Gessler (company)
Encyclopedia
The Gessler company is an Austria
n company that produces liqueur
such as "Altvater" as well as Monopolowa
vodka.
), Silesia
, and its brand name “Altvater” gained world renown.
After the collapse of Austria-Hungary
after World War I
, licenses were granted to branches in Vienna
, Budapest
, Czernowitz, Bielitz (Bielsko
) and Agram (Zagreb
). After the Second World War, most of the branches in Eastern Europe
were nationalized and became state operated. The Vienna branch continued to produce various products, including Monopolowa
vodka.
After the Second World War, Eduard Gessler, the owner of the Altvater Gessler Company in Vienna, Austria, distantly related to the Baczewski family, reacquired the J. A. Baczewski
mark. Under Eduard Gessler’s guidance, Altvater Gessler and J.A. Baczewski reunited under the combined name Altvater Gessler - J.A. Baczewski, with its principal place of business in Vienna, Austria.
The reconstituted company continued to specialize in quality alcoholic products for domestic consumption in Austria and for export to various countries in various continents, to include Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, most notably the United States. Its centuries’ old reputation and record of quality led to its being selected as the only representative of the Austrian liquor industry at the International World Fair in Chicago in 1950.
Following Eduard Gessler’s death in 1979, his son Elek Gessler consolidated the affairs of both traditional companies into one new legal entity in 1980, which to this day is known as “Altvater Gessler - J.A. Baczewski, GmbH”, an Austrian corporation. In 1983, Elek Gessler established Altvater Gessler - J.A. Baczewski International (USA) Inc., a New Jersey, USA, Corporation, to manage United States operations. To this date, both companies are owned solely by the Gessler family.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n company that produces liqueur
Liqueur
A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
such as "Altvater" as well as Monopolowa
Monopolowa
Monopolowa is a vodka made in Austria originated from Poland. It is distilled from potatoes. It scored a 94 at the 2003 International Review of Spirits, the highest score, tying with Stolichnaya, from Russia. It is produced under the brand of the pre-war Polish spirits producer J. A...
vodka.
History
The original company was founded in Bromberg (today, Bydgoszcz in Poland). In 1873, the company, which supplied the entire Austro-Hungarian Empire, was reorganized in Jägerndorf (KrnovKrnov
Krnov is an Upper Silesian city in the northeastern Czech Republic, in the Moravian-Silesian Region, the District of Bruntál, on the Opava River, near the Polish border....
), Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
, and its brand name “Altvater” gained world renown.
After the collapse of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, licenses were granted to branches in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Czernowitz, Bielitz (Bielsko
Bielsko
Bielsko was until 1950 an independent town situated in Cieszyn Silesia, Poland. In 1951 it was joined with Biała Krakowska to form the new town of Bielsko-Biała. Bielsko constitutes the western part of that town....
) and Agram (Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
). After the Second World War, most of the branches in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
were nationalized and became state operated. The Vienna branch continued to produce various products, including Monopolowa
Monopolowa
Monopolowa is a vodka made in Austria originated from Poland. It is distilled from potatoes. It scored a 94 at the 2003 International Review of Spirits, the highest score, tying with Stolichnaya, from Russia. It is produced under the brand of the pre-war Polish spirits producer J. A...
vodka.
After the Second World War, Eduard Gessler, the owner of the Altvater Gessler Company in Vienna, Austria, distantly related to the Baczewski family, reacquired the J. A. Baczewski
J. A. Baczewski
J. A. Baczewski was a Polish company most well-known for its fine spirits such as vodka and gin. The factory, dating back to late 18th century, was based in Lwów and until 1939 was one of two most popular Polish export goods.- History :...
mark. Under Eduard Gessler’s guidance, Altvater Gessler and J.A. Baczewski reunited under the combined name Altvater Gessler - J.A. Baczewski, with its principal place of business in Vienna, Austria.
The reconstituted company continued to specialize in quality alcoholic products for domestic consumption in Austria and for export to various countries in various continents, to include Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, most notably the United States. Its centuries’ old reputation and record of quality led to its being selected as the only representative of the Austrian liquor industry at the International World Fair in Chicago in 1950.
Following Eduard Gessler’s death in 1979, his son Elek Gessler consolidated the affairs of both traditional companies into one new legal entity in 1980, which to this day is known as “Altvater Gessler - J.A. Baczewski, GmbH”, an Austrian corporation. In 1983, Elek Gessler established Altvater Gessler - J.A. Baczewski International (USA) Inc., a New Jersey, USA, Corporation, to manage United States operations. To this date, both companies are owned solely by the Gessler family.