Franz Philipp Karl Friedrich Weber was born the youngest son of the Weber family on May 24th, 1855 in Schwarzenbach, Bavaria. Franz Karl Weber passion for the toy industry had early been on the horizon. For his commercial training he chose the Toys Export Company Ullmann & Engelmann.

At the age of 24 Franz Karl decided to leave his hometown Fürth to go abroad. His first stop was Zurich, where he visited his brother Conrad and his wife. Originally, he had not though of staying there and always planned to travel on. Nevertheless, he worked several years for the chemist’s shop Fisler in Zurich. 1881 he left the company to open his own toy shop.

To stand out from other companies of the name “Karl Weber”, he changed his given name Karl to Carl. After a long search, Franz Carl finally found a suitable location for his shop – at Bahnhofstrasse 48. At that time the Bahnhofstrasse was still a new street far outside Zurich’s main shopping area. For that reason and because there had already been two well-established toy shops in Zurich, nobody thought Franz Carl would last too long.

But Franz Carl Weber did not lose his heart. Being a toy industry expert he always ordered the best and most beautiful novelties in Nuremberg, which soon helped him to gain ground. One of the first articles sold in the new shop was a "Gampiross" (Swiss for rocking horse). His brother Konrad took this a happy omen. So the rocking horse was integrated into the company sign FRANZ CARL WEBER.

The business boomed and after only 9 years the original shop floor became too small. Franz Carl decided to buy real estate at the Bahnhofstrasse 62, where FRANZ CARL WEBER is still based today.

Franz Carl Weber died 1948 at the age of 93 ½. His business has been continued over three generations, first by his son and later by his grandson.