Historical Overview of the Development of the Rijeka Paper-mill

Abstract

The history of one of the first and most important paper-mills in Croatia begins in the industrially distant year of 1821 in Rijeka. Thanks to courageous investments and propelling power modernizations, the factory grew and gained reputation on the European and world scene. The credit for impressive business results goes to the visionaries starting with the fi rst owner Andrija Ljudevit Adamich, subsequent owners and managers Charles and (later also) Henry Meynier, and especially Eugene Frémont. The development of the factory affected the development of the cities of Sušak and Rijeka, especially in terms of electrifi cation, but also the living standard of the citizens. At the peak of its production more than a thousand workers were employed in the factory, and the yearly output exceeded 8000 tonnes. The paper-mill experienced severe damages several times during its 180 years of working life, both floods and fire, but the fatal shock that the factory could not survive was the economic one in 2005.

Keywords

• the Rijeka paper-mill
• historical overview
• industrial paper production
• innovations and capacities
• world reputation