Kovács László: Ganz Ábrahám (Öntödei múzeumi füzetek 16., 2006)

Ábrahám Ganz Summary It was at the beginning of the industrial revolution in Hungary, in the middle of the 19th century, that Swissborn iron founder master Ábrahám Ganz arrived in Hungary and set up a foundry, which within two decades developed into one of the most significant enterprises of the country. Ábrahám Ganz was born in Unter-Embrach, Zürich County, Switzerland (where his father was a schoolmaster) in 1814. At the age of 17 he became a founder apprentice in an iron foundry in Zürich, then went abroad to do somé travel, as was customary at the time. He improved his skills in the foundries of Francé, Italy and Austria. It came to his knowledge in Vienna that specialists were required in a rolling mill in Pest. This mill alsó established a foundry and soon Ganz became its manager. At the end of 1844 he left the mill and founded an iron and metál foundry on a site he had bought in Buda. Barely within two years he won a silver medál at a national exhibition for a stove cast by him. In 1848 a revolution erupted against the Habsburgs' oppression and during the subsequent liberation war the Ganz foundry produced gun barrels and balls. After the freedom fighters' defeat a court martial sentenced Ganz to six weeks' imprisonment, but he was later pardoned. The foundry won the title of National Factory in 1852. It started producing chilled-cast railway wagon wheels and Ganz was granted several patents in this area. Soon the chilled-cast wheels gained Europe-wide recognition. In 14 years 100,000 wheels were supplied to 59 railway companies in 7 countries, and won prizes at several international exhibitions. The foundry alsó produced chilled-cast V-pieces for railway switches and crossings. The factory kept expanding. By 1867 it employed 371 workers, produced more than 7000 tons of castings and alsó manufactured machines. The production of the 100,000th chilled-cast wheel was specially celebrated. The workers of the factory presented Ganz with a surprise album, and in turn he gave a silver medál to each worker. His workers were fond of Ganz, whose welfare institutions (factory hospitál, health insurance, retirement fund) were exemplary. Although Ganz kept his Swiss citizenship, he was alsó a loyal citizen of his selected country. He supported Buda's social welfare and religious institutions with donations. He became an honorary citizen of the town. For his remarkable achievements in industrial development he was awarded the Franz Jozef Order. However, the enormous work and worry associated with the development of his factory undermined his health. His condition further deteriorated as a result of a hereditary mentái illness. At the end of 1867 he threw himself off the balcony of his palace and died instantly. After Ganz's death the factory became a joint stock company. It started manufacturing roller mills and later established an electro-technical section. By buying up several factories the company's manufacturing profilé now alsó included railway carriages and ship, making it one of the largest engineering conglomerates in Hungary. After World War II the company disintegrated; there are 25 enterprises currently using the Ganz name. The old factory where the Ganz Foundry was originally established was pulled down in 1964 as part of city planning. Only the chilled-casting foundry was preserved as an industrial monument. Since 1969 it has been housing the Foundry Museum of the Hungárián Museum for Science and Technology, preserving the memory of Ábrahám Ganz, an outstanding figure in the history of Hungárián and European technology.