THE HISTORY OF MANFRÉD WEISS and early days of Hungarian bicycle culture
Stay tuned for the introduction of a fascinating personal story of the Lord of Gunpowder
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Comments
Can't wait -I'm sure it will be a doozy!
Lord of Gunpowder: Manfréd Weiss (1.)
During the I. World War the entire country collapsed: „two things were working: the overall heroism of our son's and the production capacity of Manfréd Weiss” - according to István Tisza (Hungarian PM at the time).
The legendary weapons manufacturer managed to build out of nothing one of Europe's largest steel industry and military supply complexes. What was the secret of this grumpy, workaholic and certainly genious businessman?
Quickstart
The industrialist's grandfather immigrated from Czech territories to Hungary. He had a pipe manufacturing workshop in Rumbach Sebestyén street, Pest. Manfréd's father, Adolf was trading plum jam and was very successful. The family strategy played a crutial role in rising through the ranks. Manfréd will follow the code of benefitial marriage. Adolf married Éva Kánitz, the descendent of a highly respected family of Óbuda. Their youngest offspring, Manfréd was born in 1857 and joined his brother's Berthold's business already with 20.They soon made a big deal: in 1878 the Monarchy of Austria-Hungary occupies Bosnia-Herzegovina in need of military supplies (food, grain, ammunition and materials for constructions), which were delivered by smaller companies the state had a contract with such as the Weiss family. The legend of Manfréd Weiss starts here: decades later his name was still circling on the corridors of the Ministry of Defense, acknowledging the logistical capabilites and dexterity of this 20 year old man. As soon as big quantities of cheap wheet started to pour in to Europe from North America this almost destroyed the Hungarian market. Manfréd Weiss saved the the company's accumulated wealth by buying property. He had a good sense for choosing two pieces of land, which will soon be worth several times more: the strip of land between today's Andrássy avenue / Jókai tér and Nagymező street in Budapest as well as the southern section of a part of town later to be called Újlipótváros; a huge territory between nowadays Margit híd (Margaret bridge) and Vígszínház (Theatre Víg).
Source material: http://magyarzsido.hu/index.php?option=com_exhibition&view=detail&unit_id=2&id=23&Itemid=61&tmpl=detailpage
Original title: A lőszerkirály: Weiss Manfréd
Lord of Gunpowder: Manfréd Weiss (2.)
Tin cans and ammunition
The Weiss Brothers had again a new company policy on it's way by 1882 and were about to open their canister factory. By analysing this process we can again trace the typical Manfréd Weiss aspects: good planning, openness and a straight attitude. The brothers already were planning for some time to open a factory and after careful consideration they settled with the concept of the food industry. Suddenly Weiss got news that the Hadügyminiszérium is considering to set up a canister production plant, so Manfréd Weiss immeditaley acted: before anyone else he has sent a goulash-can sample to Vienna, which was in fact created hastefully in a totally inappropriate workshop unable for large scale produce. The presentation was a big success and the Weiss's got the permission. Their factory was flawless rightaway and being open the a great variety of new products they widened out the spectrum of production. They for instance produced the predecessor of nowadays Nescafé, the liquifiable powder coffee in large quantities. They profile changed fast by starting to create besides tin cans also bullet shells, bottles for the military and other similar supplies. Although in the beginning this was anything but lucrative, Manfréd Weiss kept on pumping money for developement into the projekt. His strategy spanning over decades didn't consider the actual demands, but always focused on adapting to future needs, and thus he was willing to take in consideration a few losses. He meanwhile became part of a wider circle including the founding of Magyar Ipari és Kereskedelmi Bank (Hungarian Industrial and Commerse Bank),
due to which he gained major benefactors.
Source material: http://magyarzsido.hu/index.php?option=com_exhibition&view=detail&unit_id=2&id=23&Itemid=61&tmpl=detailpage
Original title: A lőszerkirály: Weiss Manfréd
Lord of Gunpowder: Manfréd Weiss (3.)
From shed to industrial giant
By early 1890 the company outgrew the factory in Pest. A serious explosion further convinced Manfréd Weiss to continue production rather elsewhere, most likely in a less populated area.
