JA Baczewski
| JA Baczewski
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|---|---|
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| legal form | Part of the grandfather Gessler - JA Baczewski Likörgenerung GmbH |
| founding | 1782 |
| Seat | Vienna (until 1945 Lemberg) |
| management | Gessler family |
| Branch | spirits |
| Website | www.Monopolowa.at |
JA Baczewski is a traditional former Polish company named after its founder Józef Adam Baczewski, which originally comes from Lemberg and is known for its vodka "Monopolowa". The origins of the JA Baczewski company go back to 18th century Poland. After the Red Army marched into eastern Poland and Lemberg , the company's headquarters were relocated to Vienna.
history
The Baczewski family is probably of Wallachian origin, whose family coat of arms is Sas . In 1782 a distillery was founded in Wybranówka, a small suburb of Lviv, and operated by the Baczewski family, making it one of the oldest distilleries in the region. In 1810 the spirits factory was taken over by the founder's son, Leopold Maksymilian Baczewski, and the business was relocated to Zniesienie, another suburb of Lemberg. With the rapid growth of the Galician capital, Zniesienie became part of the city and the factory on Żółkiewska Street grew rapidly. The distillery was one of four in Lviv, but it stood out thanks to new technologies. It introduced double rectification two years after it was developed by Aeneas Coffey . The quality of the liqueurs, vodkas and other spirits could be increased significantly. Baczewski's products enjoyed increasing popularity not only in the city, but also in other parts of Austria. Baczewski also supplied the aristocracy and the imperial court. For this, Leopold Maksymilian Baczewski was appointed imperial purveyor to the court in 1810 .
At the end of the 19th century, the company was taken over by Józef Adam Baczewski (1829–1911), great-grandson of the founder. From then on the company was called "JA Baczewski" with its initials. As a graduate of the Polytechnic University of Lemberg and a specialist in spirits production, he renovated and expanded the factory considerably. He started exporting Polish spirits to other European countries such as France, England, Italy and Germany. Józef Adam was one of the first businessmen in Central Europe to make effective use of marketing by filling his export vodka in crystal carafes instead of glass bottles. Over time, all Baczewski products were filled into carafes. During the National Exhibition in Lemberg in 1894, Baczewski's exhibition pavilion was set up in the form of a carafe . This caused a sensation and the pavilion was not only voted the most interesting at the exhibition, but was also the most visited. The marketing strategy also included a comprehensive advertising campaign in the press, on leaflets and posters. Baczewski received several awards for his products at the Exposition Universelle de Paris 1867 , the World Exhibition 1873 in Vienna, Exposition Universelle de Paris 1878 and the Exposition Universelle et Internationale 1900 in Paris.
Józef Adam Baczewski himself took an active part in the political and economic life of Lemberg, he became a generous patron and philanthropist. The former Palais Cieleckich belonged to his property, house 31 at Rynek was the family residence. The current appearance of the building dates from 1923 when it was redesigned by the architect Wiktor Bronisław.
After Józef Adam's death in 1911, the company was taken over by two of his sons, Leopold (1859–1930) and Henryk (1864–1930). Leopold Baczewski was a graduate of the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Vienna , he was active in politics and economics and was holder of the Order of the Iron Crown and the Order of Franz Joseph . Leopold Baczewski was responsible for production. His brother Henryk Baczewski was a lawyer and knight of the Franz Josef Order, he continued his father's marketing strategy. The Baczewski brothers introduced new brands. When Poland regained its independence in 1918, the brothers decided to keep the name "JA Baczewski" and not to add their names or add the abbreviation "Sons". The popularity of Baczewski's spirits in Poland was great and appeared in many Polish books and poems from the time, the “Baczewski” brand became a synonym for vodka.
