english version

28-05-2004

12-05-2009

wersja polska

Albert Karol Herman
(Information from Andrey Shalamov from Kharkov)


1. E-mails from Andrey, March 24/25, 2009 – (summary).

I am not sure as to your address and in what language to write? I am engaged in the  genealogy of the family and have found your site. In your family tree you have Albert Karol Herman and you mention Kharkov. Still 3 years ago I knew nothing about my ancestors.  I live in Kharkov and recently have found four surnames which are related to me: Link, Rangenau, Liebelt, Kuhndt and originate from the Evangelical-Augsburg Parafia Wiskitki-Zirardow. They have been deported in 1915 to Kharkov, and from the history of Parafia Zirardow I know that 64 families have been deported (…) into the depth of Russia, far away from a front line, as the unreliable German population. Families Kuhndt, Liebelt, Rangenau and Link got to Kharkov.

After the end of  First World War, approximately in 1921-23 they have returned home in Жирардов, but my grandfather and father Jury Link - which is my godfather, were not let out from Kharkov because of the military duty obligation (обязанныe). That all others have returned during this period in Жирардов, I judge by the date of Metrics delivery a birth of my grandfather.

My Mum became orphan early at the age of 8 years - my grandmother, that is her mother, has died in 1937 and the father, or my grandfather - Ludwih Liebelt (1899 - year of his birth) was subjected to repression by Stalin and has been shot in 1938, ostensibly as the German and Polish spy.

On your site I read the information that you happened to visit Wiskitki and Zirardow.
Perhaps you have some more information?

Andrey

2. Community of Żyrardów – (summary)
(translation from German text – Eduard Kneifel: Die evangelisch-augsburgischen
Gemeinden in Polen 1555-1939; S. 48. GEMEINDE ZYRARDOW.)

Circa the year 1800 Evangelical Germans settled in or around Wiskitki.

Count Feliks von Lubieński, owner of the properties in Guzów (see map) established 11 German villages: Antoniew, Babsche Buden (Babskie Budy?), Bieganów, Felixdorf (Feliksów?), Francisków (Franciszków), Heinrichsdorf (Henryszew?), Josefhof (Jozefow?), Marienfeld (Mariampol?), Moritzin (Maurycew?), Teklin and Zader-Buden (Sade Budy?).

During 1807-1815 new settlements were established in Aleksandria i Benenard, which were most probably founded by a French Captain.

The colonists came primarily from West Prussia, Brandenburg and Silesia (Schlesien).

Initially, the religious care was provided by Fr. Witthold from Iłów. … In 1805 a parish was organized in Wiskitki – it included 180 families. The Parish house burned down in 1822 … the parish priests were changing frequently … during 1836-1855 the Wiskitki parish was administered from (the town of) Łowicz (it was a “Filial”  [a branch] of the Parish in Łowicz). In 1855 the Parish became again independent … In 1872 a Filial (branch) in Karolew was included with Wiskitki. The pastor from Wiskitki visited four times a year the town of Błonie.

The establishment  of the factory settlement in Żyrardow was important for further development of the Parish. In 1833, mechanical weaving machines, recently invented by a French engineer Phillip Gerard, were brought to Guzów on the river Pisia from Marymont near Warsaw. … New settlement was established, which was named Żyrardów – to honor the inventor. There were some difficulties with its development in spite of the financial and credit assistance from the Polish Bank. In 1856, the Company hired Karl August Dittrich and Eduard Hille, who were German Catholic industrialist from Schoenlinde in Bohemia (Boehmen) … The factory attracted workers from the German villages. … In 1890, already 1900 Evangelicals resided in Zyrardow – the religious services from the 6 km distant Parish in Wiskitki were not adequate for them. …

On the initiative of (the Pastor Gustav Gundlach, 1889- 1898), a beautiful gothic church was built at a cost of ca. 50 000 Rbl.. Dittrich contributed 20 000 Rbl. The church was dedicated on September 25, 1898 by the Gen.-Sup. Manitius. … Due to the construction of the church, center of the Community shifted to Żyrardów. … Intensified emigration to the USA diminished the number of members. The Russian-Japanese war and the subsequent Revolution also had a negative influence on the life of the Community.

Resulting from the World War I, only 300 remained from the earlier 4 500 members of the Parish. … Pastor Wosch administered  the Żyrardów Parish.…(Some) deportees to Russia returned in 1918. A French Company took over the Żyrardów factory …

(with a resulting  negative effect on the German community. Next, it follows the description of the inter-war activities).      