Csepel island to the south of the capitol seemed like a more suitable location: it was close to Budapest and the property as well as the labourers were cheap. In 1892 they moved Weiss Industries and started to pay more attention to weapons manufacturing. In the following two decades this little village grew into one of Europe's heavy industry centers, named by contemporaries only „csepeli csoda” (the wonder of Csepel). The size of the factory grew exponentially. While it was launched in 1893 with only 150 employees, by 1917 already 27.000 people were working in 3 shifts. Main product became ammunition: during the third year of the I. World War the factory almost produced 330 million infantry and artillery shells.
Meanwhile the company's specialists were constantly monitoring the global market and were keen on investing into a new product, concept, license in case the boss found it interesting enough. Due to this approach they started to build field ovens and metal bars neccessary for modern architectual achievements.
There were multiple reasons behind the unprecessedent scale of developement. One aspect was the strategy with which Weiss was able to handle the economic crisis. During the recessions returning in cycles around 1900 as well as during the early 1910s he always escape into the future: experimenting with new products or expanding the spectrum of production. He was certain about that during the developement of anything new one will face unavoidably hard circumstances. But if these difficulties are met during periods of recession with a narrowed down market, he will already be ready with another plan by the time the market is recovering so he can ride the waves of recovery.
This also needed the key element that Weiss was able to realise what the next hit of consumer item will be. „I know, and everyone else knows that my industrial compund was much more grandieur than what peaceful times need” – he said to writer Sándor Bródy in his only interview he has ever given during his life. „Well known experts shook their heads and they even said: this won't be in demand. It was eventually and I had great pleasure in clairvoyance. Ammunition we had, we have and will have.”
The third important factor was the World War itself, which created enough demand for most products of the lord of gunpowder. When Bródy tried to confront him with the question if the production of arms isn't creating any ethical contradictions, Manfréd Weiss only answered briefly: „My profession this is, and I have no further problems by continuing it the best possible way I can”.
The strenghtening of the industrial empire resulted in the conscious politics on marriage as well. Just like in cases of the royal houses of Europe, the different allegiances brought unification and peace to rivaling parties or simply made the family company more mighty. Albert Weiss married the daughter of von Wahl, an Austrian railway tycoon. Elza, one out of his four daughters was promised to Mauthner one of the owners of a trading company, Marianne went to become banker Móric Kornfeld's wife, Daisy on the other hand to Ferenc Chorin who controlled the company in charge of the East Hungarian Mining Facilities. His son Alfonz married the daughter of tobacco king Lipót Mór Herzog through which the Weiss family got in contact with the Hatvany-Deutsch.
Source material: http://magyarzsido.hu/index.php?option=com_exhibition&view=detail&unit_id=2&id=23&Itemid=61&tmpl=detailpage
Original title: A lőszerkirály: Weiss Manfréd
Lord of Gunpowder: Manfréd Weiss (4.)
A tradition of blessings
The introverted, often cruel industrial general found it utmost important to donate from both his and company wealth for charity. The consern continued this tradtition even after the death of Weiss. Csepel was highly improved: roads were built and local schools were supported. Many hundred worker class families received their own house or apartment. Both the Isrealite and Christian communities were financed. The workers of the factory received their own hospital, kindergarden, childcare, school. The overall activities of the company off course stretched further as the borders of Csepel itself. At the outbrake of the war they established a 240 bed hospital and also supported the construction of a sanatorium lung cures. Further more university students, student organisations, christian and jewish charity organisations and ingyenkonyhák were sponsored.
The wife of Manfréd Weiss dies in 1904. In memory of her the industrial baron established the birthcare center, which became Budapest's most developed such institution. It was here that for the first time in Hungary one was able to got to a consultation on the matter. It also had it's own educational center for nurses. In this home for pregnant women, which offered it's services for free 5535 children saw the light of day between 1910 and 1918. Also dedicated to his wife's memory the industrialist founded the Weiss Alice Alapítvány (Alice Weiss Foundation), which helped girls living in poverty to have a fresh start by supporting them finantially.
