Piotr Steinkeller
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Piotr Antoni Steinkeller (); 15 February 1799 – 11 February 1854) was a German-Polish entrepreneur, banker and pioneering industrialist. He was known as the "King of
Zinc Zinc is a chemical element; it has symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic tabl ...
" and opened the ''London Zinc Works'' in
Hoxton Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, England. It was Historic counties of England, historically in the county of Middlesex until 1889. Hoxton lies north-east of the City of London, is considered to be a part of London's East End ...
in 1837.


Life

Of German origin, he was the son of Józefina (née Frey) and Piotr Steinkeller, descended from
Pomerania Pomerania ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The central and eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, West Pomeranian, Pomeranian Voivod ...
n
nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...
. The family being Roman Catholic, they migrated to the
Tyrol Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...
at the time of the
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
, and later moved to
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
. In mid 18th century, Steinkeller's grandfather arrived in Kraków to open a wholesale business in spices. The family business carried on into the next generation, headed by the following Piotr, who died prematurely in 1813, leaving a widow with 5 children. At that stage Piotr Antoni was sent to Vienna to study international trade and to do an internship in banking. He returned to Kraków in 1818 and took over the management of the family business. From the start he evinced great energy and inventiveness. He proceeded to make local investments in Kraków Free State. In 1822 he bought a mining concession near
Jaworzno Jaworzno is a City with powiat rights, city county in southern Poland in the Silesian Voivodeship, near Katowice. It lies in the Silesian Highlands, on the Przemsza river (a tributary of the Vistula River, Vistula). Jaworzno belongs to Lesser Pol ...
, where he built a coal mine and a
zinc smelting Zinc smelting is the process of converting zinc concentrates ( ores that contain zinc) into pure zinc. Zinc smelting has historically been more difficult than the smelting of other metals, e.g. iron, because in contrast, zinc has a low boiling poin ...
factory that he named "Józefina" after his mother. It became the scene of his broad range of economic interests as he proved himself a pioneer in the industrial field. He made contracts for an uninterrupted supply of raw materials from the
open-cast Open-pit mining, also known as open-cast or open-cut mining and in larger contexts mega-mining, is a surface mining technique that extracts rock or minerals from the earth. Open-pit mines are used when deposits of commercially useful ore or ro ...
zinc mine in
Długoszyn Długoszyn is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Sulęcin, within Sulęcin County, Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland. It lies approximately north-west of Sulęcin, south-west of Gorzów Wielkopolski, and north-west of Zielona ...
and leased further zinc ore deposits in
Byczyna Byczyna (Latin: ''Bicina'', ''Bicinium''; ) is a town in Kluczbork County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland, with 3,490 inhabitants as of December 2021. Etymology The name comes from the Old Polish word ''byczyna'', which means a place ...
. He established a state-of-the-art
Zinc Zinc is a chemical element; it has symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic tabl ...
production-line that employed around 80 people. He was a social innovator in relation to his work-force: he brought in signed work contracts outlining the rights and obligations of both parties and provided accommodation for the workers. For that purpose he erected an estate for his employees – this became the foundation of today's district. He also initiated a scheme to build a miners' hospital in Jaworzno and equipped the first industrial
Fire service A fire department (North American English) or fire brigade (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), also known as a fire company, fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organi ...
in the area.


