Lilpop, Rau i Loewenstein
LRL logo was used alongside the full name until 1939
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1860 advertisement of the Lilpop factory
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| Fate | destroyed by the Germans during World War II |
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| Founded | Warsaw, Poland (1818) |
| Defunct | 1944 |
| Headquarters | Warsaw, Poland |
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Number of employees
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ca. 150 in 1831 450 in 1866 1300 in 1897 ca. 2000 in 1914 3900 in 1938 |
Lilpop, Rau i Loewenstein ([ˈlilpɔp rau̯ i lɛvɛnʂtai̯n], often shortened to Lilpop or LRL) was a Polish engineering company. Established in 1818 as an iron foundry, with time it rose to become a large holding company specialising in iron and steel production, as well as all sorts of machinery and metal products.
The largest factory was in Warsaw. Between the 1860s and World War II the company was the largest Polish producer of machinery, cars, lorries and railway equipment. The range of products designed and produced by Lilpop included train engines, rails, railway cars and equipment for railroads, automotive engines, license-built lorries (Chevrolet and Buick), steam turbines, electric appliances and many other types of machinery.
The main factory of Lilpop, Rau i Loewenstein in Warsaw was looted by the Germans during the World War II and the buildings demolished. The company was not rebuilt after the war.
The predecessor to the Lilpop, Rau i Loewenstein company was the Odlewnia i Rządowa Fabryka Machin ("Foundry and Government Machinery Factory"), the first iron foundry in Warsaw. Established in 1818, it was initially headed by Thomas Evans and Joseph Morris, two British nationals active in the Kingdom of Poland at the time. In 1824 Morris left the business and it was taken over by Thomas Evans and his brother Andrew, hence it was renamed to "Bracia Evans" – the Evans Brothers Co. They were later joined by Douglas Evans, Alfred Evans and engineer Joshua Routledge. The company was producing mostly cast iron agricultural equipment and had a crew of approximately 150 workers. Initially occupying a small plot of land at Piesza Street, soon it was moved to the ground of a former convent and a defrocked St. George's Church at Świętojerska Street. A modern factory, it was the first venue in Warsaw to use gas lighting.
During the November Uprising the factory extended its product range to include cannons for the Polish Army. The company prospered until the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1854, when all British citizens, including Alfred and Douglas Evans, had to leave the Russian Empire and its dependencies.
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