From the 1880s onwards, Lázár Schmidl and his family sweetened the life of the citizens of Győr for around 50 years. He founded Győr’s first candy and chocolate factory, which he then developed into one of the city’s internationally renowned production plants together with his son János Henrik.
Although the factory ceased operations in the 1930s, its memory lives on. For example, as part of our foundation’s 2024 student contest on Jewish memories in Győr and the surrounding area, entitled “Their fate – our history,” one of the artworks submitted by the competing students of the Révai Highschool featured possible new versions of the packaging of former Schmidl products. The students also compiled the history of the Schmidl factory.
In the spirit of preserving memory, at the initiative of our foundation in 2024, the life and unique professional career of Lázár Schmidl was incorporated into the e-database of the House of Jewish Excellence in Balatonfüred and the Exhibition of Jewish Excellence in Győr. Visitors can easily learn about the activities of this significant personality and his family in an interactive way at both locations.
In this article, we follow the editing requirements of the aforementioned database and would like to thank the editors for allowing us to use the article on Lázár Schmidl, which we have supplemented with information from other sources and a few images. We would also like to thank the editorial staff of Győri Szalon for allowing us to use the local history materials published on their website.
His Life in a Nutshell
He was born in 1826. We know little, almost nothing, about his early years, his parents, and his siblings. In 1858, his son, Henrik János Schmidl, was born in Patvarc (village north of Budapest, on the Hungarian-Slovak border; together with the surrounding settlements (such as Balassagyarmat), it was part of the region’s Jewish religious and economic life – ed.).
In 1879, together with his son, he founded his first business, a candy and chocolate factory in Budapest. The Budapest-based factory was relocated to Gyár Street, in Győr-Sziget in 1883, which was still an independent settlement at the time. In 1886, their confectionery company was officially registered at the Court in Győr.
Lázár Schmidl’s son, Henrik János, became the company’s legal owner 1889 and thereafter continuously played an important role in the life of the company.
Lázár died in December 1897, followed by his wife three years later. They were buried in the Israelite cemetery in Győr-Sziget. The tomb of Lázár Schmidl is unknown (at least to me – ed.), as is that of his son. However, the shared gravestone of Lázár’s two wives is known.
His Entrepreneurial Career
Founding of the Schmidl candy factory
The company was first started by Lázár Schmidl in Budapest in 1879, but at that time the factory (actually a workshop) consisted of only a ground-floor building, in one of the secluded wings of which candy was melted/frozen in pans. At first, a total of four employees processed the raw material manually.
The main reason for the establishment of the Schmidl factory in the village of Győr-Sziget (1883) was the proximity of the Rábca river, because its water could be used for industrial purposes. Their first product was a preparation containing plantain extract and malt to relieve coughs and other lung ailments.
In 1889, his son Henrik János officially became the legal owner of the company. The Schmidl factory was continuously developed by its owners, erecting additional buildings on the factory site. With more modern machines, the workers were able to produce increasingly high-quality products in the now more spacious and beautiful workplace; the company also paid close attention to the quality of the packaging.
All of these contributed to the reputation of the factory in Győr-Sziget, which delivered very high-quality sweets at favourable prices to countries of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, as well as Italy, Germany and Romania.
Start Of Cocoa and Chocolate Production
In 1893, the factory reached an important turning point, as it was the first in Hungary to introduce vacuum cooking in candy production. Manufacturing was converted to steam power, so the production of silk candy could begin, in which they had no competition in Hungary. By 1895, approximately 60 employees processed 300 tons of raw sugar per year, which was a huge increase compared to the early years. They came up with more and more new products, for example the Millennium candy, which was one of the most popular sweets at the time.
Lázár Schmidl, the founder, died in December 1897. From then on, his son Henrik János was the head of the factory, but he kept the name Schmidl L. on all the products. From the 1900s onwards, the number of employees of the factory was constantly between 200 and 300 people.
At the turn of the century the use of the national coat of arms on product packaging was allowed. Further improvements were introduced in the plant year after year. On November 21, 1902, a new, two-story factory building, which was supplemented with a chocolate production unit, was inaugurated as a result of an investment of 200 000 Crowns [1]. Thus, cocoa and chocolate production could start the following year, increasing to a quantity of 6000 tons per year.
