ŁUKASIEWICZ, Ignacy
* 8. 3. 1822, Zaduszniki near Tarnów, Poland
† 7. 1. 1882, Chorkówka, Poland
pharmacist, inventor (paraffin lamp), entrepreneur
Due to financial problems after the death of his father, Ł. had to leave the gymnasium and was employed as an apprentice in a pharmacy in Łańcut in 1836. In 1840, he passed the pharmacist examination. From 1848 onwards, he worked at one of the best and largest pharmacies in Galicia, at Piotr Mikolasch in Lwow, where he wrote the pharmaceutical almanac in 1850. Afterwards, he began studying pharmaceutics at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. In 1852, he left for the University of Vienna, and in the same year received the title master of pharmaceutics. After finishing his studies, Ł. returned to Mikolasch's pharmacy. There, together with J. Zeh, he worked on the fractional distillation of oil. In 1852, in the search for a new drug, they succeeded in producing paraffin by the distillation of oil. Already one year later, Ł. designed a prototype of a cylindrical paraffin lamp (patent 1853), and before 1856, together with Mikołaj Fedorowicz, in Siary, founded the first oil refinery in the world. Ł. also started the first oil well in Bóbrka. After founding a company together with K. Klobassa, Zręcki and T. Trzecieski, the most modern oil pumping device in Galicia was set up at the Charkówka Leśna estate, which served to educate future experts. Ł. remained the director of this company until his death, and participated in the setting up of other devices near Gorlice and Krosno. In addition to transport technique, he was also interested in commerce, which is why he attended the exhibitions in Jasło (1858), Vienna (1873), and Lwow (1877), and received numerous awards. From 1880 onwards, he also ran the rural petroleum society for the supply and development of the oil industry and mining. On his initiative, the first Polish newspaper on petroleum named Bergmann, was started. Between 1877 and 1881, as a member of the provincial parliament, he also proposed certain laws that were important to the oil industry. As an entrepreneur, Ł. also supported the building of schools, homes for children, public baths, and pathways, consequently receiving numerous awards.
