Emanuel Nobel
Encyclopedia
Emanuel Nobel (10 June 1859 – 31 May 1932) was a Swedish-Russian oil baron
, the eldest son of Ludvig Nobel
and his first wife, Mina Ahlsell, grandson of Immanuel Nobel
and nephew of Alfred Nobel
.
's oil business, Branobel
, an oil empire that was based in Baku
and was the largest oil company in Europe, of which he and his brothers and sisters were by far the main shareholders, followed by his uncles Alfred and Robert. Carl Nobel, Emanuel's brother, was put in charge of the Machine-Building Factory Ludvig Nobel.
Emanuel Nobel was a very forward-looking businessman, just like his father, who had instigated the construction of Russia
's first pipeline
and the world's first oil tanker
in 1878, as well as the world's first railway tank car
s in 1883. On 16 February 1898 Emanuel signed a licence agreement in Berlin with Rudolf Diesel
, after having heard Diesel describing his new engine in a public lecture. The agreement allowed Nobel to build the world's first diesel engine
plant in St Petersburg, and the engines were used to propel Branobel's fleet of oil tanker
s. Emanuel led Baku
to a dominating role in the global oil industry and Branobel
activities soon developed throughout the Caspian Sea
, operating also in Grozny
and Dosser.
In 1888, Emanuel was host to Tsar Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark) in Baku
and was then personally requested by the Tsar to accept Russian citizenship, which he graciously accepted. From 1891 until 1918, His Excellency
Emanuel Nobel was also on the board of the Russian State Bank's Discount Committee.
He was in charge of the company until he was forced to flee Russia
in the Summer of 1918.
died, in 1896, and his will was disclosed, the heirs of his eldest brother, Robert, displeased by the fact that the major part of their uncle's estate was bequeated to the creation of the Nobel Foundation
and of the Nobel Prizes, started a legal action to invalidate it. Emanuel Nobel, however, as head of the younger branch of the family, played a fundamental role in supporting the execution of his uncle's wishes, pleading even before King Oscar II, and an agreement with Robert Nobel
's heirs was reached in 1898, thus allowing the creation of the Nobel Prizes.
's residence in St. Petersburg and of its Summer residence, Kirjola, on the Karelian Isthmus
, displayed one of the most important collections, after the Romanov
Imperial Collection, of Fabergé
's masterworks and of Russian painting. A considerable part of the collection kept in St. Petersburg was saved from the hands of the Bolscheviks as well as most of the art objects that furnished Kirjola, which was destroyed during the Winter War
in 1940.
in the Summer of 1919. After the seizure of the Nobel family
's properties by the Bolscheviks, Emanuel gradually retreated from the direction of the family's businesses. He never married and died in 1932 in Sweden.
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
, the eldest son of Ludvig Nobel
Ludvig Nobel
Ludvig Immanuel Nobel was an engineer, a noted businessman and a humanitarian. One of the most prominent members of the Nobel family, he was the son of Immanuel Nobel and Alfred Nobel's older brother...
and his first wife, Mina Ahlsell, grandson of Immanuel Nobel
Immanuel Nobel
'Immanuel Nobel' , the younger, was a Swedish engineer, architect, inventor and industrialist. He was the inventor of the rotary lathe used in plywood manufacturing. He was a member of the Nobel family and the father of Robert Nobel, Ludvig Nobel and Alfred Nobel...
and nephew of Alfred Nobel
Alfred Nobel
Alfred Bernhard Nobel was a Swedish chemist, engineer, innovator, and armaments manufacturer. He is the inventor of dynamite. Nobel also owned Bofors, which he had redirected from its previous role as primarily an iron and steel producer to a major manufacturer of cannon and other armaments...
.
Businessman
After his father's death, in 1888, Emanuel Nobel took over the running of the Nobel familyNobel family
The Nobel family is a prominent Swedish family closely related to the history both of Sweden and of Russia in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its legacy includes its outstanding contributions to philanthropy and to the development of the armament industry and of the oil industry...
's oil business, Branobel
Branobel
The Petroleum Production Company Nobel Brothers, Limited,or Branobel , was an oil company set up by Ludvig Nobel and Baron Peter von Bilderling, in Baku, Azerbaijan...
, an oil empire that was based in Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
and was the largest oil company in Europe, of which he and his brothers and sisters were by far the main shareholders, followed by his uncles Alfred and Robert. Carl Nobel, Emanuel's brother, was put in charge of the Machine-Building Factory Ludvig Nobel.
