Die kameralistische Tuchmanufaktur in Apatin, 1764–1771 / The Cameralist Cloth Factory in Apatin, 1764–1771

Abstract

After the end of the Seven Years' War and the loss of the Silesian goods and factories, the Empress Maria Theresiastrove to stimulate industry throughout the entire Empire. Another fundamental aim was to use economic reformsto encourage unity within the Empire and improve the living conditions of the people. A second wave of intensecolonization began in the south-eastern reaches of the Empire. Foreign settlers coming in from the West, withtheir experience in the farming and manufacturing industries, would prove highly beneficial to the Kingdom ofHungary.Starting in 1763, the resettlement of the Bačka (Bacica) region was led by Anton von Cothmann, CourtCounsellor and Director of Salt Mining in the Kingdom of Hungary. He was supported by his secretary Wolfgangvon Kempelen. In the same year Franz Anton Moderfeldt was tasked by the Empress with forcing the inhabitantsof the Bačka (Bacica) region to grow dye plants such as woad and madder. Moderfeldt had been a tax collectorin Silesia and after the war had moved to Vienna with his family. He claimed to be experienced in textilemanufacture, which was the decisive reason behind him being sent to Apatin to arrange what was required inthat area. Moderfeldt founded a small cloth factory and employed a large number of willing workers. He was notgreatly concerned about financial performance, the quality of the products, or whether he could sell them, as hehad received a substantial amount of state capital, which he now used as he saw fit.When Cothmann and Kempelen arrived in Apatin during their inspection tour in the mid-1760s, they wereastonished to find this small factory in operation because, as Kempelen established in his 1771 report, it had notbeen officially sanctioned. However, because the factory was already so advanced in production, it was decidedto allow it to continue, albeit under severe restrictions. Moderfeldt paid no attention to the demands of theHungarian Court and continued working in the manner to which he was accustomed. After his sudden deathHeinrich Stredula took over the management of the factory. He was another man who had little notion of how torun a factory. When the problems began to get out of hand, the President of the Hungarian Court, Grassalkovich,after consultation with Vienna, replaced Stredula with Wolfgang von Kempelen as the new director in November1767. Due to work commitments, it was only six months later that Kempelen was able to travel to Apatin, takestock and reorganize the company. The cloth factory was kept running but the cotton spinning mill, linen weavingmills and flax production were shut down, as was cultivation of the anillo or indigo plant. Instead, Kempelenordered the cultivation of the dye plants woad and madder, as well as hemp, because these plants were well suitedto the climate in the area. At the same time the growing of mulberry trees was encouraged for the rearing ofsilkworms. This particular branch developed comparatively well in the following years. The construction of newfactory buildings was even considered.Despite this new direction and the more promising situation, the losses incurred by the factory continued toincrease and more and more grants from the state to survive. Kempelen had to concede that he was unable tomanage a factory when his official duties required him to be in Bratislava. He set about finding a new director andfound one in Julius von Weissenbach. Weissenbach began in his new position in 1769. With a great deal of effort,and yet another financial boost from the Empire, Weissenbach began to restructure the factory; working practiceswere simplified, work-shy employees were dismissed and the quality of the goods was improved. Weissenbachproved himself to be precisely the right man to take over the management of the factory and rectify its shortcomings.In 1770 the factory buildings flooded, leading to a lengthy halt in production. With his cleverly targetedwriting, an anonymous informer made the most of this opportunity to sabotage all the well-managed tradingoperations and pending orders (placed in advance due to the good quality of the cloth). At this point the officialsin Vienna began to react. The report of a specially-formed expert commission attested to the leadership qualities ofWeissenbach and refuted the false charges. One bone of contention however concerned the debts which amountedto over 50000 florins. In Vienna none of those responsible wanted to invest in the factory any more. Grassalkovichused this to his advantage and allowed the factory in Apatin to close without further ado one year later. Despiteall the difficulties, he saw in Apatin a company that could nevertheless pose a threat to his newly-founded textilefactory in Hatván. In May 1772 Julius von Weissenbach submitted a final report concerning the closure of thefactory. A loom was gifted to each weaver who wished to continue working independently, and the majority of theremaining materials and equipment were transported to Hatván. Weissenbach looked after every single employeeand strove to ensure that they each found a new place of work. The newly built factory buildings were laterconverted into homes for officials.