Schrödinger died over the weekend, aged 92, surrounded by his family. 

Germany-headquartered Leipa described him as “a visionary and entrepreneur of the old school” who was above all a person who cared deeply about his family and his employees. 

In a tribute, the company said: “Like very few others, he always managed to be both a beloved family man and an impressive corporate leader.”

Schrödinger took over the management of the business in 1961 from his father. 

“He has shaped Leipa like no one before him. Many of his decisions, first and foremost the decision to switch to recovered paper as a raw material as early as 1973 and the acquisition of VEB Papier and Karton Schwedt in 1992, have left a lasting mark on the image of our group of companies today and will certainly continue to do so for generations to come. 

“In the spirit of an entrepreneur, he devoted himself not only to the task of working in the company, but above all to working for the company.”

Leipa said there would be a seamless and secure transition into the sixth generation of family ownership, with family members already in place on the group’s supervisory board and management team. 

“With an owning family that stands fully behind the company and will continue the management of the group of companies entirely in the spirit of Dr Schrödinger,” the firm stated. 

Leipa has three mills in Germany and one in Romania. Its product range includes graphic paper, packaging paper, board and flexible packaging. 

The group is celebrating 175 years in business this year.