Historie

The history of PAPER industry in Lanškroun

M. Pam & Co

The history dates back to 1884 when Mr. Moric Pam founded company „M. Pam & Co“ which started to
specialize in manufacture of paper tubes and spools in Lanškroun. The manufacture was started in a small workshop using 16 machines run by a 2 horsepower steam engine. There were 6 workers who worked 6 days a week and 13 hours a day. The demand for manufacture rose and the labour force increased. In 1890, the company employed 260 workers. The existing premises didn't keep up with the increase in production and thus the owner bought and rebuilt the adjoining house nr. 59. At that time, the first 16 horsepower steam engine was bought. Other plots of land were gradually bought where a large production hall, boiler house, drying room, surface treatment and a fitter workshop were built. In 1900, the steam drive was replaced by the electric drive from own source, the company was not connected to the public electrical network. The following company associates, Moric Pam's sons, chose the symbol PACO to label their products (a combination of letters of the company name Pam & Co). As the only factory in Europe, the company started to specialize in impregnated and coated paper tubes in 1906. Their products were exported, for example, to Habelschwerdt (Bystrzyca Kłodzka), Neuweistritz (Nowa Bystrzyca), Dresden, Vorkloster, Marburg in Yugoslavia, Bielitz (Bielsko Biała) in Poland and to England. Two M. Pam's sons set up a factory also in Neunkirchen in Lower Austria. In 1929, a new boiler house with a chimney was built becoming the landmark of Lanškroun with its height of 65 metres. In 1931, Mr. Theodor Pam (one of five Moric Pam's sons) who took over the company invented a bakelite version of spools protected by trade mark „PACO“. In the 1930s, the number of workers reached 600. The owners' wealth constantly grew, but there were really poor working conditions in the factory which went hand in hand with frequent work injuries in the workplace. The factory was then handed over to Theodor's sons Kurt and Walter. At that me, the rise of fascism was obvious in the border areas. After the occupation of Lanškroun 7th – 11th October 1938 the paper tube, bobbins and spools manufacture Pam & Co was confiscated by the Nazis. Its owners had to emigrate because oftheir Jewish origin and the Pam family never came back to Lanškroun again. Walter Pam and his family emigrated to Canada in 1939, from year 1983, he and his family lived in Paris, where he died in 1997. According to the memoirs of his daughter Liselotte e Fischer Pam, her father Theodor Pam and mother Marta went on holiday to Ostende, Belgium in August 1938 and afterwards straight to England. He wanted even to found a subsidiary there. However, the facilities prepared for this subsidiary were confiscated bythe Nazis.

Ernst W. Reinshagen

The enterprise was bought from the Reichsbank (German naonal bank) and company Ernst W. Reinshagen took it over as of 1st October 1939. The production continued and the links were maintained with
customers, for example in the Balkan countries and Hungary.

National administration
E.W. Reinshagen & spol.

After the war in 1945, the enterprise was taken over by the national administration. Theodor Pam applied for property restituon from Canada, however, it was declined and the company was nationalised.
The former owner's nephew Otto Pam came to take over the company. However, he was allowed to stay with the company only as a national administrator (about 2 months). He struggled for property restitution
and thus, the works council found him “polically unreliable” and he was dismissed in August 1945.
The operation was commenced on 22nd July 1945 with considerable problems. The most employees (especially trade union employees) were German and they immediately left. Only a few of those remained who were not the Nazis.

After the expulsion of the Germans, inhabitants and labour force started to move to Lanškroun, which saved the enterprise.
In 1948. the volume of export amounted to 13.8 mil. CSK in wholesale prices (especially Yugoslavia and German Democrac Republic).
The state-owned enterprise was renamed several times during the era of socialism and it was a part of a few companies (Moravské papírny Jindřichov, Krkonošské papírny). On 2nd July 1949, an independent state owned enterprise Lanškrounské papírny was founded. The enterprise was prosperous and employed thousands of employees.
The then catalogue of the products says that PACO – spools are unbreakable, don't get bent and twisted, are light, consume little driving power, withstand boiling and acids, temperature changes, they have the
highest durability and always constant quality. The assortment of the products included paper tubes for dyeing machines Krantz, weft pirns for silk, conical pipes, spindle extensions, we pirns (Weft), silk and
coon circular spools, silk pipes, conical pipes with a cone, silk cones, for dyeworks, for cotton spooling, conical tubes foryarn manufactures, bole bobbins, roving frames tubes and wool tubes, circular spoons and
tubes foryarn spinning, warp tubes and weft pirns and bobbins, rabeth spools and bobbins for roving frames