Manfréd Weiss stayed loyal to his jewish origins till his death. He actively supported the Jewish Community and their work and this tradition was still alive after many of it's leaders (for example Ferenc Chorin) were already baptised. In the increasingly harsh antisemitic atmosphere of the 40s the company was donating through a hidden account huge amounts of money for the manitanance of jewish institutions.
Source material: http://magyarzsido.hu/index.php?option=com_exhibition&view=detail&unit_id=2&id=23&Itemid=61&tmpl=detailpage
Original title: A lőszerkirály: Weiss Manfréd
Lord of Gunpowder: Manfréd Weiss (5.)
The industrial baron's death
In 1896 Manfréd Weiss received a noble rank from the emperor. According to the tradition the new nobility had to choose a prenome and a motto. Both were very typical of Manfréd Weiss. The family from now on wore the „csepeli” (de or von Csepel), and it's philosophy became encoded in the Latin sentense „labor omnia vincit”, which means: „work defeats everything”. This was off course a humorous hint coming from a Jewish industrialist knowing that work is far from a Hungarian nobel's daytime activity. The Weiss family received the title of baron in 1918.
With it’s first provision in 1919 the Communist Dictatorship nationalized the factory complex on Csepel island. The company meant everything to Manfréd Weiss, it was his life – so when he saw it being lost, the baron poisoned himself, but he survived. During the Soviet Republic his villa in Pest got plundered, but to the utmost surprise of the robbers they only found a few siuts in the cupbord of Hungary's biggest tax payers. The puritan industrial baron didn't indulge in personal luxury. In 1919 Budapest was occupied by Romanian forces. The occupying army started to systematically plunder everywhere and confiscated an incredible amount of mashinery and equipment from Csepel as well. Manfréd Weiss never recovered from the suicide attempt, still he had enough strenght to reorganize the production after the war. It helped him again that already during the war he started to switch over to post-war production, for instance producing ploughshares. But his helath was deteriorating nonetheless: in December 1922 he died of a stroke.
Source material: http://magyarzsido.hu/index.php?option=com_exhibition&view=detail&unit_id=2&id=23&Itemid=61&tmpl=detailpage
Original title: A lőszerkirály: Weiss Manfréd
Article translated by BikeInfantry
Weiss Manfréd logo "WM"
School named after Weiss Manfréd (logo incorporated)
Pajti, Diadal, Villám: 90 years of Csepel (1.)
Original arcticle released on 3.12.2018. (source below)
90 years ago in 1928 the Manfréd Weiss Company bought the license to build bicycles from Steyr-Daimler-Puch based in Graz, Austria. Due to the anniversary Schwinn-Csepel is now introducing a special series of Manfréd Weiss cycles to the market.
Until the wasn't a home based bicycle production center established, massive amounts of two-wheels were imported from abroad for example in 1927 when 27.000 bicycles arrived from Austria.
Manfréd Weiss the founder of Acél és Fémművei Rt. (Steel and Metal Industries Corp.) realising the potential demand immeditaley purchased the license in 1928 from Puch Werke AG (later Puch AG & Co KG) and started the first assembly in Hungary.
The factory in Graz charged him 25.000 Schilling for the necessary documents. Weiss was further ordered to pay 5 Schilling per bicycle for the next 5 years as a license fee. The factory delivered the components to Weiss's assembly, they set up the production line and also trained the workers. Interesting detail is that the procedure was first only verified verbally and later on ratified on paper in form of a letter, which was formulated by the factory.
In the beginning Weiss only bought components, out of which the the bicycles were put together in Graz, thus the first bicycles caleed Csepel were in fact produced in Austria. The Csepel factory only started the production a year later and was still buying many parts from the Puch workshop. Only the frame, the tires, the muffles, the fork and the cranks were built by Csepel. The rubber and leather components were also produced by them, likewise the sleek pipes to connect frame with fork. It's smelters produced the muffs as well. The frames were welded with the technology purchased from the Victoria factory.
Pajti, Diadal, Villám: 90 years of Csepel (2.)
