Early fiber cement panels used asbestos fibers to add strength. Ludwig Hatschek patented asbestos-reinforced fiber cement in Austria in 1901 and named it "Eternit", based on the Latin term "aeternitas", meaning everlasting. In 1903, Schweizerische Eternit-Werke AG began fabricating the material in the city of Niederurnen in Switzerland. Cellulose-reinforced fiber cement products were introduced 1980s as a safe replacement for the very widely-used asbestos cement products manufactured before that time.