Východočeské papírny, n.p., Lanškroun

From 2nd July 1949, there was an independent enterprise Lanškrounské papírny, n.p. and two years later it was the basic of a state-owned enterprise Východočeské papírny, n.p. Lanškroun with subsidiaries in Eastern Bohemia (Solnice, Nové Město nad Metují, Dobruška, Doudleby nad Orlicí, Polička, Hostačov, Chrast u Chrudimi).
In the 1950s, the paper tubes impregnation technology using impregnation agents was modernized, which
was connected with the construction of a new impregnation building. There was progress in the producon, technology and machinery in the 1960s. Paper tubes and spools of various size and design resistant to exposure to heat, humidity, steam and chemical solutions were produced. The surface of paper tubes was scalloped, grooved, impregnated or varnished.
On 11th June 1969, a fire broke out in the plant which spread into the production premises in the central part of the factory and destroyed a part of the buildings and facilities. The plant was set on fire by one of the employees in revenge on the team. A new impregnation substance ELACO was developed in the plant
laboratory. A new paper tube called ROBUR withstood 20-40 uses in a row. In addition, paper tubes on the
Východočeské papírny, n.p., Lanškroun basis of resinoid and thermoplastic were manufactured. They were used in textile and chemical industry. Winding machines BK 210 and BK 280 for the producon of conical paper tubes and machines CYL 220 for the production of cylindrical paper tubes, series of machines for the
production of roving spools, winding machines dryers, paper grinder machines were designed
and produced. At the end of the 60s, a new facility was built using own efforts (the costs amounng to 50 million CSK).
The warehouse facilities, production preparation workshops, production technologies, dispatching and waste processing facilies were completely finished. Thus, there was a possibility to extend the producon to include papertubes and cardboard products made of grooved cardboard. These innovations continued constantly until the 80s.
In 1961, a modest computing centre was set up. It was completed with modern equipment
(computer EC 1021) in 1974. This fact had a considerable impact on the producon efficiency
and thus on employees' wages.

Východočeské papírny, n.p., Lanškroun

The 1970s were marked by quality improvement and a wider range of products. A new impregnation substance PAREX enabled the production of paper tubes with a higher mechanical resistance to water and steam. Arange of products made of paper and plasc were introduced. The producon of pacotex funnels made of pressed resin paper was stopped later. A series of grooving automatic machines were a great success in the area ofthe technical development, including the construction of a new impregnation facility, development of plastic tubes and the installation of a so-called roller machine, a machine used to manufacture impregnated paper. Further development oftechnology was enabled by acquision of a former textile factory HEDVA and its conversion  into PACOTEX. In the subsidiaries, transformer coil presses in Nové Město nad Metují, gluing machine ofwelding filler rod folder in Solnice, production lines fort he production of spiral-wound cardboard products with aluminium foil in Dobruška were built. An ew production of tubes used in textile, chemical, construcotin and cardboard industry, etc. and a production of fibreglass coverwas introduced. A trial operation was launched in 1971. The 1970s were
marked by further continuation of innovation acvity: development and construction of spiral winding machines, machines for production of middle-sized cylindrical tubes, paper cutters, etc. Spools were used in wool, cotton and silk industry as well as in processing of chemical and glass fibres, in dyeworks and bleaching plants. Precise plastic products were used in printing and electro-technical industry, in packaging producon, etc. The foundation of a new computing centre in the new facility created new conditions for a gradual introducon of computer technology in the whole company. The plant obtained a trademark PACO and belonged to the biggest producers of tubes in the RVHP (Comecon) countries. Large deliveries were designated for German Democratic Republic, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and Cuba. The state-owned enterprise was renamed several times during the era of socialism and it was a part of a few companies. At that me it employed even thousands of employees and it
had up to five separate plants with the headquarters in Lanškroun. From 1959 to 1975, 95 housing units were built through Stavební bytové družstvo (housing associaon) of the employees of Východočeské papírny (paper mill). The directors ofthe then papermill were Jan Němeček and Ing. JaroslavJasanský, CSc.