Expanding Product Range, Insatiable Demand
The Schmidl factory celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1904. Thanks to continuous developments, the product range was continuously growing in the years after the turn of the century. Their most popular chocolate products were “Hungária” and “Győri Háztartási”. In addition, one could taste their hot chocolate in higher-end coffee houses – such as Kioszk, Lloyd or Elite. For the customers, the packaging also indicated the high quality; their products were presented in Hungarian-style, special metal and wooden boxes.
By 1905, the factory was already producing cocoa powder. Their range was constantly expanding, and a bonbon in memory of the composer, known as the “Ferenc Liszt -boule”, was put on the market. The range of goodies was supplemented with fruit candies and ice lozenges.
The factory’s reputation grew year by year. In May 1907, the “Győri Friss Újság” newspaper described János Schmidl as a worker-friendly factory owner, stating that “On the occasion of State Secretary József Szterényi’s visit to the Schmidl candy factory, the factory owner had blue jackets and white caps made for all his employees at his own expense.” [2]
By 1910, the factory offered a very wide selection: cocoa, candies, Christmas bonbons, dessert and dragée candies, plantain candies for cough relief, silk candies, as well as pharmacy items. Such were, for example, the “Flower caramel”, the “Russian caramel”, the “Liqueur dessert”, the “Favourite dessert”.
Without a doubt, the years before the war were the most successful in the life of the Schmidl factory, when the most delicious desserts were made. However, even with the daily production of 2-3 tons, they could not satisfy the needs of the market, since the demand for its products greatly exceeded factory capacity.
The July 3, 1913 edition of the “Győri Friss Újság” newspaper wrote about the working conditions at the factory: “As far as working conditions are concerned, the factory can be proud that there has not been a single strike in its thirty-five years of existence. This is the most important indicator that the workers can earn their daily bread while being treated fairly. With the completion of the latest expansion of the factory, we wish that it will long be a source of pride for the people of Győr and Hungarian manufacturing.” [2]
Effects of World War I
In 1915, the Hungarian chocolate factories received an order from the Ministry of Defence for a significant shipment: 500,000 boxes of war bonbons, as well as 6 wagon loads of other chocolate products. The order was placed with Emil Gerbaud (a well-known confectioner and chocolate manufacturer of the time; Geneva, 1854 – Budapest, 1919 – ed.), head of the candy and chocolate industry section of the National Industrial Association, who selected the suppliers, including the Schmidl factory in Győr, along with other prominent confectionery manufacturers.[1]
The company’s chocolate was also a great success among officers held captive in Russia in distant Orenburg before they were sent to Siberia. A memoir attests to this: “On our shopping trip, we discovered long bonbons tied with silk ribbons in the colors of the Hungarian flag in the window of a shiny pastry shop. On the lid, there was a forest scene with woodcutters dressed in peasant clothes. The price was four rubles and sixty kopecks. We pooled our money and bought it. It came from the Schmidl factory in Győr and contained filled chocolate bonbons. We devoured the Hungarian product that had traveled so far with reverence, everyone got a piece of the national ribbon for their cap, and I carefully put the rest away.” [6]
In order to encourage local purchasing power, the highly popular “Ágyú” (Cannon) chocolate was born in 1916. However, the pre-war quality level could only have been achieved by the use of imported raw materials, but the conditions for this were lacking.
In 1923, the factory took the name Schmidl–Pannónia United Chocolate and Biscuit Factory Ltd., and then changed its name to Schmidl–Pannónia Chocolate and Biscuit Factory Ltd. on April 19, 1933, when Pannónia Hungarian-Dutch Biscuit Factory Ltd., founded in 1919, merged with the Schmidl factory. [6]
During the economic crisis, the company became unprofitable, which was only temporarily improved by its merger with the sponge manufacturer Pannónia Chocolate Factory. Following the death of János H. Schmidl in 1936, due to the lack of a suitable manager, the company went bankrupt and its dissolution was announced in 1937. [2] The machines in the plant, as well as the entire staff of the factory, were taken over by the Győr-based Konkordia Cake and Wafer Factory founded in 1936.
