Sucreries Raffineries Bulgares
Encyclopedia
Sucreries Raffineries Bulgares (French
for "Bulgarian sugar refineries"; , Balgarski zaharni fabriki i rafinerii) was a Belgian
company active in Bulgaria
from 1897 to 1916.
In March 1895, three Belgian industrialists were granted a 10-year concession over sugar beet
production in the Bulgarian regions of Sofia
, Tran
and Kyustendil
. The investors were also given tax concessions and a Bulgarian State Railways
transport discount. The concession was extended in 1897 and a subsidy
of five Bulgarian lev
a per tonne of refined beet was granted to the Belgians.
The Sucreries Raffineries Bulgares joint-stock company was established in Brussels
in May 1897; it took over the concessioners' rights and assets immediately. The main shareholder in the company was the Solvay
group under Belgian chemist Ernest Solvay
. Sucreries Raffineries Bulgaress factory, situated four kilometres out of Sofia's city limits at the time, in what is today the Zaharna Fabrika ("sugar factory") neighbourhood, was opened on 28 November 1898 in the presence of Bulgarian monarch Prince
Ferdinand I
. The Sucreries Raffineries Bulgares was the largest industrial enterprise in the Principality of Bulgaria
at the time. It was constructed near the Sofia–Kyustendil railway in order to facilitate transport. Most of the equipment was Belgian-made, though some of the machinery and the coke
were shipped from the German Empire
and machine oil was delivered from Austria–Hungary. The refinery used limestone
from Slivnitsa
and water from the Vladaya River
. 23 Belgian specialists arrived in Bulgaria to work in the factory and train the staff.
Production in the refinery was pronouncedly seasonal: the factory employed from 500 to 1,200 people from October to March and only around 150 in the remaining months. The factory had the capacity to produce 7,000 tonnes of refined sugar
a year, though production hardly ever exceeded 5,000 tonnes annually. The company's market share reached a maximum of 20%. In 1916, with Bulgaria's entry into World War I
as part of the Central Powers
, the Belgian investors sold their assets and left the country; the factory closed in 1925 despite modernization in 1921.
The factory's buildings, officially designed a monument of culture of national importance, have been abandoned and disused for many decades, which has led to their very bad condition. A group of architects has informally suggested several ideas to use the buildings, for example as a museum of modern art
, as loft
apartments or as an unlimited space for smokers (smoking in public places is to be banned in Bulgaria in 2010). The factory played a prominent role in Bulgarian director Ivan Nichev's 2005 film Children of Wax; in the film, the Sucreries Raffineries Bulgares factory was the set for the Berlin
immigrant neighbourhood Kreuzberg
.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for "Bulgarian sugar refineries"; , Balgarski zaharni fabriki i rafinerii) was a Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
company active in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
from 1897 to 1916.
In March 1895, three Belgian industrialists were granted a 10-year concession over sugar beet
Sugar beet
Sugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...
production in the Bulgarian regions of Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Tran
Tran, Bulgaria
Tran |thorn]]") is a small town in Pernik Province, western Bulgaria. It is 27 kilometres away from the town of Breznik and 15 km from the border with Serbia....
and Kyustendil
Kyustendil
Kyustendil is a town in the far west of Bulgaria, the capital of Kyustendil Province, with a population of 44 416 . Kyustendil is situated in the southern part of the Kyustendil Valley, 90 km southwest of Sofia...
. The investors were also given tax concessions and a Bulgarian State Railways
Bulgarian State Railways
The Bulgarian State Railways are Bulgaria's state railway company and the largest railway carrier in the country, established as an entity in 1885. The company's headquarters are located in the capital Sofia. Since the 1990s the BDZ has met serious competition from automotive transport...
transport discount. The concession was extended in 1897 and a subsidy
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
of five Bulgarian lev
Bulgarian lev
The lev is the currency of Bulgaria. It is divided in 100 stotinki . In archaic Bulgarian the word "lev" meant "lion".It is speculated that Bulgaria, as a member of the European Union will adopt the Euro in 2015 .- First lev, 1881–1952 :...
a per tonne of refined beet was granted to the Belgians.
