A great acoustician is quiet

Per V. Brüel passes away on 2nd April 2015

Co-founder of sound and vibration company Brüel & Kjær, Per V. Brüel, has passed away just a month after celebrating his 100th birthday.

Born in Copenhagen on 6 March 1915, Per Brüel ‘s family expected him to become a forester. However, he showed a knack for technology and studied engineering at the Danish Technical University, where he met Viggo Kjær. After graduation, the pair decided to follow their shared dream of starting an engineering firm.

At this time sound and vibration was not on the agenda of industry; as a result Per became 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.”

Through the second half of the 20th century, Brüel & Kjær grew to become the world’s largest specialist in sound and vibration solutions.

In 1992, the duo sold the company and then went on to pursue other ventures. Per continued his work in acoustics as a consultant and lectured 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.

Per was active and energetic right to the end, as demonstrated by his 100th birthday, which was celebrated in style, with nearly 100 guests at his home north of Copenhagen.