In his book called Magyar Kerékpárok (Hungarian bicycles) Endre Varsa is giving us exact data on the process: Weiss was working with 150-200 workers in 1930 and produced only in this year 33.000 Csepel bicycles, on average 120 per day. During the recession demand dropped, the stock piled up, the assembly of parts was halted. Sales were so low that one could buy a bicycle for 1 Pengő if given a 10 Pengő deposit. During this period Csepel tried to advertise it's products during bicycle races. The winner usually received a Csepel.
New increase in production started in 1934 in the by then enlarged factory building. The market was booming. By 1939 more than 90.000 pieces were sold meaning on average 240 per day. While in the first years the advertisement was focusing on one type for both female and male customers, by 1933 there were 5 male, 1 female, 1 boy, 1 girl, 1 child and 1 delivery model included in the catalogue. The most commonly known type was the one almost identical to the first type ever produced, the Csepel-Ballon. The Fecske (Swallow) racing bicycle became an instant hit as well.
In the catalogue of 1934 there were already 28 types: 15 male, 1 delivery, 7 female and 5 for children. These already promoted male, female and child rare hub models fitted with a contra brakes. Further more they had semi-race, race, delivery and wide tire (ballon) types as well. The following types made it to the stores: Csepel, Diadal, Csoda, Extra, Luxus, Super, Rapid, Corvin, Sparta, Villám, Fecske, Csepel-Ballon, Csoda-Ballon, Csepel-Félballon, Leányka és Pajtika.
Obviously differences between each model were not only marked by the names, but by appearance and decoration alike!
Pajti, Diadal, Villám: 90 years of Csepel (3.)
The Csoda (Wonder) was also produced after the war. The Csoda 28' with a black paintjob and the stylish stripe on the hoop became one of their most succesful types. In general all were black, but had slight differences regarding the stripes, which could be red, blue or green. Not all had contra brakes, for instance the Superla following a British outlay had contra on both ends. The Csoda had
for example an ornamented crank disc. In many cases cranks could differ as well as the chains, which could be purchased as normal or wide version.
The factory was producing until 1949. The independent Csepel Factory was formed in 1950. New models appeared such as Túra, Mátra, Robusta, Tihany, Karika, Toldi, Budapest and the Úttörő 24'.
There was also an export to the West, for example the Cantilever bicycle.
During the 1960s the factory unified with the textile machinery and the sewing machines factory and was operational till 1988. This year it was bought by the American Schwinn who kept the production alive. The already in the 1960s introduced Camping bicycle was in full blossom from this period on, which sold 1.000.000 pieces till 2000. The SR racing bicycles thus the SR 26 and the SR 27 were also highly popular, followed by certain BMX and ATB touring bicycles.
In 2018 the Schwinn-Csepel in memory of Weiss has designed two classic models, which are wearing the founders name. The Weiss Manfred 100 and 200 are both available in female and male versions, while the male model is outfitted with the classic twin top tube design and the female has a sleek oldtimer city cycle look. These fully modernised vehicles include 3 gears for model 100 and 7 gears for model 200 promoting this way the more comfortable crusing experience.
Source material: http://iho.hu/hir/pajtika-diadal-villam-kilencveneves-a-csepel-180312
Article translated by BikeInfantry
Note: Pajti, Diadal, Villám included in the aritcle title are production fantasy names
https://www.mediaklikk.hu/cikk/2018/04/13/weiss-manfred-csalad-tortenete-corvin-lancos-kituntettek-es-a-napfeny-ize-a-kozmedia-hetvegi-kinalataban/
https://get.google.com/albumarchive/112363934347238524599/album/AF1QipMaqv3tN9X9eeLA5xYohs6Ak7OP3PJxdOtrJ_28
http://budapest-szinterei.blog.hu/2013/10/30/a_weiss_manfred_muvek_vilaghaborus_elsosegelyhelye_korhaz-bunker
From Wikipedia:During World War I, for his services to the Austro-Hungarian state, Weiss was ennobled, becoming Manfréd, Baron Weiss de Csepel, after the main seat of operations of his company.[1]
You say in History (5) that he was ennobled in 1896?