The buildings of the Schmidl L. factory were demolished; however, the family’s residence still stands today, albeit in very poor condition.
The Schmidl family lived close to the factory buildings in Győr-Sziget, the careful owner kept an eye on his production facilities.
Did you know that …
… what was the very first product of the candy factory in Győr
The first product of the Győr-based candy factory was the plantain bonbon, which was made from malt and an extract of freshly picked plantain juice. This specialty was an extremely effective solution for coughs, hoarseness, chest and lung problems. At first, customers could only find the popular bonbon that cures gum problems in pharmacies and shops in Budapest, and after a few years, as the factory started producing more and more different candies, their products spread on the local and international markets.
… why “Ágyú” (Cannon) chocolate?
Due to the First World War, production at the Győr candy factory dropped for a while, so the new product launched in 1916, the chocolate with the trademark “Ágyú” (Cannon) to counter the negative trend, enjoyed great popularity. It probably got its name from the cannon barrel factory founded in 1913, which was considered a very significant contribution by the city of Győr to the arms supply of the then Kingdom of Hungary.
This is how this sweet treat was described: “Anyone who tastes Schmidl’s „Ágyú chocolate” from Győr will never buy another brand, because you’ll see that it’s better and more reasonably priced than other brands.” [1]
It was so successful that it was marketed long even after the war.
… Schmidl was the first to produce silk candy in the country
Schmidl’s son, János H. Schmidl, played a significant role in the life of the factory. He constantly improved the production processes and erected new factory buildings. It was a huge step forward in the life of the factory when production was converted to steam power in 1893 and thanks to this, it was able to start the production of silk candy – the first in the country.
… Schmidl was related to another Győr-based candy manufacturer, Ignácz Árpás
In 1893, when Lázár Schmidl’s son János H. Schmidl took over the management of the company, Ignácz Árpás was entrusted with the business management of the Schmidl factory. The reason for this was not only that he owned and operated a smaller candy factory, but also the fact that Ignácz Árpás married the sister of János H. Schmidl. In 1895, he already managed his own company, the main product of which was various fruit candies. In addition, he had patents such as candies made from potato sugar.
… after settling in Győr-Sziget, Lázár’s son, János Schmidl H., played an active role in the public life of Győr and also became an important figure in the local Jewish community
He initiated the founding of the Győr-Sziget Trade Association. At the 1896 Millennium Exhibition in Budapest, he received ministerial praise for his community organizing activities. On January 8, 1903, he became a member of the Board of Directors of the National Industrial Association. He promoted the merger of Győr and Győr-Sziget, which took place in 1905. On July 16, 1908, Sziget elected him as the representative of the Győr Legislative Committee. From 1906 to 1928, he served as vice president of the candy and chocolate division of the National Industrial Association. From 1913, he served as a municipal representative for Révfalu and Sziget. He was also president of the Neologue Jewish Community of Győr, supporting the city’s Jewish cultural and social institutions. His partner in this was his wife, Szidónia Buchwald, who served as president of the Győr Women’s Association from 1817 to March 1928. [2]
[1] The beginnings of the confectionery industry in Győr: The Schmidl and Árpás candy factories, written by Krisztina Galambos (A győri édesipar kezdetei: A Schmidl és Árpás cukorkagyárak, Galambos Krisztina írása); Győri Szalon
[2] The industrialist, candy and chocolate maker János Schmidl H. was born 163 years ago – written by Gyula Csitkovics (163 éve született Schmidl H. János gyáros, cukorka- és csokoládékészítő – Csitkovics Gyula írása); Győri Szalon
[3] Coffee House Kioszk on Radó Island – Győri Szalon
[4] The “Big House”, or Lloyd Palace in Győr
[5] Student Artwork – Jewish Roots in Győr Charitable Foundation website
[6] Pannónia Biscuit Factory Memorial site address: Gyár utca, …
[7] Google Maps Street View
[8] Modern Győr
Edited by P. Krausz; EN translation: Jewish Excellence data manager and P. Krausz