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The sugar mill and refinery in Łyszkowice was a factory functioning between 1850 and 1949 in Łyszkowice, a village in central Poland.

The complex was a product of the 19th-century process of industrialization of rural areas in post-partition Poland. Continuously modernized, it became one of the biggest and most efficent examples of sugar industry in the Kingdom of Poland.



Foundation
The location of Łowicz County administration in Łyszkowice was followed by a decision to found there an industrial complex. Mainly due to the incompetence of court officials, the construction as well as later operation proceeded rather ineffectively. Originally intended as a factory housing production of linen and silk textiles along with ironmongery, the factory served its initial purpose for less than three decades.

The end of the 1840s marked a turning point in the history of industry in Łyszkowice. Herman Epstein (son of Jacob Epstein), a prominent banker and entrepreneur, accompanied by his partners Mieczysław Epstein, Leon Epstein, Meyer Berzhon, Adam Wołowski and Maurycy Blum, began negotiations with the County administration. As a result, on 11 November 1850 an act was signed, giving them on a 30-year lease the factory complex along with a part of the village. On that day, the company Spółka Udziałowa Fabryki Cukru z Buraków i Rafineria w Łyszkowicach (En: Shareholding Company of the Beet Sugar Factory and Refinery in Łyszkowice) was established.

Prosperity
Between 1851 and 1852 the company produced 464 000 rubles worth of sugar, providing employment for 480 workers. it was a resounding success, considering the raw material used for production originated entirely from the leasehold land. However, the factory's own harvest did not meet its throughput. Hence, in the face of widespread wariness among locals, a search for external suppliers began. It was only after the considerable financial profits became palpable that public opinion shifted.

In 1863, in a process of thorough modernization, the use of coal superseded the old heating system and new methods of water treatment were implemented. The result - a doubled output, ranked the factory among the biggest and most efficent beet sugar factories of that time. In the 1860s the value of the premises and the equipment of the state-of-the-art factory equaled approximately 400 000 rubles. All the while, their participation in world's fairs in Moscow and Paris bore the fruit of a gold and a silver medal.

Decline
The turn of the 20th century witnessed a crisis in the sugar industry. The poor financial situation of numerous sugar factories resulted in a lack of new investments and a sharp deterioration in the level of working conditions. Production halls were crammed with worn out equipment, which resulted in the need for manual work. It was not until a few years before the outbreak of World War I that the factory returned to its former condition.

By that time, the shareholding company had transformed into a joint-stock company Towarzystwo Akcyjne Fabryki Cukru I Rafinerii – Łyszkowice (En: Sugar Mill and Refinery Joint-stock Company - Łyszkowice). Among its founders were Leon Epstein, Mieczysław Epstein, Aleksander Kraushart, Zygmunt Ryszczewski, Marhias Bersohn and Jan Bersohn. Annual income in the 1910s would oscillate in the region of 500 000 rubles, while the number of employees equalled ca. 300, bringing the factory's old glory back for a brief period.

Under the German occupation of Poland during World War I the factory remained closed. After its reopening in 1916 efforts were made to restore the industrial complex. In 1920 a narrow-gauge railway was built, allowing a cut in cost of materials. The expensive investment, numerous loans taken out to cover war damage, and the country's unfavourable policy caused a considerable decrease in the company's stock capital and exacerbated its debt.

Closedown
The entire industrial complex was sold to the State Treasury on 12 February 1926. The main creditor, Henryk Roseberg, bought the factory at auction the same year. On 19 July 1929 he founded Łowickie Zakłady Przemysłowe, Cukrownia i Rafineria “Irena” (En: Łowickie Industrial Plants, Sugar Mill and Refinery “Irena”). Continuous modernization works, taking place throughout the 1930s, allowed the factory to draw its last breath.

The series of investments was disrupted by the outbreak of World War II. The production, however, continued until 10 October 1940, when the factory was confiscated by the General Governorate.

Despite proof that larceny took place under the Governorate's rule, the reasoning behind the decision to liquidize remains unclear. According to the official story, the factory was closed down in 1948 due to unprofitability. However, that was not reflected in the documentation. The actual cause seems to be of a political nature; allegedly, the new authorities were punishing the workers for participation in the Home Army.

Building
The laying of a cornerstone in 1822 preceded the erection of over a dozen buildings forming a reversed letter “F” shape.



Two neighboring residential buildings were named after their shape (Podkowa (En. horseshoe)) or later function (Mydlarnia (En. soap shop)). These are the only preserved elements of the early 19th-century factory complex, and appear in the Register of objects of cultural heritage.