“Ozon”, No. 16, 4-10 August 2005

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Gazeta artykuł ozon 2005 1 produkcja cegieł ręcznie formowanych do rekonstrukcji zabytków
Brick kneaded by hand as in the Middle Ages is not just a piece of dried clay, but also fashionable and salable commodity. Can conquer Europe, promote the region and to give people a job.

Small Kraśnik brickyards until recently stood on the verge of bankruptcy. No one wanted their products Western companies, which Polowice 90s entered the Polish market, and produced much more cheaply. The curse manufactories turned out, however, for the municipality true blessing – Europe preservationists unsuccessfully sought a brick suitable for filling the medieval walls.
– When we got the first order from Germany, we wanted to make a beautiful smooth brick after German. Principal came to see what we made. He did not like: brick was too pretty. With many samples selected one – Cracked, jagged, in our opinion, suitable only rubble. – I want this. It has to look old, but that was wholesome – he said. And so we started to produce – Felix says Trojanowski, the owner of a brick factory in Kraśnik.
Through the idea of ​​one man small Lublin municipality, until recently associated only with the factory of rolling bearings, now rises to the rank of European basin “Gothic brick”. – Three years ago, we talked with Andrew Rejent of Cerbudu, which brings together producers of bricks from the whole Polish , about the problems of the city, about our brickworks, which for hundreds survived only 15, and even those waiting for bankruptcy or vegetation. And then I came up with the idea: organize a festival. to promote Kraśnicka brick – Says Mayor Peter Czubański.
I wanted to create a new brand. Brick is a good brand, and our brickworks are a testament to entrepreneurship in the region.

YEAR LATER was the first FESTIVAL UNDER THE PASSWORD “Buy you a brick.” Przy¬jechali and journalists about the case made out loud. In addition Mariusz Osiniak, son of the owners brickyard Hoffmanowska, produced the largest handmade brick world. His image Obiegło even the Western media. They began to appear contractors from abroad.
Kraśnicka brick has always been a craft. To this day, no one invented a machine that formowałaby the local clay. – In the 7C. They came to us Experts from all demoludów and did not want to believe that our clay nothing is impossible to work the machine. Added chemical components, celebrated various wizardry – says Mariusz Osiniak. Without result.
The material, which have in Kraśnik and the surrounding area, the clay loess. – The brick is light and has better thermal insulation properties, but nothing is impossible to produce the machine – explains Richard Belak, an expert on ceramics from Krotoszyn. It is therefore more expensive than the outgoing from the press.
But thanks to this ideal for filling cavities in medieval monuments. In Poland, it complements the already Toruń city walls, the walls of monasteries in Zamosc and Bierwzniku, Upland Gate in Gdansk, castle in Olsztyn. Increasingly, they ask about her, our Western neighbors.
– The brick factories because of environmental regulations and other EU directives need to close the furnaces Hoffman and tunnel, just like the Kraśnika. A brick with only such a furnace suitable for the preservation of historic buildings – says Belak. To have the appearance and characteristics of a true Gothic brick must be molded by hand, in traditional technology mixing clay with water.
Kraśnicka brick can already be found in the walls of the city Tangemunde, Prenzlau. Robel and many other monuments. In this respect, manufacture Osiniak and Trojanowski have competition in Europe. Osiniak therefore believes that the bad times have passed and now will be to develop wings.
Family Osiniaków from grandfather difficult to article bricks and 67 years living in the same wooden (who would have thought) home. – When my grandfather built it in 1938, he wanted to put a brick house – recalls the story of her family’s youngest member. – But all the bricks, which produced our brick factory, went to the construction of the Ammunition Factory in Kraśnik (now Bearing Factory).
Brickyard began to rise in 1914 by local businessmen, among them the great-grandfather Osiniak. The war interrupted their plans. The first brick was fired only in 1921, in a modern at that time the oven hoffmanowskim that works even today. In 1950, the people’s government took over the brickworks, citing a decree Pilsudski 1918. Nationalization of property abandoned and old German. – Our factory has never been either abandoned or post-German, but with power then no one disputed – says Mariusz Osiniak. The family regained their property only in 1990.
Today brick factory works only half-heartedly. The new generation is preparing an offensive marketing effort to generations of bricklayers Kraśnik did not go to my mother. Beata Trojanowska, daughter of Felix, is gearing up to continue the family tradition. He is a lawyer in the power station, but every moment he spends with his father in the brickyard. Together with Mariusz planning the next action. They have a lot of energy and ideas, although awake at night spend their regulations, licenses and permits, which entrenched the production of bricks. For example, clay mine is subject to mining the Main Office in Katowice, so her every manager must complete the appropriate training.
– According to the law, I am miner – Laughs Osiniak. – This year będzie¬my celebrate Barbórka.
This bureaucracy anger Andrew Reja. – EU rules applied blindly make our brickyards have to bear the same costs as the big coal mines or giants producing ceramics. Except for them, such expenditure is a fraction of a percent of revenue, and for us it may be the nail in the coffin.

KRAŚNIK FIGHTS CUSTOMER. THE PRODUCED MORE Bricks, the more work. Off-season unemployment runs at 20 percent. Everyone is eagerly waiting so in April, when the brickyards kindle furnaces. In the past season in the manufacture of brick employed more than 1,000 people, today less than half that. But so t is better than three years ago. With the promotion of the region the situation on the brick is in full swing this year were employed about a hundred people more than last year.
It may be needed further, if this time the feast of the bricks will result in an increased number of orders. In Kraśnik it began already big countdown, all are preparing for the great fete on August 14. – I just nadzielę that I will not have the third time beat his own record. Give me a worthy opponent – laughs the young Osiniak champion in the formation of the world’s largest bricks. – Maybe he broke the Guinness record? If so, they find out about us in the world – combine promarketingowo locals.
They are lucky, the Manufacture is fashionable today, the feast of brick attracts crowds of foreign journalists. And when images of the young Osiniak once again go round the western press, the orders will come again.