Emanuel Nobel was a very forward-looking businessman, just like his father, who had instigated the construction of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
's first pipeline
Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
and the world's first oil tanker
Oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
in 1878, as well as the world's first railway tank car
Tank car
A tank car is a type of railroad rolling stock designed to transport liquid and gaseous commodities.-Timeline:...
s in 1883. On 16 February 1898 Emanuel signed a licence agreement in Berlin with Rudolf Diesel
Rudolf Diesel
Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel was a German inventor and mechanical engineer, famous for the invention of the diesel engine.-Early life:Diesel was born in Paris, France in 1858 the second of three children of Theodor and Elise Diesel. His parents were Bavarian immigrants living in Paris. Theodor...
, after having heard Diesel describing his new engine in a public lecture. The agreement allowed Nobel to build the world's first diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
plant in St Petersburg, and the engines were used to propel Branobel's fleet of oil tanker
Oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
s. Emanuel led Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
to a dominating role in the global oil industry and Branobel
Branobel
The Petroleum Production Company Nobel Brothers, Limited,or Branobel , was an oil company set up by Ludvig Nobel and Baron Peter von Bilderling, in Baku, Azerbaijan...
activities soon developed throughout the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
, operating also in Grozny
Grozny
Grozny is the capital city of the Chechen Republic, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the preliminary results of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 271,596; up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Census. but still only about two-thirds of 399,688 recorded in the 1989...
and Dosser.
In 1888, Emanuel was host to Tsar Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark) in Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
and was then personally requested by the Tsar to accept Russian citizenship, which he graciously accepted. From 1891 until 1918, His Excellency
Excellency
Excellency is an honorific style given to certain members of an organization or state.Usually, people styled "Excellency" are heads of state, heads of government, governors, ambassadors, certain ecclesiastics, royalty, aristocracy, and military, and others holding equivalent rank .It is...
Emanuel Nobel was also on the board of the Russian State Bank's Discount Committee.
He was in charge of the company until he was forced to flee Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in the Summer of 1918.
Emanuel's role in the execution of Alfred Nobel's will
After Alfred NobelAlfred Nobel
Alfred Bernhard Nobel was a Swedish chemist, engineer, innovator, and armaments manufacturer. He is the inventor of dynamite. Nobel also owned Bofors, which he had redirected from its previous role as primarily an iron and steel producer to a major manufacturer of cannon and other armaments...
died, in 1896, and his will was disclosed, the heirs of his eldest brother, Robert, displeased by the fact that the major part of their uncle's estate was bequeated to the creation of the Nobel Foundation
Nobel Foundation
The Nobel Foundation is a private institution founded on 29 June 1900 to manage the finances and administration of the Nobel Prizes. The Foundation is based on the last will of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite....
and of the Nobel Prizes, started a legal action to invalidate it. Emanuel Nobel, however, as head of the younger branch of the family, played a fundamental role in supporting the execution of his uncle's wishes, pleading even before King Oscar II, and an agreement with Robert Nobel
Robert Nobel
Robert Hjalmar Nobel was the oldest son of Immanuel Nobel and his wife Caroline Andrietta Ahlsell, brother of Ludvig and Alfred Nobel....
's heirs was reached in 1898, thus allowing the creation of the Nobel Prizes.
Art collector
Like his father Ludvig, Emanuel Nobel was an enthusiastic art collector. The rooms of the Nobel familyNobel family
The Nobel family is a prominent Swedish family closely related to the history both of Sweden and of Russia in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its legacy includes its outstanding contributions to philanthropy and to the development of the armament industry and of the oil industry...
's residence in St. Petersburg and of its Summer residence, Kirjola, on the Karelian Isthmus
Karelian Isthmus
The Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110 km wide stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva . Its northwestern boundary is the relatively narrow area between the Bay of Vyborg and Lake Ladoga...
, displayed one of the most important collections, after the Romanov
Romanov
The House of Romanov was the second and last imperial dynasty to rule over Russia, reigning from 1613 until the February Revolution abolished the crown in 1917...
Imperial Collection, of Fabergé
Fabergé
Fabergé may refer to:*House of Fabergé, a Russian jewelry firm founded by Gustav Faberge in 1842*Fabergé workmaster, goldsmiths who produced jewelry for the House of Fabergé*Fabergé eggs, the most famous works of the House of Faberge...
's masterworks and of Russian painting. A considerable part of the collection kept in St. Petersburg was saved from the hands of the Bolscheviks as well as most of the art objects that furnished Kirjola, which was destroyed during the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
in 1940.
Final years
The outcome of the Russian Revolution forced Emanuel to flee RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in the Summer of 1919. After the seizure of the Nobel family
Nobel family
The Nobel family is a prominent Swedish family closely related to the history both of Sweden and of Russia in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its legacy includes its outstanding contributions to philanthropy and to the development of the armament industry and of the oil industry...
's properties by the Bolscheviks, Emanuel gradually retreated from the direction of the family's businesses. He never married and died in 1932 in Sweden.