Expansion in Warsaw

In 1825 Steinkeller resolved to sell the Niedzieliski business and move to
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
, where he settled permanently. There he continued his pioneering economic involvement in several fields. He opened a large
Department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store under one roof, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store mad ...
, imported salt from
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, invested in mining and Steel production in
Dąbrowa Górnicza Dąbrowa Górnicza () is a city in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie, southern Poland, near Katowice and Sosnowiec. It is located in eastern part of the Silesian Voivodeship, on the Czarna Przemsza and Biała Przemsza rivers (tributaries of the Vistula Rive ...
, where exploration of deep mining had just begun at
Zagłębie Dąbrowskie Zagłębie in Polish means coalfield. It can refer to: * Górnośląskie Zagłębie Węglowe, a mining region * Zagłębie Dąbrowskie, a mining region * Zagłębie Sosnowiec, an association football club * Zagłębie Lubin, an association footbal ...
. He established a
Brickworks A brickworks, also known as a brick factory, is a factory for the manufacturing of bricks, from clay or shale. Usually a brickworks is located on a clay bedrock (the most common material from which bricks are made), often with a clay pit, quar ...
in
Pomiechówek Pomiechówek is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Pomiechówek, within Nowy Dwór County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies on the Wkra river, approximately north-east of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki and north-wes ...
and bought a steam-driven mill in Solec in Warsaw. He expanded his zinc interests into large-scale production by leasing government owned tin mines and smelting facilities in
Congress Poland Congress Poland or Congress Kingdom of Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It was established w ...
. He also imported zinc from the Kraków area, controlled then by
Habsburg Austria The term Habsburg Austria may refer to the lands ruled by the Austrian branch of the Habsburgs, or the historical Austria. Depending on the context, it may be defined as: * The Duchy of Austria, after 1453 the Archduchy of Austria * The '' Erblande ...
. Whereas in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
he set up a zinc works to produce galvanised sheeting and from there he developed an international trade in the metal. In 1838 he set up a
Courier service A courier is a person or organization that delivers a message, package or letter from one place or person to another place or person. Typically, a courier provides their courier service on a commercial contract basis; however, some couriers are ...
whose network covered virtually all the main tracts in the Russian-controlled
Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland (; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a monarchy in Central Europe during the Middle Ages, medieval period from 1025 until 1385. Background The West Slavs, West Slavic tribe of Polans (western), Polans who lived in what i ...
and outlying areas, using specialist courier carriages he produced at his Solec depot, known as „steinkellerki" – Steinkeller's
Diligence Diligence—carefulness and persistent effort or work—is listed as one of the seven Seven virtues#Seven capital virtues, capital virtues. It can be indicative of a work ethic, the belief that work is good in itself. : "There is a perennial ...
”. He supplemented these with a river courier service. Until the opening of the Warsaw-Vienna railway of which he was one of the early backers and investors, his messenger network was the chief source of his revenues. Thanks to his efforts, on
Nowy Świat Street ''Nowy Świat'' (), known in English as New World Street, is one of the main historic thoroughfares of Warsaw, Poland. It comprises part of the Royal Route (''Trakt królewski'') that extends from Warsaw's Royal Castle and Old Town, south to K ...
, the main commercial thoroughfare in Warsaw, the road was laid out in timber blocks. He acquired a vast country estate near
Częstochowa Częstochowa ( , ) is a city in southern Poland on the Warta with 214,342 inhabitants, making it the thirteenth-largest city in Poland. It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship. However, Częstochowa is historically part of Lesser Poland, not Si ...
, in an area known as ''dominium żareckie'' or "Żarki domain", including the town of
Żarki Żarki () is a town in Myszków County, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, with 4,556 inhabitants (2019). The history of Żarki dates back to the early 14th century, as the village was first mentioned in documents from the 1320s. For centuries, Żark ...
, and villages like: Jaroszów, Zawada, Leśniów, Przewodziszowice,
Jaworznik Jaworznik is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Żarki, within Myszków County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Żarki, east of Myszków, and north-east of the regional capital Katowi ...
, Ciszówka,
Myszków Myszków is a town in Poland, with 31,650 inhabitants (2019). Situated on the Warta river in the Silesian Voivodeship (since 1999), previously in Częstochowa Voivodeship (1975–1998), it is the capital of Myszków County. Myszków historicall ...
, Nowa Wieś and Warcianna. There he brought in modern agricultural techniques in raising crops and
animal husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, animal fiber, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, management, production, nutrition, selective breeding, and the raising ...
. He also opened a factory to produce agricultural machinery. He was also an active investor and financier. Among his roles were consultant to
Bank Polski The Bank Polski (), sometimes referred to as the "First Bank of Poland" to distinguish it from its 20th-century namesake, was a public bank in Congress Poland. It was created in 1828, initially with a broad scope of activities that soon started s ...
, where he worked closely with
Henryk Łubieński Henryk Jan Nepomucen Łubieński, Pomian coat of arms, (11 July 1793, in Prague – 17 September 1883, in Wiskitki, Poland) – was the scion of a Polish magnate family, landowner, financier, lawyer, early industrialist, economic activist, and ...
, and was a senior consultant to the
Warsaw Stock Exchange The Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) () is a stock exchange in Warsaw, Poland. Founded in 1817, it was located in the Saxon Palace until 1877 when it was moved to the Exchange Building at the Saxon Garden. Currently, it is located at ul. Książęca ...
. The registered office of his business was in the Mniszchów Palace in Warsaw, that had been refurbished for the Warsaw
Chamber of commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...
(Warszawska Resursa Kupiecka), of which Steinkeller was an active member. However, not all of Steinkeller's initiatives were crowned with success. This was due largely to problems of a technical nature. Faith in foreign specialists was sometimes misplaced. Examples of this were his over-reliance on them in the restoration of lead mines in
Olkusz Olkusz ( ''Elkish'') is a town in southern Poland with 36,607 inhabitants (2014). Situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship (since 1999), previously in Katowice Voivodeship (1975–1998), it is the capital of Olkusz County. Olkusz is known for its ...
, or in the production of
Farm equipment Agricultural machinery relates to the mechanical structures and devices used in farming or other agriculture. There are many types of such equipment, from hand tools and power tools to tractors and the farm implements that they tow or operate. M ...
, or importing river barges from England whose draught was inappropriate for Polish waterways. His own financial situation took a turn for the worse towards the end of the 1840s. His indebtedness to Bank Polski, a new management (Łubieński and president Lubowidzki had been removed on charges of
malfeasance Misfeasance, nonfeasance, and malfeasance are types of failure to discharge public obligations existing by common law, custom, or statute. The Carta de Logu caused Eleanor of Arborea to be remembered as one of the first lawmakers to set up t ...
) at the bank and a fire at his Solec works led to his being declared bankrupt in 1849. All his assets in Congress Poland were taken over by Bank Polski. He returned "over the border" to Kraków, where he still owned assets like his brickworks and a roof-tile factory in
Podgórze Podgórze ( German: ''Josefstadt'') is a district of Kraków, Poland, situated on the right (southern) bank of the Vistula River, at the foot of Lasota Hill. The district was subdivided in 1990 into six new districts, see present-day districts o ...
. Not long after he died of a cardiac arrest.


