Adrian Gaertner

Adrian Gaertner (born June 9, 1876 in Thalgau ; † May 11, 1945 in Mittelsteine , district of Glatz ) was a German geologist, mineralogist, physicist and mining entrepreneur and opponent of National Socialism . He was also a member of the supervisory board of the Breslauer Elektrizitätswerk Schlesien AG and a member of the Schweidnitz Chamber of Commerce and Industry .

Life

Adrian Gaertner was a son of the factory owner Nicolaus Gaertner, whose ancestors came from Lorraine . After attending the Salzmannschule Schnepfenthal and a grammar school in Bonn, he studied geology, mineralogy and physics in Munich . In 1894 he became active in the Corps Brunsviga Munich . Admitted on January 17, 1895, he was consenior three times . When Inactive , he moved to the summer semester 1896 at the University of Rostock , where he in 1897 with a thesis on "About Vivianit and siderite in Mecklenburg bogs" for Dr. phil. received his doctorate. He acquired German citizenship and married Kunigunde Linnartz, a daughter of the industrialist Gustav Linnartz, in 1901. At his request, in 1901 he took over the management of the Wenceslaus mine in Mölke, which was acquired by Linnartz in 1897, in what was then the Neurode district in the County of Glatz . His children Ili Cäcilia, Alfred Nicolaus and Adrian Felix were born there between 1902 and 1904.

Wenceslaus Pit

Under Gaertner's direction, the Wenceslaus mine soon developed into the most modern coal mine in Germany. Further by opening up coal fields, the drilling of new wells, plant more efficient transport paths underground , better organization of work and use of modern technology was the annual production of 135,000 in 1901 increased to 1914 to 584,000 tons of coal. The profits generated were reinvested in the company, but also served to increase wages. In addition, other properties were acquired in the County of Glatz and a 10,000 hectare estate in Rytro in Galicia , then Austria , which was supposed to cover the wood requirements of the Wenceslaus mine. For his achievements he was awarded the Technical University of Wroclaw , the honorary doctorate ; the Kaiser Wilhelm Society for the Advancement of Science appointed him a member.

During the First World War , Gaertner took part in the campaign in East Prussia as a cavalry master and adjutant . His father-in-law Gustav Linnartz, who now also moved to Mölke, took over management of the Wenceslaus mine. Before the war, Gaertner had sold his estate in Rytro, Galicia, to Count Potocki .

After the defeat in the First World War, which also resulted in the loss of the Lorraine possessions of Gaertner's father-in-law, there were also workers unrest among the workforce in Mölke. After Gaertner had explained his concept for the future at a works meeting, he was elected chairman of the workers 'and soldiers' council. In addition to wage increases, Gaertner campaigned for better living conditions for workers. An infirmary was set up at the plant and grants were granted for the miners' recreational measures. In addition, he participated in the financing of the Knappschaftskrankenhaus in Neurode . Despite the politically difficult circumstances, Gaertner managed to improve other areas of work. 1919-20 he led electric locomotives on the third floor , which could pull 60 cars h at 20 km /. In 1923 conveyor belts were installed underground and in 1924 attempts were made with the Bergius Pier method . At that time there were 4600 employees. As a result of inflation, Gaertner had to sell the Wenceslaus mine to the Breslauer Elektrizitätswerk Schlesien , but was appointed general manager. Significantly better working conditions were achieved in 1926 when he introduced the complete electrical lighting underground and two years later a fully automatic coal mining in one of the seams . Nevertheless, layoffs were necessary. The Great Depression of 1929 survived the Wenceslaus-pit mines better than others. She suffered a severe blow on July 9, 1930 by a carbonic acid outbreak in which 151 miners were killed. Since neither the E-Werk Silesia nor the Prussian government provided funds for continued operation, the Wenceslaus mine was shut down on January 28, 1931, leaving 2,600 miners unemployed. Adrian Gärtner resigned as general manager on March 17, 1931.