Hungarian Soviet Republic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_Soviet_Republic
He was ennobled and lifted to upper house (felsőház) status
Receiving the title baron later
Quote:
"Im Jahr 1896 wurde er vom ungarischen König Franz Joseph geadelt und ihm der Namen Csepeli verliehen.
Während des Ersten Weltkrieges waren in diesen Werken bis zu 30.000 Arbeiter beschäftigt, die einerseits Patronen und Artilleriegeschosse, andererseits auch Fleisch- und Kaffeekonserven herstellten. Noch im Jahr 1918 wurde ihm der Titel Baron verliehen."
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfréd_Weiss
"1896. augusztus 8-án Weisz Manfréd budapesti gyárosnak, I. Ferenc József magyar király nemességet és csepeli nemesi előnevet adományozott. 1901-ben a párizsi világkiállításon elért sikereiért megkapta a „Vaskoronarendet”, a nagymérvű hadfelszerelés érdekében kifejtett tevékenységének elismeréseként a „Ferenc József-rend” középkeresztjét, 1915-ben lett felsőházi tag, és 1918. november 16-án, IV. Károly magyar király Weisz Manfrédnek, az Osztrák–Magyar Monarchia egyik legnagyobb hadianyag-szállítójaként szerzett érdemeiért pedig bárói címet adományozott."
https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weiss_Manfréd
Other people earning a title at the time:
11 Jewish noblemen
http://rabbi.zsinagoga.net/2014/01/12/102-magyar-zsido-akik-hazajukert-vegzett-tevekenysegukert-nemesi-cimet-kaptak/
ADDITIONAL DATA ON WEISS MANFRÉD:
https://opac-nevter.pim.hu/record/-/record/PIM74773
FURTHER OFFICIAL INFO:
Manfréd Weiss Steel and Metal Works
The Weiss Manfréd Acél- és Fémművek ("Manfréd Weiss Steel and Metal Works"), or colloquially Csepel Művek ("Csepel Works") was one of the largest machine factories in Hungary, located on Csepel island outside Budapest. It was the second largest industrial enterprise in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, and the biggest industrial enterprise in the Hungarian half of the Empire. It played an integral role in the heavy industry and military production of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Founded by Baron Manfréd Weiss of Csepel, a Jewish industrialist, by the time of World War I the company was one of largest defense contractors in Austria-Hungary,[1] producing all types of equipment, from airplanes and munitions to automotive engines and cars. Badly damaged by Allied air raids and eventually pillaged during World War II, the company continued in existence until 1950, when it was nationalised and renamed to Rákosi Mátyás Vas- és Fémművek ("Mátyás Rákosi Iron and Metal Works NV", where "NV" means Nemzeti Vállalat, "National Company"). (...)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfréd_Weiss_Steel_and_Metal_Works
Weiss Manfréd Acél- és Fém Műve - 2005. március. 25. IN HUNGARIAN
A századforduló magyar gyáriparának kiemelkedő alakja, a pesti születésű Weiss Manfréd németországi kereskedelmi tanulmányok és gyakorlat után huszonévesen, Bertold bátyjával együtt alapította az első magyar konzervgyárat 1882-ben.
A főként a hadseregnek szállító ferencvárosi gyár mellett néhány évvel később konzervdoboz-készítő üzem létesült, ahol a szezonális munkából adódó állásidőt kihasználandó 1886-tól tölténytárakat, később lőszereket is gyártottak. Egy üzemi robbanás után a 40 munkást foglalkoztató Weiss Manfréd Lőszergyárat 1892-ben az alig lakott Csepel-szigetre költöztették. Bertold 1896-ban kilépett a cégből, az egyedüli tulajdonos Manfréd lett, aki a kilencvenes évek végére saját kohót, öntödét és hengerdét, majd később acélművet épített.
Az 1903-ban közkereseti társasággá, majd 1913-ban családi részvénytársasággá alakult cég továbbra is elsősorban a hadsereg megrendelésére dolgozott, s az első világháborús konjunktúrának köszönhetően a Weiss Manfréd Vas- és Fémművei Rt. a Monarchia második legnagyobb - közel 30 ezer embert foglalkoztató - hadiüzemévé nőtte ki magát.
