Quick Facts
Biography
Dr Frederik Paulsen Sr (born Friedrich Paulsen, 31 July 1909 in Dagebüll – 1997 in Alkersum) was a Medical Doctor and the founder of Ferring Pharmaceuticals.
Friedrich Paulsen was born in the tiny port hamlet of Dagebüll on the North Frisian coast. Both his parents originated from the neighbouring island of Föhr.
In 1933 during his studies in Kiel, Paulsen suffered harassment and threats from National Socialists due to his political beliefs. Therefore, he fled to Malmö, Sweden via Basel in Switzerland to avoid his internment at a concentration camp. In Sweden, whose citizen he became in 1941, he laid the foundation for the establishment of FERRING (1950) by his research on hormones and their synthentical production. Upon accepting the Swedish citizenship he changed his given name Friedrich to Frederik.
After his withdrawal from the company's management he died in 1997 at the age of 87 in Alkersum on Föhr. His son Frederik Paulsen Jr is the current chairman of Ferring Pharmaceuticals.