In the interwar period, the company was managed by Leopold's son, Stefan Baczewski. He decided not to increase the production volume in order to keep prices and quality stable. In order to further market the products, contracts were concluded with two Polish transatlantic liners , the M / S Piłsudski and the M / S Polonia . He was also the first spirits manufacturer to have its products transported by air to Paris, Vienna and Prague since 1930. Stefan Baczewski was the Austrian honorary consul in Poland, his residence was at ul. Pełczyńsnkiej 35. In 1923 an Austrian consulate was opened in Lemberg, one year later Baczewski took over the management, in 1930 he was appointed honorary consul ad personam . He is likely to have exercised this function until the "Anschluss" of Austria to the German Reich in March 1938.
Stickers on the Baczewski vodka compared to the vodka from Smirnoff , whose factory was also in Lviv. The most famous Baczewski products were vodka "Monopolowa" and "Perła".
After the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the factory was bombed by the Luftwaffe during the battle for Lemberg, and according to eyewitness reports, the camps burned for days. After the war, the "Diamant" abrasives factory moved into the remains. The brand's reputation for quality lived on, however, and authors and poets held it in high regard, such as Marian Hemar . Even 30 years after the end of the war, Baczewski products continued to fetch high prices.
The exact fate of the Baczewski family is lost in the turmoil of the war. After the end of the Second World War, Eduard Gessler, owner of "Altvater Gessler " and distant relative, acquired the rights from JA Baczewski. He merged grandfather Gessler with JA Baczewski in "grandfather Gessler - JA Baczewski" with headquarters in Vienna.
Gessler took up the production of Vodka Monopolowa again, initially for consumption in Austria, later also for Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, especially in the USA. Gessler participated in an international fair in Chicago in 1950. After Eduard Gessler's death in 1979, his son Elek Gessler took over the business. In 1980 he converted the company into a GmbH. In 1983, a branch was opened in New Jersey to serve the American market.
After the fall of the Iron Curtain and the opening of the markets in Eastern Europe, a branch of the Polmos company in Starogard Gdański began to manufacture products from "Former Gessler - JA Baczewski" under license. However, this collaboration was discontinued in the late 1990s. Elek Gessler died on May 9, 2008, and was succeeded by Rasiel Gessler.
The international distribution is done by Mutual Wholesale Liquor Inc., based in Los Angeles .
Products
The best-known product from Baczewski is the vodka "Monopolowa". The vodka came from Poland, where it was produced in the early Middle Ages. The name "Monopolowa" can be traced back to the privilege of the 17th century of the nobles who had the monopoly for production.
The Lviv poet Henryk Zbierzchowski (1881–1942) composed the vodka from Baczewski and the product found its way into the art and culture of Lemberg.
Vodka Monopolowa is made according to the old original recipe and improved over the centuries. He has already received several awards in the USA. Austrian potatoes and absolutely pure, soft water are used for processing. "Monopolowa" is a clear vodka with a neutral, mild taste and an alcohol content of 40%. It is suitable for various drinks, such as B. Bloody Mary.
Other Baczewski products are Krupnik , Piołunówka , Malinowa , Wisniówka , Jezinowka , Perła and Bernardine Imperiale .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Magdalena Moraszczyk: JA Baczewski - lwowska legenda. In: Kuchnia. No. 5/2003. July 29, 2003, accessed May 6, 2009 (Polish).
- ↑ Irina Kotłobułatowa: Baczewski, Baczewski ... In: Brama Halicka. Historia - Kultura - Ludzie. No. 7, August-October 1995. Instytut Lwowa. Wydawnictwo "Centrum Europy", May 2005, accessed on May 6, 2009 (Polish): "Every oktawy wielbi Słowackiego, Drugi znajduje cały smak w sonecie, Dla mnie zaś cztery wódki Baczewskiego, Tworzą najlepsiez na świępszy ..."
- ↑ Monopolowa Potato Vodka. (No longer available online.) Beverage Testing Institute , December 10, 2009, formerly original ; accessed on November 4, 2011 : "RATED: 92 points (Exceptional)"
literature
- Witold Szolgini: Tamten Lwów , Volume VI In Rozmaitości
- Wojciech Orliński, In Gazeta Wyborcza , July 12, 2002