Personal life

Steinkeller was twice married: firstly, to Aniela Anthonin, and secondly to Maria Lemańska. From his first marriage there were four sons and a daughter, Józef, Alfred, Aleksander, Edward and Paulina. There was one son from the second marriage, Henryk Artur. Steinkeller's nephew by his sister, was
Józef Hauke-Bosak Count Józef Hauke-Bosak (19 March 1834 in Saint Petersburg – 21 January 1871) was a Polish general in the January Uprising, and commander of the Polish army in Lesser Poland, the closest collaborator of rebellion leader Romuald Traugutt. He ...
.


Honours

Among his contemporaries he was greatly admired and carried great authority. His appeal to colleagues can be summed up as follows: "aside from his astonishing energy and his enormous zest for industry, he had a solid and honest respect for industry itself, not as a pretext for speculation, not as an asset stripper, but looking out for organic growth for the benefit of the country as a whole." He was awarded; * The
Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus (, ), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under the Congress Poland, Kingdom of Pola ...
III class 1839 * The Order of St. Anna III class 1842 On the 50th anniversary of his death in 1904 a commemorative plaque to Steinkeller was placed in St Peter and Paul church,
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
with the inscription: ''To a deserving Polish industrial pioneer, from his grateful countrymen.''


Bibliography

* Archiwum Państwowe w Krakowie, ''Zespół Wolnego Miasta Krakowa – Akta senatu, wydziału dochodów publicznych, akta górnicze''. * ''Piotr Steinkeller'', w: Polski Słownik Biograficzny, t. XLIII/3, s. 336–342. * Ryszard Kołodziejczyk, ''Piotr Steinkeller kupiec i przemysłowiec 1799–1854'', Warszawa, 1963. * Ryszard Kołodziejczyk, ''Bohaterowie nieromantyczni'', Warszawa, 1961. * Maria Leś-Runicka, ''Piotr Steinkeller – założyciel osiedla Niedzieliska'', „Zeszyty historyczne miasta Jaworzna”, grudzień 1999 nr 1/1, s. 21–23. * Henryk Radziszewski, Jan Kindelski, ''Piotr Steinkeller – dwie monografie'', Warszawa, 1905
wersja elektroniczna
* Stanisław Dziewulski, ''P.A. Steinkeller w 50-tą rocznicę śmierci'', „Ekonomista”, 1904, s. 104 i nast. * Andrzej Kuśnierczyk, ''Bankructwo Steinkellera'', w: „Korzenie”, nr 53. * L. Jenike, ''Piotr Steinkeller'', „Tygodnik Ilustrowany”, 1859, nr 7

. * Piotr Hapanowicz, ''Pierwszy oligarcha. Piotr Antoni Steinkeller (1799–1854)'', „Kraków”, 2008, nr 2-3
wersja elektroniczna
.


References


External links

*
The Annual Register ''The Annual Register'' (originally subtitled "A View of the History, Politicks and Literature of the Year ...") is a long-established reference work, written and published each year, which records and analyses the year's major events, developmen ...
, vol.9, published J. Dodsley 1938

p. 264. Consulted 6 February 2018 * Wójcik, Andrzej J. "CADMIA FOSSILIS – DZIAŁALNOŚĆ PIOTRA STEINKELLERA, POLSKIEGO „KRÓLA” CYNKU", ''Dzieje górnictwa – element europejskiego dziedzictwa kultury'', 5, pod red. P.P. Zagożdżona i M. Madziarza, Wrocław: 2013
p.379-392.
Steinkeller's entrepreneurial activities with an Abstract in English {{DEFAULTSORT:Steinkeller, Piotr Antoni 1799 births 1854 deaths Businesspeople from Kraków Nobility from Kraków Pomeranian nobility 19th-century Polish businesspeople Polish bankers Businesspeople from Warsaw Polish industrialists German social reformers Polish people of German descent Burials at Rakowicki Cemetery 19th-century Polish landowners