Arrabona - Múzeumi közlemények 5. (Győr, 1963)

P. Balázs: The First Industrial Exhibition at Győr in 1846

THE FIRST INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION AT GYÖR IN 1846. The idea industrial exhibitions has started in the second half of the eighteenth century on its triumphal road, beginning with England and France, countries having attained a high degree of industrial development. Unfortunately no industrial exhibition was organized in Hungary until much later, the first one came to being in 1842 only, due to the spirited agitation of L. Kossuth. Before the 1848 revolution two* national and several regional exhibitions followed the example. Among the country towns in the present territory of Hungary Győr was the first to organize an industrial exhibition in 1846. The present study goes further than a mere description of the industrial show at Győr, it gives a thorough analysis of the situation of the craftsmen as well. Without such a survey the „reflected photograph", as the exhibition was called in the contemporary press, would be lifeless and lacking any nuancing. In the nineteenth century city capital has been accumulated mainly bi corn trade. The significant role played by Győr in Hungarian corn and animal trade and the accumulation of commercial capital, considerable even in European relation, was due to the favourable geographical situation of the city in the first place: the mainstream of the Danube being shoaly from Gönyü to Pozsony, its banks being swampy, traffic followed the Moson branch of the river and touched Győr as well. The strength of commercial capital involves the decline of industrial capital as a rule:, Incjuistrial plants established at Győr in the 1840's were partly due to the action of foreign capital, partly to the enterprise of new citizens, settling in the city. Of these generally the enterprises manufacturing agricultural products were destined to survive. Thanks to its developed corporative industry, Győr belonged nevertheless to the most significant industrial centres of the country. In the middle of the nineteenth century more than two thousand people found jobs in the industry of a city with less than twenty thousand inhabitants; we must add the several hundred craftsmen, living in Győrsziget village, separated from the city by an administrative boundary only, being an episcopal possession at that time. The first exhibition of industrial products, organized at Győr in 1846, was an impressive pageant ot this developed corporative industry. The idea of the exhibition originated with the committee of the Győr section of the Society for the Protection of Hungarian Industry; its execution was the merit of the enthusiastic young secretary of the Society, Sándor Lukács. Describing the exhibition, the present paper follows the account of the jury of three members, designated by Kossuth, and the reports of the contemporary press. It surveys the objects exhibited by textile industry, metal industry, chemistry, the manufacturers of ornaments and fancy-goods, leather, skin, fur and wood industry, finally by the makers of musical instruments; it recalls the assessment of the jury and the prizes awarded. It alludes to the history of each branch of manufacture, giving the number of craftsmen, journeyman and apprentices in each case. The participants in the exhibition were awarded 2 gold, 11 silver, 10 bronze medals and 12 diplomas by the jury; 10 persons received acknowledgements. The Győr exhibition was a national success. The number of visitors surpassed nine thousand; having seen the show, L. Kossuth was deeply impressed and he expressed his appreciation. The press echo of the exhibition was favourable too; both local and national newspapers reported on it with acknowledgement. The products of the textile industry were doubtless the most successful in the exhibition. Beside the Hoffmann-Leuschner cloth factory numerous workshops manufacturing linen and cloth have shown their products. The craftsmen of mechanical devices participated in the exhibition with pump engines, ingenious percolators, hunting arms, pendulum cloks and travel watches etc. The ornamental objects of the gold- and silversmiths, the masterpieces of the bookbinders and the like testified the civilized conditions of life and the high cultural requirements of the population. Naturally numerous exhibitors represented the tailoring industry too. The largest area was occupied by the products of the furniture industry; all of them were sold in the first days of the exhibition. Also a number of musical instruments were shown by their manufacturers. Several exhibitors took part in the national industrial show at Pest in the same year; three of them were awarded silver, two of them bronze medals there. 277