Východočeské papírny, n.p., Lanškroun

Východočeské papírny (paper mill) sought the unconventional usage of the packaging materials and showed interest in reduction in energy intensity in general. Almost 600 tonnes of tinned sheet metal were saved yearly thanks to the replacement of 10 million sheet covering units with those made of spiral-wound cardboard. As a result, the energy intensity and the price dropped (by 25 – 50 %). These proposals made by Jiří Kučera, Ing. Jiří Škvařil and Miroslav Matějka were introduced in the operation by the technical development team consisting of Ing. Mojmír Králík, Josef Hylík, Milan Bajnar, along with employees of the workshop led by Mr. Krátký. The company was awarded a gold medal at EmbaxPrint exhibion (an internaonal packaging and printing industry trade fair) for this work in 1986 (85). The
company was also awarded a cerficate of merit by the Czechoslovak Chamber of Commerce and
Industry. The subsidiary was chosen to host an international conference on usage of spiral-wound
paperpackaging. In 1991, Paco plant was privatised by voucher method and it was divided into Orlické papírny, a.s. (only companies in Lanškroun, Hostačov and Chrast u Chrudimi remained)

Orlické Papírny, a. s.
ORPA, a.s.

Between 1992 – 1994, paper furniture was manufactured here: seats, hangers, shelves, tables, election booths, flatpack racks (Montpaco) and seating groups. In the 90s, the papermill had 6 subsidiaries, including Nové Město nad Metují, Solnice, Dobruška, Doudlebynad Orlicí, Chrast u Chrudimi and Hostačov.
In 1994, five years aerthe Velvet Revolution, the enterprise was privatised and named Orlické Papírny which became company ORPA, a.s. in 2002. It was an important producer of paper pipes and tubes, plastic
tubes and spools, pressed and coated cardboard, technical plastic mouldings. It had its own machine works. The plant Papír Lanškroun was divided into 3 separate economic units. Division 11 focused on the
production of length wise wound tubes used in textile and paper industry, in production of till rolls and labels, in health care, pyrotechnics and advertising. Division 12 focused on paper processing using technology of helical winding, namely on the production of pipes with higher qualitative parameters for reeling of paper, foils, wires and unwoven fabric, production of pipes used in building industry which serve as formwork in production of concrete columns, and further on tubes used forreeling of synthec fibres.
In addion, there was a production of pipes modified as cases forpackaging and transportation of goods. Division 14 manufactured rounded embossed boxes used for packaging of processed cheese. The annual production was 10 million pieces. The division produced and provided medical facilies with so-called biocontainers - packaging material for safe disposal of used medical material. Paper eggs, hearts, cones, undersea and Easter-themed puzzle were highly demanded at the beginning of the production, but because of the massive import of cheap Chinese goods to Europe they became difficult to sell. Therefore, this production was strictly limited. The last product was moistened wipes – wipes containing refreshing, disinfecng or cleansing substances. Ing. Petr Petrů was the directorfrom 1990 – 2005. The company is still active under the name ORPA, a.s. The descendants of the founder Moritz Pam live abroad, but they were interested in vising the former family-run company. Liseloe Fischer-Pam (a guest from Canada) visited the Czech Republic in June 2005. However, it was not her first visit. Ing. Petr Petrů (a former general manager) showed her around the company already in 1990. Mrs. L.F. Pam lived in Lanškroun until she was 19.
Frank Pam (who lives in Australia) – the founder's great-grandson visited the companyin 2000. The plant Plasty in Lanškroun, known as division 13, was sold to the leading pressing and tool-making company FOREZ, s.r.o., namely to its newly founded company ORPA plasc, s.r.o., based in Laškroun, at the
end of 2006.

Pam's villas

It is a common name for three villas built by Pam, the owner of company M.Pam & Co. Two of them are situated in Žižkova Street, no. 378 (it used to be the seat of Gestapo, that is why it used to be nicknamed
Gestapárna aerthe war). The third villa is situated in Opletalova Street, no. 390. Villa Žižkova 378 Lanškroun, as a district town, was not of such high importance aerthe allocation to German Reich. However, the SS established their seat in Walter Pam's villa which was abandoned. They used a part ofthe villa only. During the night from 9th to 10th November 1938, about 150 people gathered in front of the villa intending to loot it. The guards of the villa managed to disperse the crowd at first, but a part of them came
back and enforced the entrance. The villa was damaged and burgled. Only the rooms used by the SS remained untouched. The SS left the villa aerthe incident taking only some pieces of furniture. It was a fanatical assault on the property of the family of Jewish origin who had lived in the town for more than 50 years. The villa was owned by the town until 1949. Mr. Walter (Liseloe's brother) applied for the recovery of the villa in 1995. His daughters continued his efforts after his death and gained the villa back. This villa was
bought by company Forea in 2012 directly from the descendants of the original founder of the company Pam & Co. – Lilian Audrey Pam, Odee Marie Christiana Pam and Sandra Lindsay Pam.

