Confectionery Factory "Kopernik"

The gingerbread factory was founded in 1763 by Johann Weese (1731-1775). He was the son of Christina née Glaser and Gottfried Weese, a shopkeeper who settled in Toruń from Gdańsk in 1728.[4]

From April 1747, Johann learnt the trade of gingerbread baking with Melchior Friebe.[4] After Friebe's death around 1760, Johann Weese married his widow Elżbieta née Lorentz. Thanks to his union, he became the owner of Melchior's gingerbread factory. Elżbieta died around 1762 and bequeathed the estate to her husband and her daughter Dorota Elżbieta Mędzikowska (from her first wedlock). On February 14, 1763, Johann Weese married Dorotha Schreiber, the widow of another gingerbread master, Johann Samuel Schriber the younger.[4]

In 1763, Johann founded his own gingerbread workshop, located at today's 5/9 Małe Garbary street in Toruń.[5]

Johann Weese died on March 9, 1775 of dropsy. His wife Dorotha ran the plant till her demise in 1796. At this date, the factory fell into the hands of her younger son, Andreas Michael Weese.[4]

In the middle of the 19th century, the Weese family owned several production plots in Toruń: at 9/11 Sadlarska street (currently 20 Królowej Jadwigi street), 3 Strumykowa and 5/9 Małe Garbary street.

In 1885, a thorough reconstruction of the factory at 4 Strumykowa street was launched.[6]

The gingerbread aging workshops were transformed into a larger and modern factory by Johann's grandson, Gustav, who decided to build in 1908-1913 a modern factory at Fritz-Reutersstrasse (currently Żółkiewskiego Street), where the entire production was eventually moved in 1914.[6] Under Gustav's management, the plant increased its exports to countries like Turkey, China, Japan and Australia.[1]

In 1908, the company was employing 105 workers.[5]

In the interwar period, over 200 employees worked in Weese's plant. In 1939, the company was purchased by the Polish Cooperative Społem (Polish: Krajowy Związek Rewizyjny Spółdzielni Spożywców „Społem”).[7] The same year, gingerbread baked in old wooden molds from the Weese factory was presented at the New York World's Fair.[7]

During World War II, the factory was destroyed and most of the equipment was stolen by the German occupying forces.

Rebuilt at the end of the conflict, the gingerbread plant was taken over by the Confectionery Industry Association based Warsaw. In 1951, the factory was renamed Gingerbread and Confectionery Factory "Kopernik" (Polish: Fabryka Pierników i Wyrobów Cukierniczych "Kopernik"), gathering all the employees working in Toruń in the different plants before WWII (Weese, Thomas Hermann, Jan Ruchniewocz...).[7]

Throughout the entire PRL period, "Kopernik" was the only producer of Toruń gingerbread in the country.

In 1991, the business was privatized and changed into a joint-stock company, Fabryka Cukiernicza "Kopernik" SA. At that time, it was the first confectionery company in Poland privatized in the form of employee shareholding.[3]

Since 2003, "Kopernik" Confectionery Factory has been the main sponsor of a campaign honoring famous Toruń residents, located on the Gingerbread Alley of Stars in Toruń (Polish: Piernikowa Aleja Gwiazd w Toruniu) at the Dwór Artus.[8] Nowadays, "Kopernik" has around 250 personnel.[2]

Toruńskie Gingerbread now reaches Great Britain thanks to a cooperation with Tesco as well as Morocco and Taiwan through Auchan selling network.[3]

Since 2015, the 1885 former factory at 4 Strumykowa street, designed by Reinhard Uebrick, has been housing the Toruń Gingerbread Museum, as a branch of the District Museum in Toruń.[9]

The Toruń-based professional basketball team is named Twarde Pierniki Toruń (English: Hard Gingerbread Toruń).