This year marks 225 years since the first factory producing knives, pipe stems, files, sickles, scythes, and tobacco pouches was established in Mikulášovice, which was then called Nixdorf. The heart of what is known as Bohemian Switzerland took another step toward becoming the “Czech Solingen” a few years later. The man behind it all was local resident Ignaz Rösler.
He was born on August 1, 1765. He trained as a merchant and lived in Vienna for some time. He made his living as a merchant, but was not very successful. His contemporaries described him as a bold but also impulsive and confrontational man who showed little regard for others and was determined to stick to his decisions.
He was involved in the production of ribbons, sold wood and grain, and imported spirits from Poland. Around 1794, he added the sharpening and production of knives and scalpels to his business. Since he was not a cutler himself, he hired experts who lived in the region and who traditionally sharpened knives in their homes. Master blacksmith Anton Weber, a skilled craftsman but lacking business acumen, was of the greatest help to him.
By 1811, the factory already had about a hundred employees; less than ten years later, that number had doubled. Over time, it established branches in Brno and Vienna and began to threaten the established Viennese cutlers. This caused Ignaz trouble; he had to face intrigues, but thanks to his business acumen, he managed everything, and the company survived.
In 1819, he was elevated to the nobility and received the title “Edler von Ehrenstahl.” In his personal life, however, he was not very happy; his children died at a young age. He suffered a stroke, which also took a toll on his mental health. His nephew Josef Emanuel Fischer inheritedthe factoryalong with his other nephews, Franz Fischer, Josef Rösler, and Alois Rösler.
His tombstone can be found in Mikulášovice, next to the wall of St. Nicholas Church.
The oldest knife still produced by the Mikulášovice factory is the famous “Rybička,” which we’ll discuss in a future post.