The history of the renowned Győr factory of covering fabric in pictures
These slides, which we publish together with comments made by students during its presentation, is about the history till the present day of the Graboplast factory founded by the Jewish Grab family 120 years ago. It was presented by the student team Levente Bekő, Bálint Burkus and Levente Csíkász, as supported by Melinda Kazóné Kardos, history teacher, of the Technical Highschool Pattantyús-Ábrahám Géza at the 2024 high school contest “Their fate – our history” organized by the Jewish Roots in Győr Public Benefit Foundation on Jewish memories in Győr and its surroundings. With this and other works, they won the title of best vocational high school.
The beginnings in Czechia
Czechia is famous not only for its beauty, but also for its industry. The Grab family was one of the players in this industry, investing most of their capital in various businesses during the dualist era (end of the 19th and early 20th century – ed.), such as Graboplast, which is still known by this name today.
A prominent member of the Grab family was Miksa Grab, who studied law in Prague and then worked mainly as the manager of companies established by his family. He continued this latter activity in Hungary, which brought him to Győr. However, most of his family moved to the United States after World War I. In 2005, on the 100th anniversary of the factory’s founding, it was possible to locate descendants of the Grab family still living in the Czech Republic.
Founding the factory
The factory was founded in 1905.
Previously, there was a brick factory on the site of the factory, which was purchased by Miksa Grab. He founded the company together with his sons, Hugo and Emmanuel. The so-called “clock tower” of the original building can still be seen today.
The factory initially produced waxed fabrics, then large government orders came in. First, they produced railway upholstery for MÁV (Hungarian State Railways). This order ensured a secure future for the company.
The Grab family in Győr
The Grab family’s villa in Győr was built right next to the factory. Its etched glass windows were created by the famous Czech artist Alphons Mucha, whose major works are on display at the Mucha Museum in Prague. His piece entitled “The Four Seasons” was placed in the villa. According to the accounts of former staff, Spring and Summer fell victim to air pressure during World War II, while Autumn and Winter remained intact. The villa was the last to be built, preceded by the so-called Czech houses, where specialists brought from the Czechia lived, whilst the engineers’ apartments were built next to it.
According to the founders’ intentions, the villa served as both a reception area on the ground floor and a residential building, as the owners’ apartments were located upstairs. Staff apartments were built in the basement, and interestingly, these apartments were in use until the 2000s. The villa was surrounded by a garden modeled after an English park. There was also a vegetable garden on the factory premises, which supplied the factory workers with fresh products. Today, none of this remains, and in its place, there is a SPAR grocery store and parking lot.
After 1945, service apartments were established in the villa. Today, the building is a condominium in need of renovation.
During World War I and after
During World War I, the company manufactured chemical protection equipment, raincoats, and tent fabric. After the war, the business was unable to recover, as the Czech parent company went bankrupt during the global economic crisis. Arnold Teltsch and István Rudó bought and saved the factory, which only began to recover in the 1930s.
During World War II and the years after
From September 1939, production was placed under military control. The factory was not spared from Allied bombing, although the bomb that hit it did not claim any lives and the building was not seriously damaged.
The company was nationalized in 1947.
After the 1956 revolution, the plant struggled with a shortage of raw materials. The iconic blue building was constructed in the 1970s. At this time, it began manufacturing artificial leather for Volkswagen, Fiat, Renault, Ford, Skoda, and other car manufacturers. The plastic roof of the Sopron swimming pool as held up by air pressure was developed at Graboplast.
In 1969, Graboplan was separated from the mother company, with tent manufacturing as its main profile.
The company had its own nursery, kindergarten, medical clinic, and workers’ hostel.
An outstanding leader in the 1960s and 70s
The history of Graboplast cannot be complete without mentioning the work of Nándor Jankovich.
Nándor Jankovich was born on August 29, 1926, in Pozsony. Between 1940 and 1945, he served in the artillery division in Győr and was taken prisoner by the Americans. Upon his return in 1946, he joined Graboplast as a yard worker. By 1948, he became a trade union leader, and by 1952, he rose to the position of plant manager. In 1957, he obtained a degree in textile engineering. In 1966, he was elected to the County Council, and a year later he obtained a degree in mechanical engineering. In 1970, he received the most prestigious award of the era, the Gold Order of Merit for Work, and his work was also recognized with a State Award. In 1972, he became CEO. In 1974, he earned a degree in industrial engineering from the Bánki Donát Technical College.
The Graboplast factory was his life. Even on Sundays, he would go over from the neighbouring villa, which had been converted into staff accommodation, and walk around the factory. In his spare time, he grew rare plants. One of these, a species of cactus, can still be seen in the factory courtyard today, and its rare flowering is a local attraction. He passed away on December 18, 1985. His son, Nándor Jankovich, was a teacher at our school for many years. In addition to technical subjects, he also taught music.
After the political regime change
In 1990, under the leadership of Péter Jancsó, Graboplast Textile and Artificial Leather Manufacturing Joint Stock Company was founded, boasting 30% Western capital. By 1994, its shares were already being traded on the Budapest Stock Exchange. The company acquired the Sopron-based carpet manufacturer SOTEX Rt, followed by the purchase UNIONTEXT Kft. Parquet production was launched in Kecskemét, and the parent company’s products began to be manufactured also in Tatabánya. Production in Sopron ceased in 2008, in the 99th year of the factory’s existence.
Graboplast not only operates as a factory in Győr, but also supports various sports activities, the most successful of which was the ETO women’s handball team. In addition, water sports in Győr and the Győr Ballet also enjoyed its support.
In 2005, the 100th anniversary, a commemorative book detailing the history of the company was published. The factory and the city celebrated this anniversary with a spectacular series of events, culminating in a Republic pop concert in Széchenyi Square.
Recently, a significant investment was made in the Győr unit: a new plant management building was constructed.
During the tour of the factory, we got to see one of the early machines used to produce artificial leather. It was nice to see that a piece of the factory’s past is being preserved as a real treasure. Interestingly, there are only two working paternoster elevators in Hungary, one of which operates in this office building.
Graboplast will be 120 years old in 2025. It has been in continuous operation since its founding.
Edited and translated into English by P. Krausz