The origins of Józef Bożek

The question of Józef Bożek’s nationality often arouses interest amongst researchers. Available sources suggest that he came from a miller’s family in Bier in Cieszyn Silesia, now part of Poland but at that time part of the Austrian monarchy. According to Czech researchers, the family is said to have had Czech roots, whilst in Poland, Polish or Silesian origins are more commonly cited. There is therefore no consensus regarding Bożek’s origins – some describe him as an engineer of Czech or Polish descent, whilst others occasionally point to Silesian roots. It seems, however, that unequivocally attributing a national identity to Brożek is impossible and ahistorical. He came from Cieszyn Silesia; he presumably spoke the Cieszyn dialect at home, and his roots lay in Silesia. He was educated and worked primarily within Czech-Austrian circles. Through his place of origin, he was also partly linked to Polish culture, which is why his gravestone is listed in the catalogue of Polish cultural artefacts, without any definitive conclusion being drawn regarding his nationality

His work

He received his education first in Bielsko, and from 1795 in Cieszyn; he studied and carried out his projects in the Czech lands, initially in Brno and subsequently in Prague, helping to shape the history of Czech technical thought and Czech engineering. Whilst attending grammar school, Józef Bożek simultaneously developed his technical skills. During this period, he created a series of models of various mechanisms for the collection of Father Leopold Jan Szersznik (Scherschnik), the grammar school’s headmaster, including an authentic model of a mill. These models later enriched the secondary school’s collection. Thanks to a recommendation from Szersznik, in 1803 Bożek travelled to Brno, where he continued his education, focusing on mathematics and mechanics. In Brno, he also created a model of a cloth-shearing machine, which has survived to this day.

In 1804, Józef Bożek decided to move to Prague, where, on the one hand, he earned a living by working, amongst other things, as a watchmaker and later as a tutor to the children of Count K. J. Clam-Martinica’s children, whilst also continuing his studies at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Prague, focusing on mathematics and mechanics. His talent did not go unnoticed by the renowned Professor F. J. Gerstner, who took him under his wing and offered him the post of mechanic and master watchmaker at the newly established technical workshops.

The decision to take up a post with Professor František Josef Gerstner (1756–1832) was to prove a turning point in Bożek’s career. He hoped it would allow him to devote himself fully to his passion for design and to realise ambitious projects. Faced with these challenges, Bożek decided to abandon his previous studies and education in order to focus entirely on his work at the technical college workshops. However, this employment did not provide Bożek with sufficient income, and Gerstner’s domineering personality often restricted his creativity and genuine opportunities for development; consequently, it did not bring him the satisfaction he had expected nor provide financial stability.

Upon starting work in the technical university’s workshops, Józef Bożek had the opportunity to take part in the design of the first steam engine in the Czech lands. During his time at the technical university, he created numerous models and devices, including a variety of clock mechanisms and intricate clocks, which can now be admired in the collections of the National Technical Museum. Among his works is a precision clock for the Astronomical Institute, built in 1812. He also gained significant recognition as the creator of innovative orthopaedic aids. His designs, including an artificial hand for General Alexandros Ipsilantis (1792–1828), who lost his limb at the Battle of Chlum, and prostheses for Fedor Danielowski, a Russian officer who had both legs amputated below the knee as a result of the fighting at Dresden, were widely praised for their functionality and comfort of use. His other works include a lens-grinding machine and an autonomous weaving workshop.

Steam engines

The greatest acclaim, but also the greatest disappointment in Józef Bożek’s career, came from his steam engine projects. Technically, these were advanced designs which initially attracted interest and secured financial backing. Nevertheless, they did not translate into the financial success that had been anticipated. His steam-powered vehicle, sometimes referred to as a car or a locomotive, was exhibited in Prague in 1815; it was only the third vehicle of its kind in the world, and its design was smaller and lighter – so it did not need to run on tracks, and a single person was sufficient to operate it. The inventor’s situation deteriorated significantly in 1817, when, during a demonstration on 1 June, he presented an improved steam vehicle and a boat. A storm broke out during the demonstration and, in the ensuing confusion, the inventor was robbed of all the money he had collected. This event considerably worsened his already difficult financial situation and ultimately led to the destruction of the prototypes and the abandonment of further experiments with steam engines.

During this period, Józef Bożek also founded the company ‘Józef Bożek and Sons’. Following the disappointment of 1817, he curtailed his interest in steam engines, constructing only a few small steam engines for selected clients, whilst no longer undertaking more ambitious projects in this field. At that time, he focused his activities on the design and manufacture of precision clock mechanisms, industrial machinery and water supply equipment. He was also involved in the design of railway carriages, responding to the growing needs of the newly established Czech railway lines, and constructed a draisine.

Death

Unfortunately, whilst carrying out maintenance work on an old water main in the Świtkowska Tower, Bożek contracted pneumonia. The illness proved fatal and led to his untimely death on 21 October 1835, when he was 53 years old. He was survived by his wife Józefina and two sons, who, like their father, gained recognition as outstanding engineers.

Józef Bożek was the protagonist of a short story by Zofia Kossak-Szczucka and Gustaw Morcinek. A commemorative plaque has been erected in Biery.

At the Olšany Cemetery in Prague, his modest gravestone has been preserved in the form of a cross on a plinth and base, preceded by a tomb slab. It is a simple cross standing on its own two-tiered, moulded plinth. The first and second tiers of the plinth are cuboid in shape. On the front of the first tier is a panel with a plaque made of black stone – an igneous rock, possibly diorite. The second step features two panels, one at the bottom and one at the top, with plaques similar to those on the first step. All the letters are filled with gold paint. The plinth transitions, via its mouldings, into a wider, hipped roof. The plaque on the first tier commemorates Józef Bożek; on the second tier, at the top, there is an inscription:

Joseph Bożek / graduate of the Polytechnic School and the Imperial and Royal Provincial School of Mechanics / died on 21 October 1835 in the 54th year of his legal / actual life. //.

Below is a plaque from 1952 bearing the following engraved inscription:

IN HONOUR OF THE MEMORY / OF A PIONEER OF STEAM TRANSPORT / IN CENTRAL EUROPE. / RESTORED IN 1952 BY THE 2nd HIGHER INDUSTRIAL / SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING IN PRAGUE I AND THE NATIONAL / TECHNICAL MUSEUM //.

A plaque featuring a cross in relief, the whole enclosed by a cast-iron fence with geometric forms.