History

Walter Rüegg, a young stove maker, starts his own business in the village of Zumikon with a brilliant idea. By bicycle and trailer, he visits his customers to install fireplaces and tiled stoves.

By inventing the first closed firebox, the passionate tinkerer turns the fireplace into a highly efficient heat source. He has his revolutionary development patented.

Walter Rüegg develops a fireplace with a vertically sliding glass pane. In an instant, the efficient heat source is transformed into an open hearth that conveys the aroma and comfort of crackling wood.

The move into international markets: after Walter Rüegg turned his visions into innovative products, the success story began far beyond Switzerland's borders. From Germany, France and Austria all the way to the USA, Rüegg products are valued for their outstanding design, first-class quality and high performance.

With the second generation joining the family business, Rüegg combines in-depth expertise in architecture, engineering and craftsmanship. This milestone secures the continuity of its innovative strength and sustainably strengthens the brand's international focus and technical development.

A new view of fire: by inventing the angled glass pane, Rüegg established the prism-shaped fireplace. With this innovation, it broke with conventional design and redefined the aesthetics of modern hearths.

With the construction of the first afterburning system, Rüegg sets new standards in sustainability: the technology increases efficiency to the maximum. At the same time, it reduces wood consumption by 40% and cuts pollutants by an impressive 60%.

With the Planeten line, Rüegg launches a new generation of heating inserts specially optimised for low-energy houses. These powerhouses focus consistently on cosy radiant heat and combine the very highest energy efficiency with an incomparable fire experience.

In the presence of more than 250 fireplace companies from across Europe, Rüegg celebrates its 50th anniversary. This milestone also marks the withdrawal of company founder Walter Rüegg from day-to-day operations and completes the successful generational change within the family business.

With a true world first, Rüegg sets new standards in environmental protection: a highly efficient particulate separator eliminates 60 to 90% of the fine dust produced by wood fires. This innovation makes wood heating even cleaner and underlines the company's pioneering role in ecological combustion technology.

With the Cubeo, Rüegg presents the world’s first and still the only fully tested four-sided fireplace. Thanks to its four glass panels, it offers a spectacular view of the fire from almost 360° and sets new standards in design and technical safety.

With the launch of the Violino, RII and RIII model ranges, Rüegg ushers in the latest generation of fireplace technology. These lines combine aesthetic perfection with the highest technical precision and set new standards in design, efficiency and ease of use for the modern fire experience.

At WORLD OF FIREPLACES in Leipzig, Rüegg presents the new RAS models as the ideal solution for internal chimneys. The unique architecture of this series offers maximum freedom in the individual design of your fireplace and allows seamless integration of wood niches as well as other exclusive design elements.

Rüegg is opening a new chapter and presenting itself with a fresh brand identity. With a clear focus on inspiring end customers with the fireplace experience, the company makes the fascination of fire even more tangible and underlines its role as a driving force for modern living culture.