The brick factory in Mittelsteine

To develop new coal fields, Gaertner acquired land in Mittelsteine from Freiherrn Lüttwitz , which also belonged to the Neurode district, but which was merged with the Glatz district in 1932 . Gaertner moved his residence to the Jesuitenhof there. He expanded the associated estate into a model agricultural operation. Since test boreholes only resulted in low-yield seams, he took over a brick factory with a clay deposit on the acquired area . He built these under the company name “Ziegelwerke Mittelsteine ​​Dr. Adrian Gaertner ”into one of the most modern brickworks in Germany. To supply electricity, he acquired English steam engines and reduced transport costs by installing tracks and having his own siding. The product range could be expanded through innovative inventions. Bricks, wall panels, lattice stones, drainage pipes, roof tiles and ridge stones were produced. Since the brickworks had been classified as a vital electricity supplier, it was able to produce until the Wehrmacht surrendered in 1945. During the war, Gaertner had to endure Schickanen from the Nazi regime , above all because of defamation and denunciation by the Mittelstein mayor Lessing, who also prevented the indispensability of important employees and at the same time denounced the good treatment of foreign workers in Gaertner's company.

Persecution by the National Socialists

After Gaertner's son-in-law, Major General Hellmuth Stieff , had been executed on August 8, 1944 for his involvement in the assassination attempt of July 20, 1944 , letters and a memorandum of Gaertner's political burdens were found in his estate. On August 16, Adrian Gaertner and his daughter Ili Cäcilia were arrested and imprisoned in Glatzer Prison. Gaertner's son was assigned to do forced labor in a sand pit and the family property in Thalgau was confiscated. Gaertner was released from prison on September 9, 1944, and his daughter was released on November 10, 1944. On December 9th, 1844, Gaertner was arrested again by the Gestapo and held for five months in Glatzer prison, where he was repeatedly interrogated but, according to his own statements, treated correctly. He had permission to write and was allowed to speak to family members and company managers. Three weeks before the end of the war, Gaertner was released from prison on April 20, 1945. One day later, the mayor of Mittelstein Lessing committed suicide. Gaertner then set up a provisional municipal administration in Mittelsteine ​​and appointed Wilhelm Bittner as mayor.

End of war and transition to Poland

When the Red Army occupied Mittelsteine on May 9, 1945 , Gaertner was treated politely by them. On May 11, 1945, he was called to an attack. When he arrived at the scene, he was shot by newly arrived, pillaging Poles. His funeral took place under the protection of a Russian guard. His house with the valuable furnishings was looted. Gaertner's widow and her grandson Peter were expelled in 1946 like most Germans . Gardener's grave was devastated.

With the support of Polish friends, Gaertner's grandson Peter succeeded in transferring his grandfather's bones to the former cemetery at Mittelstein Church on May 29, 2004. Former and present residents of Mittelsteine ​​/ Ścinawka Średnia took part in the funeral with a solemn act. The tombstone contains a bilingual inscription:

"Firm in faith
Courageous in the fight against oppression and injustice
Selfless in service for his fellow human beings
Significant for business and trade Committed
to friendship and reconciliation
between Germany and Poland"

Awards

• Iron Cross II. And I. Class, in the First World War
• Dr.-Ing. E. h. of the Technical University of Wroclaw

Fonts

• The plight of the Lower Silesian mining industry, its causes, consequences and elimination , Waldenburg, 1913.

literature

• Horst-Alfons Meißner: Dr. Adrian Gaertner - entrepreneur, mining pioneer and opponent of the Nazi state . In: The Grafschaft Glatz between 1918 and 1946 - Articles about a Silesian cultural landscape , Münster 2012, pp. 223–231.
• Peter Gaertner: Dr. Adrian Gaertner. Man and entrepreneur. In: AGG communications. Bulletin of the Working Group Grafschaft Glatz - Culture and History , Volume 2/3 (2004), pp. 45–46.
• Gaertner, Adrian . In Robert Volz: Reich manual of the German society . The handbook of personalities in words and pictures. Volume 1: A-K. Deutscher Wirtschaftsverlag, Berlin 1930, DNB 453960286 , p. 516.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Corps list of the Brunsviga Munich
2. ↑ Kösener Corpslisten 1960, 105 , 78.
3. ↑ Rostock matriculation portal ,
4. ↑ Acquired in 1897
5. ↑ epitaph