Karl Schmoll von Eisenwerth (industrialist)

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Karl Schmoll von Eisenwerth (born February 11, 1852 in Mannersdorf am Leithagebirge , Lower Austria; † May 7, 1936 in Vienna ), also known as Karl von Schmoll or Carl Schmoll , was an important Viennese entrepreneur during the monarchy , a leader in the Manufacture of leather , weapon and hoof preservation greases and cleaning agents for leather and especially with his "Schmoll-Pasta" achieved great popularity. His company was located in the 18th district of Vienna, Währing .

history

Karl Schmoll was the son of Josef Ludwig Schmoll von Eisenwerth (born August 19, 1807 in Vienna) and Josefa geb. Schulz, who married in Mannersdorf in 1843. He was born in Mannersdorf in house no. 14 (today Hauptstrasse 23). At the time, his father was the kk Finanzwacht-Kommissar in Ebreichsdorf and a councilor and master baker in Mannersdorf. Karl Schmoll's siblings were Josef (* March 19, 1845), Barbara (* September 22, 1846), Ludwig (* September 21, 1847), Julie (* March 12, 1845) and Franz (* January 16, 1858) . The family, whose name was actually Schmoll called Eisenwerth , called themselves Schmoll von Eisenwerth without justification . It was not until 1910 that the Württemberg Ministry of Justice approved the use of the name Schmoll von Eisenwerth as a real name for his relative and namesake, the artist Karl Schmoll von Eisenwerth (since 1924 also a landowner in the Austrian Easter mountain near Braunau am Inn).

Karl Schmoll left Mannersdorf to study at the commercial school in Vienna. After completing his studies, he worked as an office clerk at various banks and did his military service in the Austro-Hungarian Field Artillery Regiment No. 7. He then worked as a works manager and accountant at the Kaltenleutbaren lime union . In 1882 he married Leopoldine Gruber (born August 28, 1858). He joined the chemical-technical company Ruß & Co., where he later became managing director.

The production of preservative fats and leather polishes in the late 19th century was not one of the industries that required large, factory-sized facilities. Nevertheless, this branch recorded increasing sales from year to year and became important for the national economy. The manufacturer of preservative fats and leather polishing agents was increasingly dependent on the trust of consumers, who were not able to check the composition and the quality and suitability of such products. But in no other branch of manufacture were so many counterfeits and inferior products found as in this one.

Leather polishes in particular were usually obtained from abroad, for example from England. Karl Schmoll recognized the domestic demand and developed his own shoe polish, which later became one of the most recognized brands in this area.

In 1884 he founded his company on Vienna's Währinger Gürtel in Czermakgasse 2 (today Leo-Slezak-Gasse). In 1892 he began selling leather cleaning agents made from pure fatty substances, which he produced on the basis of the process he had invented, while until then he had only supplied cleaning agents, preservatives and leather varnishes for the military.

This new product soon gained widespread use under the name “Leather Putzpasta”. Especially in the army it was used for cleaning the team and horse sling gear. The company received high decrees from the Imperial and Royal War Ministry and the Imperial and Royal Defense Ministry , as well as letters of appreciation from the Imperial and Royal corps and department commanders for the goods delivered.

Advertisement from Karl v. Pout (1903)

But not only the leather plaster paste for military purposes, also the plaster pastes for shoes made of yellow leather, patent leather, chevreau and goat leather enjoyed an excellent reputation not only domestically, but also abroad, where the company was aiming for a brisk export despite unfavorable customs conditions . Von Schmoll also took part in various international exhibitions, such as the 1903 exhibition in Athens. The company received several awards for its products, including gold medals in 1885 and 1887 at the industrial exhibitions in Linz, in 1889 at the First National Exhibition of Croatia and Slavonia, in 1894 at the International Exhibition for People's Nutrition, Army Food, Rescue Services and Transport, 1888 and 1898 Jubilee medals, in 1896 at the industrial exhibition in Wels and in 1902 at an international exhibition in Paris.

The rapid growth of the company made it necessary to enlarge the factory, which then extended to Martinstrasse 12, 13, 20, 22, 24, 27, 28 and 30. A turpentine refinery for the production of one of the main raw materials was opened in Pernitz in Lower Austria.

In addition to his Schmoll pasta, he also developed a protein concentrate feed for horses, which was also very successful. Due to his merits and achievements, Karl von Schmoll was appointed supplier to the imperial court in 1902.

In 1907 he began to bring artificial marble and artificial stone floor tiles called "Ceolit" onto the market, the production of which also took place in Währing. The company also offered care products for furniture, floors and baking powder.

Schmoll-Pasta Logo
Hungarian advertisement for pout pasta (1931)

The First World War and the collapse of the monarchy in 1918 hit the company hard, as large parts of the sales market collapsed and many production facilities were now abroad. Nevertheless, Schmoll managed to stabilize his company. In 1920 the company was converted into an open trading company, his two sons Karl (born January 3, 1883) and Max (born August 6, 1885) and the husband of his daughter Friederike (born March 13, 1888) joined the management. The company's products were made known in Central Europe with a wide-ranging advertising campaign in the media and with e-mails.

Schmoll was also honored by the Republic of Austria, in 1927 he was given the title of Kommerzialrat and in 1932 he was awarded the Gold Medal of Merit for his successful business. Even in old age, Schmoll was still active, in 1932 he applied for a patent for the lid lifter, shaped like a wing nut, for his Schmollpasta jar. After his death, his sons took over the management of the company.

Continuation of the operation

The company was able to survive the Second World War, but immediately after the war it had to deal with major shortages of raw materials and materials. The companies behind the Iron Curtain were nationalized and the market in neighboring countries was lost again. Meanwhile, the company also had to struggle with increased competition. New products such as “Solo” were developed and marketed, but the decline was unstoppable.

In 1968, the German company Werner & Mertz (Erdal) Schmoll bought up, only to stop production here a year later.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Karl von Schmoll. In: Anniversary number of the imperial Wiener Zeitung 1703–1903. Supplement commercial part. Alfred von Lindheim. Druck und Verlag KK Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna, August 8, 1903, p. 76 , accessed on August 24, 2009 .
  2. ^ W. Filek-Wittinghausen:  Schmoll (von Eisenwerth) Karl. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 10, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1994, ISBN 3-7001-2186-5 , p. 342.
  3. ↑ A biographical sketch
  4. ↑ JA Schmoll called Eisenwerth :  Schmoll von Eisenwerth Karl. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 10, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1994, ISBN 3-7001-2186-5 , p. 342 f. (Direct links on p. 342 , p. 343 ).

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Schmoll von Eisenwerth, Karl
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Schmoll, Karl von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian industrialist
DATE OF BIRTH February 11, 1852
PLACE OF BIRTH Mannersdorf am Leithagebirge , Lower Austria
DATE OF DEATH May 7, 1936
Place of death Vienna