1814

The history of Fondation Guilé goes back to the year 1814, when Martin Burrus started a tobacco business that would remain in the family for almost 200 years.

In 1931, his successor Léon and his wife Marguerite Burrus built a country manor to give a home to the spirit, values, and legacy of the family. They named the manor GUILÉ, a combination of their first names. The Domaine de Guilé became the place where the Burrus family hosted their large social network of relatives, friends, industrialists, politicians, philanthropists, military officials, and academics.

The tobacco magnate F.J. Burrus became a pioneer of corporate responsibility in Switzerland. For example, his company was the first in Switzerland to provide family allowances and corporate pension schemes.