A háború után az alig 6 ezer fősre apadt cég átállt a polgári termelésre, szerszámgépeket, kerékpárokat, varrógépeket, tűzhelyeket állított elő, később megkezdte a repülőgépgyártást is. Az 1918-ban bárói rangot kapott, s az ország leggazdagabb gyárosaként emlegetett alapító 1922-es halálát követően fiai és egyik veje vitték tovább a harmincas évek közepén már ismét 15 ezer embernek munkát adó céget.
A második világháborús fegyverkezés újabb fellendülést hozott, harckocsik és terepjárók is készültek az addigra már valóságos gyárvárossá fejlődött - szervezett és harcos munkássága folytán Vörös Csepelként emlegetett - Weiss Manfréd Acél- és Fém Művében. A második világháborúban számos bombatalálat érte a hadiüzemet, melyet 1944-ben az SS 25 évre "kezelésre átvett" a letartóztatott tulajdonosoktól.
A csepeli üzemeket 1948-ban államosították, először WM Acél- és Fémművek Nemzeti Vállalatként, majd 1950 és 1956 között Rákosi Mátyás Vas- és Fémművek néven, 1956-tól Csepel Vas- és Fémművek néven működött, s a szocialista nagyipar fellegvárának számított. Egyik gyáregységében készültek például a hazai árufuvarozásban és a hadseregben egyaránt sokáig használt Csepel teherautók, egy másikban pedig 1950-ben adták át a később legendássá vált első P-20-as motorkerékpárt.
Az ötvenes-hatvanas években mintegy 25 ezer embernek adott munkát, akiknek többsége a gyár közelében épített lakótelepen élt. Számos átszervezés után a hatvanas években megalakult a Csepel Művek Tröszt, mely mintegy 15 tagvállalatot fogott össze. A trösztöt 1983-ban megszüntették, az egyre inkább veszteségesen működő vállalatok önállóvá váltak, közülük a nyolcvanas évek végén, a kilencvenes évek elején számos átalakult, illetve megszűnt.
Amerikai többséggel alakult meg 1988-ban a Schwinn-Csepel Kerékpárgyártó Kft., amely - a Schwinn amerikai csődje után - többszöri tulajdonosváltáson ment keresztül, 1994-ben rt-vé alakult, 2000 óta a Tandem-Szolnok Kft. a tulajdonosa, mely Magyarországon továbbra is Schwinn márkanéven hoz forgalomba kerékpárokat. A csepeli nagyüzem egykori területén üresen maradt csarnokokat és irodákat számos cég bérli. Az egyik fő "alaptevékenységet" jogutódként az 1993-ban létesített, jelenleg 100 százalékban magyar magánszemélyek tulajdonban lévő Csepeli Fémmű Rt. viszi tovább.
A szintén 1993-ban alakult Csepeli Csőgyár Rt. felszámolás alatt áll, a magyar magánszemélyek tulajdonában lévő Csepeli Acélcső Kft. viszont a Weiss Manfréd márkanevet használva folytatja a termelést. Az amerikai tulajdonba került Csepel Vas- és Acélöntöde UBP Csepel Rt. néven termel, s nem tekinti magát jogutódnak.
Source: HVG - Heti Világ Gazdaság (Weekly World Economics)
http://hvg.hu/magyarmarka/20050325weissmanfred
WM STEEL COMPANY DATA from 1945-46
https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/MolDigiLib_LevLelt_36_2/?pg=193&layout=s
A Weiss Manfréd konszerntől a Rákosi Mátyás Művekig: egy családi vagyon végnapjai
Kugyela Ákos
A Weiss Manfréd konszerntől a Rákosi Mátyás Művekig: egy családi vagyon végnapjai
„Az SS erők hatalmába került Weiss Manfréd családtagok […] kénytelenek voltak az ellenük, illetve hozzátartozóik ellen alkalmazott, személyes szabadságukat és életüket közvetlenül veszélyeztető jogellenes fenyegetés hatása alatt, a Weiss Manfréd vállalatokat és minden egyéb ingó- és ingatlan vagyonukat az SS erők egy gazdasági csoportjának […] 25 évre kezelésbe átad. […]” Ennek ellenében az SS erők említett gazdasági csoportja ígéretet tett arra, hogy a Weiss Manfréd család tagjait semleges külföldre szállítja.” (...)
