American Detroit is associated with the great automotive industry. What if history had taken a slightly different turn? And Lubieszewo became one of the centres of car production, not in the world, but in Europe?
Lubieszewo, a village with centuries of tradition
The history of Lubieszewo dates back to the Middle Ages. To this day, the village is famous for its historic Gothic church and wooden architecture, including wooden arcaded houses. Some people also know that the Mennonite cemetery located in today’s Stawiec was located in Lubieszewo before the war. The history of the village is extremely rich, but not all of its pages have been discovered yet. One of them is the history of the automotive industry tycoon in Prussia, Franz Komnick.
The beginnings of a career in Lubieszewo
Franz Komnick was born in Tropiszewo, a small village located in the Malbork Low Lands in the commune of Lichnowy. It was there that as a young boy he learned blacksmithing in his father’s shop. After earning the rank of journeyman, Komnick decided to set off into the world to gain additional skills. He gained experience in large metal industry plants in Berlin, Hanover and Düsseldorf. In the evenings, he attended mechanical engineering courses. Finally, in 1883, he obtained the title of master blacksmith.
With the title and the money he earned, Komnick decided to return to the Low Lands. However, he did not open a plant in his home village. The 26-year-old Komnick chose was Lubieszewo. The small machine shop was located in rented premises and employed a total of 6 people, including Franz.
Lubieszewo cemetery, photo: Ł. Kępski
It was in Lubieszewo that Komnick’s great career began. In his plants, he produced modern agricultural machines, which were famous for their reliability and solid workmanship. This translated into their popularity among the farmers of the Low Lands.
However, Franz Komnick gained real fame only after the flood in 1888. It was then that the extremely technically advanced and effective steam pumps manufactured in his plant helped to prevent even greater destruction. Komnick gained the recognition of the emperor himself.
Two pumping stations built at that time, using pumps manufactured by him, have survived to this day. One of them is located in Rozany (Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship), while the remains of the other with a chimney visible from a distance is in Rozewo.
Motoring tycoon
The fame and growing demand for Komnick’s products meant that he had to look for a new headquarters for the company. Initially, he moved the plant to the region called the Greater Poland. One town, Lwowek near Poznan, turned out to be insufficient for the expansion plans. Finally, in 1897, Franz Komnick purchased the Hotop agricultural machinery factory in Elblag, which was in decline. This was the moment that can be considered a turning point. Komnick began investing in many different ventures, including: production of silicate bricks, which allowed us to make a fortune.
When did the idea of producing cars come about? Did it happen in Lubieszewo? It is not known. At the beginning of the XXth century, Franz Komnick entered the automotive industry with full enthusiasm. The cars he produced took part in long-distance rallies and enjoyed huge popularity in Germany and Russia, among others. He himself gained enormous fame and is considered one of the pioneers of the automotive industry.
And what about the plant in Lubieszewo? The Komnick’s Forge still existed after the war and was used by blacksmiths after World War II. However, over time, as the profession faded away, it fell into disrepair.
