Krakowskie fabryki kafli w drugiej połowie XIX i na początku XX wieku

Abstract

STOVE TILE FACTORIES IN KRAKÓW IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH AND THE EARLY 20TH CENTURIES

In former ages, stoves in Kraków were built by potters. After some time, with a slump in the demand for traditional earthenware, more and more potters began to concentrate on the production of tiles. Their products were usually characterized by folk motifs and often decorated with painted ornaments having incised outlines; the stoves built with such tiles were called “motley” (piec pstry). The earliest instances of such products date back to the second half of the 19th century, while the craftsman recognized as one of the last master producers of traditional tiles is Teofil Michalski (ob. 1886). Apparently this type of production could not meet the demands of a developing city. Since the mid-19th century, stove tile factories began to emerge in Kraków area, producing tiles on an industrial scale. Among the earliest factories were Hoff’s in Dąbie and Steinkeller’s in Podgórze, both looked at in hopes of stimulating the local building industry, including the production of tiles. Established in the 1850s, Herman Bethke’s factory existed until 1869. In the advertisements placed in the press, the factory owner emphasized the good points not only of the stoves his plant produced but also of his workers. The largest and the most important tiled stove factories in Kraków were Maurycy Baruch’s (established in 1867, closed down before World War I) and Józef Niedźwiecki & Co.’s (established ca 1870 and working until ca 1919). Both plants were thriving, hiring outstanding specialists and striving after technically improving their stoves and adjusting their design and tile ornaments to the latest trends. The firms were taking part in exhibitions and shows and carrying out prestigious orders for stoves for public and private buildings. Numerous smaller stove tile plants operated in Kraków as well. In consequence, the people interested in buying a tiled stove had a variety of options to chose from in terms of its size, design, colour, and price. Tiled stoves from the late 19th and the early 20th centuries can be found in buildings in Kraków even today. Many still function as heaters, many others, though already out of use, complement the interior decoration, testifying to the high quality of stoves produced in the city. Unfortunately, a great number of tiled stoves were taken to bits and damaged throughout the past few dozens of years, although some stoves as well as sets of tiles have been saved from destruction and ended up in a museum or in private hands. They are put on display during corresponding exhibitions.