http://www.archivnet.hu/politika/a_weiss_manfred_konszerntol_a_rakosi_matyas_muvekig_egy_csaladi_vagyon_vegnapjai.html
Bombaeső Budapesten – a Weiss Manfréd Művek elpusztítása
"Éppen 73 évvel ezelőtt, 1944. július 27-én mértek végzetes csapást a szövetségesek bombázói a csepeli Weiss Manfréd Művekre. A patinás gyár bizonyos részeit – ahogy sok más ipari célpontot Magyarországon − a földig rombolták a szövetségesek."
https://honvedelem.hu/cikk/64615_bombaeso_budapesten_a_weiss_manfred_muvek_elpusztitasa
Csepel – The (R)Evolutionary Agent
By George Pacurar | November 13, 2015 at 3:03 pm
"When the Berlin Wall came down, its rubble buried many traditional bike builders in Central Europe. Due to mismanagement, harsh competition or bad strategic decisions – the causes were manifold. However, the region is currently witnessing a wave of revivals from Prague to Bucharest with Budapest once again playing a pioneering role.
If so far in our series Diamant (East Germany) was an example of a brand surviving over a century through constant renewal and Favorit (Czechoslovakia) represented a brand rebuilt from scratch, then Hungary’s Csepel is a combination of both previous brands. Its history goes back to 1928, when the “Manfréd Weiss Steel and Metal Works”, situated in the Csepel district of Budapest, started building bicycles licensed by the Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch. For decades, bicycle production remained something of a side job, because of the Weiss being predominantly a defense contractor, building anything from ammunition to cars and planes." (...)
https://www.welovecycling.com/wide/2015/11/13/csepel-the-revolutionary-agent/
Top 10 – Magyar kerékpárok az előző évszázadból
by Kovács Miklós 2015.08.05. szerda 16:30
Quote:
"Az első csepeli bicikliket 1929-ben állította elő a Weiss Manfréd, miután 1928-ban 25 ezer schillingért megvásárolta a grazi Steyr-Daimler-Puch művektől a licencet. Tízezer kerékpárt is megvett alkatrész állapotban.
Az első kétszázat még Grazban szerelték össze (Csepel felirattal), a többit itthon. Több mint tizenkétezer darabot gyártottak 1929-ben, 1930-ban pedig harmincötezret. Ekkor még csak egyféle típust dobtak piacra, női és férfi változatban, egészen 1932-ig.
Az 1945-ig eltelő időszakban a legtöbb kerékpárt, 91 706 darabot, 1939-ben állították elő. Kezdetben csak egy férfi és egy női kerékpármodellt kínáltak. Az 1932-es vagy 1933-as Weiss-prospektusban már öt férfi, egy női, egy fiú, egy kisgyermek és egy árukihordó modell szerepelt, 1934-ben pedig már összesen 28 kerékpármodellt kínált a gyár."
https://www.vezess.hu/top-10/2015/08/05/top-10-magyar-kerekparok-az-elozo-evszazadbol/
A Csepel-kerékpár menő exportcikk volt, jól jött érte a valuta
by Fehér János & Barakonyi Szabolcs
Fotó: Urbán Tamás / FORTEPAN
https://index.hu/fortepan/2015/11/01/a_csepel-kerekpar_meno_exportcikk_volt_jol_jott_erte_a_valuta/
Scrolll down for Weiss Manfréd's factory:
http://budapestcity.org/02-tortenet/Budapest-gyarai/index-hu.htm
KARRIERTÖRTÉNET A DUALIZMUS KORÁBAN –
150 ÉVE SZÜLETETT WEISS MANFRÉD, A CSEPELI GYÁR ALAPÍTÓJA
by Longa Péterné
Csepel Vas- és Fémművek múltjából és jelenéből
A gyár sorsa a II. világháború alatt és után
A Weiss Manfréd gyár 1935-től évről-évre fokozta haditermékek gyártását, jóllehet a haditermékek értéke csak egyedül 1940-ben haladta meg a kohászati üzemek (Acélmű, Fémmű, Csőgyár) együttes értékét. A lőszer és harcigépek gyártása különösen 1938 után fokozódott, amikor a kormány meghirdette az ún. “győri programot”.