Forea today

The site of the original paper tubes manufacture PACO is currently administrated by Forea s.r.o., which is owned by Jindřich Marek's family. Company Forea was founded on 19th July 2007 and is the sole proprietor
of the former „plant 13“. The premises of an area of 2.5 ha are gradually being revitalised, and thus a neglected brownfield is changing into a modern part of the town. In an industrial centre, which Lanškroun
undoubtedly is, it would be easy to keep the original purpose. However, another idea has come up. While the premises designated for a few smaller companies from different industries remained a part of the sophiscated urban planning concept, there have been also those which enhance and broaden culture, sports, gastronomic and accommodaon facilies. The first investment of the company was the construction
of a parking house PACO which is currently used especially for long-term rent of parking spaces by local residents and companies.

Leisure centre Forea

The idea of founding a leisure centre originated approximately in August 2013. The Marek family decided to build up a sports centre in one of the most run-down parts ofthe grounds. “We are ofthe opinion that the
purpose of economy doesn't necessarily have to be a priority. We have tried to look into the future when our grandchildren are growing up and we have decided to invest in joy and the development of the background of the town where we live,“ says Jindřich Marek.

Sportcentrum Forea

Sportcentrum Forea is the heart of the whole Forea. The final work on the special surface of the tennis and badminton hall was carried out in December 2014. The hall was officially opened to the public within the
Sportcentrum Forea open dayon 31st January 2015. A system of regular training sessions and amateur tournaments of tennis and badminton league is offered. In the same year, a children and youth tennis club was founded. It has been financially supported by the Marek family until now. Another new sports ground was officially opened on 17th November2015. Apart of the original storage halls was converted into a climbing bouldering wall. Already three years later, Sponcentrum Forea hosted the Czech Bouldering Championship. Forea also became a regional pioneerin the area of Pole dance. The first gym fort his attractive acvity on the boundary between dance and gymnastics was finished in 2015. Tens of enthusiasts, both adults and children, have taken to pole dance. Other ballrooms and gyms have been opened gradually. They provide the background for lessons ranging from ballroom dancing, yoga to modern sports developing and regenerating the musculoskeletal system. The author and architectural father of all the projects since the very beginning has been MgA. Mikuláš Medlík. Thanks to him, historical elements of the buildings go hand in hand sensitively with modern constructions and materials.

Music bar Forea

“Our consideraon about the development of the leisure centre resembled an imaginary flake snowballing into more and more ideas. From the very beginning, they focused on the absence of culture background for organizing smaller music or theatre events,“ Jindřich Marek describes the origins of Music Bar Forea. The premises turned out to be able to host events for 160 guests. The bar with a music club and seating was opened on 12th February 2016. Music bar is used by local musicians and theatre groups and it also hosts lectures, public debates and club activities. Considering the wide range of the events, it has become an
essential part of culture life in Lanškroun.

Hotel Forea

Hotel Forea has been a part of the current range of services since July 2018. Among the hotel guests, there are not only business partners of companies from Lanškroun, but the hotel is also often used for training
camps from both the Czech Republic and abroad. Another interesting category of the guests is represented by foreign tourists who are descendants of the original families from Lanškroun. A lot of them mention that their relatives used to work in the factory.

Passage

All the above mentioned parts were connected by means of a new passage in 2020. This space extends the area designated for guests. It serves especially as the reception with seating for adults. It also offers a new
play corner for children. The passage also gives an opportunity to look back on the history of the area commemorating the key personalities of the PACO company and the atmosphere of the era when the history of the company moved at a fast pace.
Also other plans of Forea remain ambitious. A plan of a new spa centre, which would be certainly appreciated by each and every sports person or guest, has been drawn up and it will suitably complete the range of the offered services in the future.

Ročenka 1974

Ročenka 1984