Less than a month after celebrating his 100th birthday, Per V. Brüel has passed away.
Per Brüel was born in Copenhagen on 6 March 1915. As a young boy, he moved to Jutland with his family, where it was expected he would follow his father’s example and become a forester. However, he showed a knack for technology and ended up studying engineering at the Danish Technical University, where he met Viggo Kj?r. They both graduated in 1939, and in 1942 decided to follow their shared dream of starting an engineering firm.
At this time, sound and vibration was not on the agenda of industry, and from the very beginning Per was a driving force behind setting international standards and establishing the importance of sound and vibration in product development, to measure and reduce vibration and noise levels. “Even then we could see that noise is one of the biggest problems of our time – it affects millions of people every day,” Per said. “Our instruments could not only measure noise but also help customers identify and eliminate noise problems.”
From the onset, Per had a vision of creating a global enterprise and he travelled the world to meet customers and understand their challenges; he was determinedly customer-centric long before the term was coined. On these journeys, Per could combine two of his passions: sound and vibration, and flying. He was licensed in Denmark to fly single- and multi-engine planes, as well as gliders. From 1957 to 2000, he logged 9,476 hours of flight in more than 20 different aircraft. He also had a lifelong passion for motorcycles and cars, which gave his engineering insights a grounding in the everyday world.
Through the second half of the 20th century, Brüel & Kj?r grew to become the world’s largest specialist in sound and vibration solutions. The company is still inspired by the convictions of its founders. “We wanted to make products which had an impact on society, and we wanted to make money,” Per said. “If I’m to talk about a motto for my work, it is that it must in no way be boring.” Speaking on behalf of his partner, Viggo Kj?r, who passed away in 2013 at the age of 99, he added an unofficial rule of conduct: “Running a business is about having fun. Having fun is the best way to use your skills. We wanted talented people who could think for themselves, who were creative and also a bit lucky. Employ good people; don’t tell them what to do when they start work, because people will find that out for themselves, making them highly inspired.”
In 1992 , Per Brüel and Viggo Kj?r sold Brüel & Kj?r, and went on to pursue other ventures. Per continued his work in acoustics as a consultant, and was much sought after to lecture on sound and vibration. Over the course of his life, he received many honorary titles from renowned universities and organizations around the world in recognition of his contribution to the field of sound and vibration. These included the University of Bologna, Dresden University and the International Institute of Noise Control Engineering.
Right to the end, Per was active and energetic. He celebrated his 100th birthday on 6 March in style, with nearly 100 guests at his home north of Copenhagen, and he participated in the March annual meeting of the Danish Acoustical Society.
With the death of Per Brüel, the world of acoustics is now truly a more quiet place.
May Per Brüel rest in peace.
Background information for this obituary was drawn from Journey to Greatness: The Story of Brüel & Kj?r, by Jackson Mowry and Ghita Borring
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