The Sucreries Raffineries Bulgares joint-stock company was established in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in May 1897; it took over the concessioners' rights and assets immediately. The main shareholder in the company was the Solvay
Solvay (company)
Solvay S.A. is a Belgian chemical company with its head office in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium. It was founded in 1863 by Ernest Solvay to produce sodium carbonate by the solvay process. Since then the company has diversified to two major sectors of activity: chemicals and plastics...
group under Belgian chemist Ernest Solvay
Ernest Solvay
Ernest Gaston Joseph Solvay was a Belgian chemist, industrialist and philanthropist.Born at Rebecq, he was prevented by acute pleurisy from going to university...
. Sucreries Raffineries Bulgaress factory, situated four kilometres out of Sofia's city limits at the time, in what is today the Zaharna Fabrika ("sugar factory") neighbourhood, was opened on 28 November 1898 in the presence of Bulgarian monarch Prince
Knyaz
Kniaz, knyaz or knez is a Slavic title found in most Slavic languages, denoting a royal nobility rank. It is usually translated into English as either Prince or less commonly as Duke....
Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I of Bulgaria
Ferdinand , born Ferdinand Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, was the ruler of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1918, first as knyaz and later as tsar...
. The Sucreries Raffineries Bulgares was the largest industrial enterprise in the Principality of Bulgaria
Principality of Bulgaria
The Principality of Bulgaria was a self-governing entity created as a vassal of the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. The preliminary treaty of San Stefano between the Russian Empire and the Porte , on March 3, had originally proposed a significantly larger Bulgarian territory: its...
at the time. It was constructed near the Sofia–Kyustendil railway in order to facilitate transport. Most of the equipment was Belgian-made, though some of the machinery and the coke
Coke (fuel)
Coke is the solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Cokes from coal are grey, hard, and porous. While coke can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-made.- History :...
were shipped from the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
and machine oil was delivered from Austria–Hungary. The refinery used limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
from Slivnitsa
Slivnitsa
Slivnitsa is a town in western Bulgaria, 22 km away from Sofia, lying on the main road connecting the capital with the Bulgarian-Serbian border...
and water from the Vladaya River
Vladaya River
The Vladaya River is a river in western Bulgaria, a tributary to the Iskar River.The river flows from the northwestern slopes of Cherni Vrah on Vitosha Mountain, crossing Torfeno Branishte Nature Reserve, then submerging beneath Zlatnite Mostove Stone River, turning to the northeast at the village...
. 23 Belgian specialists arrived in Bulgaria to work in the factory and train the staff.
Production in the refinery was pronouncedly seasonal: the factory employed from 500 to 1,200 people from October to March and only around 150 in the remaining months. The factory had the capacity to produce 7,000 tonnes of refined sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
a year, though production hardly ever exceeded 5,000 tonnes annually. The company's market share reached a maximum of 20%. In 1916, with Bulgaria's entry into World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as part of the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
, the Belgian investors sold their assets and left the country; the factory closed in 1925 despite modernization in 1921.
The factory's buildings, officially designed a monument of culture of national importance, have been abandoned and disused for many decades, which has led to their very bad condition. A group of architects has informally suggested several ideas to use the buildings, for example as a museum of modern art
Modern art
Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of...
, as loft
Loft
A loft can be an upper story or attic in a building, directly under the roof. Alternatively, a loft apartment refers to large adaptable open space, often converted for residential use from some other use, often light industrial...
apartments or as an unlimited space for smokers (smoking in public places is to be banned in Bulgaria in 2010). The factory played a prominent role in Bulgarian director Ivan Nichev's 2005 film Children of Wax; in the film, the Sucreries Raffineries Bulgares factory was the set for the Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
immigrant neighbourhood Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg, a part of the combined Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte since 2001, is one of the best-known areas of Berlin...
.