Ignacy Łukasiewicz was a great Pole, industrialist, inventor of the oil lamp and founder of the world's first oil mine in Bóbrka near Krosno. The year 2022 marks the 200th anniversary of his birth, which is why this year is the Year of Ignacy Łukasiewicz.
Ignacy Lukasiewicz was born in 1822 to a poor family in the village of Zaduszniki (present-day Podkarpackie province). Due to the family's difficult financial situation, he completed only four grades of junior high school in Rzeszow. At the age of 14, he took up an apprenticeship at a pharmacy in Lancut, where he earned a living and trained in pharmacy and chemistry.
Arrested for independence activities, after 2 years of imprisonment he began working at the renowned pharmacy “Under the Star” in Lviv. He received the coveted Master of Pharmacy degree in 1852 at the University of Vienna. Pharmacists Ignacy Lukasiewicz and Jan Zeh conducted research into the composition of crude oil, and distilled ingredients from the oil that could be useful in the pharmaceutical industry. The resulting kerosene produced a bright fire when burned and was cheaper than other raw materials previously used for lighting.
The inventor found areas rich in oil deposits near Gorlice and Krosno, where he began researching the process of extracting oil from underground deposits. In 1854, together with Tytus Trzecieski and Karol Klobassa-Zrencki, he established the world's first oil mine in Bóbrka near Krosno. The mine and the Museum of Oil and Gas Industry still operate in Bóbrka near Krosno. On the site of the Bóbrka mine stands a stone obelisk erected by Lukasiewicz in 1872 to commemorate the founding of the world's first oil mine.
I. Lukasiewicz died of pneumonia in Kharkiv in 1882. Lukasiewicz's venture initiated the development of the oil industry on Polish soil. In 1909, oil production on Polish soil exceeded 2 million tons. Galicia was ranked third after the US and Russia among the world's oil producers. Currently, Saudi Arabia ranks first in oil production.
Mankind has always been fascinated by light. Over the centuries, primitive torches, oil and gas lamps and candles were used. The invention of the kerosene lamp proved to be a real breakthrough - we gained a cheaper and more efficient source of lighting. The first kerosene lamp was lit in the window of a pharmacy in Lviv in 1853. At the same time, the first surgical operation was performed in a Lviv hospital by the light of kerosene lamps.
The Arłamow Hotel is in possession of a number of shares from various oil mines. The collection became the inspiration for the creation of the Ignacy Lukasiewicz Tourist Trail. In addition, the trail is our idea to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Ignacy Lukasiewicz's birth. The trail also features real kivas, which were once used to extract oil.
We invite you to visit this incredible place!