3/ E-mail, April, 06, 2009 10:44 PM

Leitner factory – Albert Herman -


Hello Waldemar!

I think it will be interesting to you!!!

On July 10th, 1915 the A.Lejtner's bicycle factory in Riga has received an order to evacuate from Riga to Kharkov, as German armies already approached Riga. The factory received an order from the Main Military -Technical Management (ГВТУ) of the Russian army on delivery of military bicycles and detonators for grenades. On September, 24th, 1915 the property and the equipment "Factories of bicycles and A. Lejtner's cars and Co." have been sent from station Revel in several tens of cars to Kharkov. After that Alexander Aleksandrovich Lejtner has returned to Riga where there was a real estate in the form of a complex of factory cases. To fulfil duties of the director in Kharkov there was Alexander Kasparovich Feldman managing manufacture.

Approximately at the same time, "Dux" receives the large military order for manufacture of airplanes and hydroplanes. Bicycle manufacture pales into insignificance, as almost all capacities have been reoriented on aviamanufacture. The matter is that at this moment the factory remained the unique domestic supplier of aircraft for front.

On February, 9th, 1916 to Kharkov, addressed to Лейтнера (Leitner) from Moscow, was the patent, with the engineering specifications and the sample for manufacture of a collapsible military bicycle of model "Dux Boevoj" of M. M. Shchipanov design, have been transferred.

The front demanded the increasing quantity of велотехники (velocypeds – bicycles) and in ГВТУ the decision was accepted, (with the consent of administration of "Dux" and M.M. ShChipanova), that both largest bicycle enterprises of the country will make “the Boyevoy – the Fighting"

Payment to the inventor of the established sum from each collected bicycle or a frame was a condition of transfer of the patent. On March, 16th the contract on manufacturing 3000 "Duksov Boevyh" for ГВТУ has been concluded.

__________
* http://www.ctrl-c.liu.se/misc/ram/dux.html. Based on former bicycle factory in Moscow, Dux (owned by Yu.A.Meller) was the the largest manufacturer of aircraft in Russia during WWI (1733 built). F.E.Moska was a designer in the factory. Most aircraft were just copies of French aircraft built with (and without, too) license. For example, Dux-monoplane 1912 was identical to Neuport-IV, while Dux-3 differed only by transparent panels in fuselage. Presented are some 'semi-original' models, including significant changes. After October revolution Dux was financed by Bolshevik government following personal order of V.I.Lenin. August 1918 : N.N.Polikarpov became the Technical Division Supervisor on the factory. His division carried out all design, drawing, copying jobs as well as material tests. Production achieved up to one aircraft/day. End of 1918 - started production of the R-1/D.H.-4. The first designer's achievement of N.N.Polikarpov.
 

4/ The History of the Folding Bike http://www.foldingcyclist.com/folding-bike-history.html

Several countries used folding bikes in their military and there were many manufacturers of them starting in the 1890's such as Dursley-Pedersen (England), Faun (England), Fongers (Holland), Peugeot (France), Bianchi (Italy), Leitner (Russia), among others. The most prominent of the military bicycle manufacturers was notably the English company BSA (Birmingham Small Arms). They produced folding bikes by the thousands for WWI and WWII. (...)


Leitner’s folding bike


Map of Riga, 1916

 http://www.1201.lv/maps/1916/

16/18, Mostovaya str. (currently Tilta yela) - registered here on Nov.10, 1909

3, Siemionowskaya str. (currently Simanju yela) - registered here Feb. 3, 1910

5, Gospitalnaja str., (Hospitalu iela), apt.# 32 - last address of Albert and Aniela in Ryga;

Leutner's Factory - 129-131, Alexandrovska (currently 137, Brivibas iela) -

Завод велосипедов Лейтнер и К- ул.Александровская 129-131

Localization of the Leitner's (Leutner's) Factory on the contemporary map of Riga (A) -

to the left and above is Hospitalu iela


The photos of the Leitner (Leutner) factory in Riga

1886 and 1910


1886

1910

http://rigatransport.sitecity.ru/ltext_0911224307.phtml?p_ident=ltext_0911224307.p_1508142720

Cointemporary Photos


Map of Kharkov, 1887

Map fragment – Caritsinskaya street


Recent Russian Post Stamp
Date of Issue 11 December 2008
 

Bicycles - Collapsible military model bicycle "Leitner", 1917


  1. Russian Bicycle Factory of Alexander A. Leitner

The folding military bicycle “Leitner” from the collection of the Polytechnical Museum is a unique example of the Russian pre-revolutionary technology. It was produced in Riga in the factory of bicycles and automobiles “Russia” owned by Alexander Alexandrovich Leitner, who was a pioneer in the production of bicycles in our country. The factory started production in 1886 and at the beginning of the XX. century became a solid enterprise, comparable in size to the majority of European companies.

