispensers featured popular cartoon characters and figures on their "flaps." To this day, Pez dispensers are very popular. Many people collect them as valuable items.

Death

Eduard Haas III passed away in Vienna, Austria, in 1989.