The chronicle of Eger Tobacco Factory

The chosen company

meant changing over from the old oval or “flat” filterless cigarette types to circular-shaped cigarette cartridges, and even some filterless brands were given a circular cross-section, too. The system of attaching the filter had to be learned as well, and as for packaging - going over to the new three-layer style of metal foil, paper packet, cellophane must have caused the factory unit’s workers and maintenance staff many a sleepless night.

The decision to move the manufacture of filter cigarettes to the Eger factory unit was one thing, but another important question remained unanswered, namely who would be the man given the task of supervising the installation of the new technology and the long process of training and worker support that this would necessarily entail? The Eger factory’s chief engineer, Lajos Zsíros, was on the point of retirement. After careful consideration of all the candidates brought forward, László B. Lackó, head engineer of the National Consortium, finally decided in favour of the young head of the technical section at the Sátoraljaújhely factory. The position as head engineer at the Eger plant represented a serious challenge, but it was one that the young high-flyer accepted with enthusiasm. As a young husband, he had been waiting six years for a flat in Sátoraljaújhely; the Eger job came complete with a comfortable apartment in the directors’ building. So it was that in January 1964 Domán László came to Eger as the youngest chief engineer in the history of the Hungarian tobacco industry.

The technicians went to the Lágymányos factory to learn the ropes of the new technology. Perhaps in their free time they strolled round the capital trying out its novelties, like the city’s first pedestrian underpass at the Astoria crossroads, for example. Or perhaps they were present at the ceremonial opening of the new Elizabeth Bridge. There may have been some among them who bought tickets for András Kovács’ latest film “Nehéz Emberek”.