Ennek a kimondottan fegyverkezési programnak a keretében 100 millió pengőt fektettek be Csepelen a hadigyártó kapacitás bővítésébe és a Honvédelmi Minisztérium évrél-évre egyre nagyobb értékben rendelt meg lőszert és hadfelszerelési berendezést. Részt vett Csepel a csapatszállító terepjáró gépkocsik gyártásában, az ún. “Botond”- programban, a “Csaba” páncélkocsik és a “Zrínyi” rohamlövegek előállításában és létrehozták 1941-ben a Dunai Repülőgépgyárat. (A régi Horthy-ligetre lett áttelepítve)
A gyors ütemű fegyverkezésben újabb hatalmas fejlődés vette kezdetét. Rohamosan nőtt a gyár munkáslétszáma, míg 1940-ben 30 ezer volt, 1943-ra elérte a 35 ezret, melyet 1961-ig meg is tartott.
For more visit: http://www.csepel-sziget.hu/wordpress/?p=71
A szerszámgyártás története - Csepel Vas- és Fémművek
"A Csepel Vas- és Fémművek Magyarország legnagyobb ipari vállalata volt, amelynek egyik önálló gyára volt a Csepel Szerszámgépgyár.
Weiss Berthold és Manfréd fivérek 1892-ben alapították mai helyén a gyárat, amelyben mintegy 30-40 főt foglalkoztattak elsősorban Manlicher-töltények élesre szerelésével és különböző kaliberű töltények gyártásával." (...)
To read th efull article, check out this page:
http://www.szerszamgepgyartas.hu/hun/factory/csepel/csepel_01.htm
Csepel bicikli
retronóm, 2008, augusztus 21 - 10:38
http://retronom.hu/node/8297
"VETERAN BIKE OF THE YEAR 2012" winner (scroll down for pictures)
Type: WM Csepel Jubileum
Year: 1942
Produced by: WM Csepel Gyár, Budapest
Owner: Kovács Sándor
http://veterankerekpar.gportal.hu/gindex.php?gid=2853244&pg=34930983
by Temesvarijeno
http://indafoto.hu/temesvarijeno/image/8393157-5c30cadb/user#nagyitas
Weiss Manfréd bicycles on the market currently
For example:
Location: Kondoros, Hungary
Price: 100.000Ft
Contact: Csaba - +36-20-270-33-99
KÖNYV WEISS MANFRÉDRÓL / BOOK ABOUT MANFRÉD WEISS
A csepeli csoda - Weiss Manfréd és vállalata a Monarchiában Varga László
Budapest Főváros Levéltára, 2016
Információk
Összefoglaló
A Weiss Manfrédról és vállalatáról szóló monográfia megjelentetésével Budapest Főváros Levéltára a Budapest történetével kapcsolatos könyvkiadás régi adósságát törleszti. A levéltár Várostörténeti Tanulmányok sorozatában megjelent munka a budapesti és egyben a hazai nagyipar legnagyobb gyáróriásának kialakulását mutatja be az alapító, Weiss Manfréd életével és tevékenységével szoros összefüggésben.
A szerző már nem érhette meg a kötet megjelenését, néhány nappal a kézirat nyomdába adása előtt hunyt el. A kötet tisztelgés emléke előtt.
https://bookline.hu/product/home.action?v=&type=22&id=292153
http://skissregikerekpar.gportal.hu/picview.php?prt=751339&gid=2926383&index=39
http://budapestcity.org/02-tortenet/Budapest-gyarai/index-hu.htm