Refinery Sector: Libusza Refinery.

It was built between 1872 and 1878 by Adam Skrzyński.

It originally had three boilers and employed 30 workers. Thanks to the favorable economic situation and Skrzyński’s efficient management, further expansion was possible. By 1900, the refinery already had six boilers and employed over 90 workers. After Adam Skrzyński’s death in 1905, his son Aleksander took over the refinery. After the end of World War I and Poland regained independence, Aleksander Skrzyński sold the refinery to Brothers Nobel, which, due to the prevailing hyperinflation, sold a portion of its shares to Rockefeller’s American corporation, Standard Oil Company. This is how the Standard-Nobel company was formed.

After expansion, the refinery had eight stills, and continuous distillation was launched. The processing capacity was 30,000 tons of crude oil per year. The refinery was primarily focused on the production of gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, and lubricating oils. It specialized in, among other things, pharmaceutical gasoline, which was then exported to England, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, and France. Libusza’s petroleum products were highly acclaimed and won numerous awards at exhibitions.

During the economic crisis of 1937, the company decided to close the unprofitable plant, which led to a sit-down strike by the refinery staff. The strike lasted seven weeks and ended in defeat for the workers, 320 of whom lost their jobs. The refinery’s installations fell into ruin, and the remains of the reinforced concrete structures are still visible today. After World War II, a technical and material base for oil companies was established on the site of the former refinery.