Leitner’s products distinguished themselves by high quality and dependability, which assured the company high success in entire Russia. The owner, Alexander A. Leitner was not only a well educated and talented businessman, but also a prominent constructor and inventor.

Leitner’s factory started producing the folding military bicycles during the years of WW-I, from February until November 1917, already at the time of its relocation from Riga to Kharkov. It is interesting to know that the technical drawings of the folding bicycle were developed in the Moscow enterprise “Dux” belonging to J.A Meller and were based on the best models of the bicycle developed in the country. “Dux” was also producing bicycles, but in 1917 it was forced to stop their production and to switch to building the aeroplanes. At that time, it sold the entire documentation to the Leitner’s factory.

The bicycles were produced at the request from the Russian Army and had to fulfill several requirements: they should be light, durable, uncomplicated in use and service and allow rapid folding. It can be said that, while achieving these parameters, our domestic model exceeded other foreign ones in military use such as: French bicycle “Peugeot” designed by captain Gerard and also Austrian, German and Japanese models.

Folding mechanism based on the rifle lock design allowed rapid folding in all kinds of circumstances. The same functions performed in analogous foreign models required markedly more time.

Comfortable and low frame of the Leitner’s bike allowed the soldier to shoot while standing up, without the necessity to dismount the bike and its light weight, only 16 kg, allowed transporting, if needed, on the back while fastening the bike with a leather strap attached to its back wheel. Equipping the Russian Army with bicycles of domestic production and the existence of an appropriate base for their production allowed to avoid purchasing this technology from abroad and also to save millions of rubles, what was of extreme importance in those difficult times.

The bicycle from the collection of the Polytechnical Museum is the only surviving complete example of a device produced in the Leitner’s Factory. It can undoubtedly stand in the same row with the best accomplishments of the military bicycle production in the world, what can be easily noticed by every visitor to the Museum.

T. L. Ochlopkova

  1. Lejtner (Leutner) Factory in Riga

(E-mail from Andrey Shałamov – Sept. 25, 2009)

A factory of an enterpreneur Alexander Alexandrovich Lejtner (Leutner) has been established in Riga in 1886. Originally it was a small rented workshop at Gertrudinsky street, where three workers assembled bicycles of a type "Spider". Gradually the enterprise enlarged. The number of workers increased, necessary machines and tools were obtained and a new building at Suvorovsky street has been rented.

On July 1, 1897 the “association on belief” (the Russian variant of a joint-stock company) "Factory of bicycles ‘Russia’ of A. Lejtner and Co" with the authorised capital of 100,000 roubles has been founded. Alexander Lejtner was a chairman of the association and the manager of credits. 194 persons worked at that time at the enterprise, there was a magnificent park of 200 machines and over 1,000 bicycles were produced in a year.

At the beginning of the XX-th century Lejtner took large loans in banks, for building of a new factory, which was secured by the previously purchased land parcel at the Aleksandrovsky street, Nr 129/131. The whole complex of brick three-story buildings in the form of a quadrangle has been constructed, containing the workshops, warehouses for materials and finished goods, galvanic shop, a smithy, shop, a showroom and other premises. An office building, with a facade facing the Aleksandrovsky street, was crowned with a weather vane in the form of a bicycle. (By the way, the whole complex of buildings of the factory survived until now, including the weather vane.)

In 1914 the factory receives the new name – “Lejtner”. Alexander Aleksandrovich felt that he does not need anymore the name "Russia" to attract the buyers – the products of his factory became already known all over the country. He had the full right to give his own name to the factory - after all it was entirely his child.

During the 31 years of its existence “The Factory of Bicycles and Cars ‘Russia’ of A. Lejtner and Co.” progressed from a small handicraft workshop to the enterprise, which was largest in its specialty. In this time more than 100,000 bicycles of 60 models were produced, 5 models of motorcycles and tricycles along with some models of cars.

 T.Ł.Ochłopkowa


Prepared by: Waldemar J Wajszczuk & Paweł Stefaniuk 2009
e-mail: drzewo.rodziny.wajszczuk@gmail.com