19th-century economy & society
The official author website of Beniamin Czapla. Here you will find books, articles, film, lectures and media appearances devoted to the economic and social history of the 19th century. Among them are biographies of figures such as Antoni Patek and Franciszek Czapek. Beniamin Czapla – historian of economy and society in the 19th century.
I welcome enquiries about lectures, scholarly consultations and commissions for academic studies.
If you are looking for work on the economic and social history of the 19th century, you will find publications, audiovisual materials and upcoming talks: from the biography “Antoni Patek. Watchmaker to the Kings” to meetings in museums and cultural institutions. The history of firms and people meets a broader picture of the age – economy and society in the 19th century.
The work of a historian of economy and society in the 19th century covers both great brands founded in exile and everyday social life: migration, networks, reputation and prestige. Biographies of entrepreneurs – including Antoni Patek and Franciszek Czapek – thus guide readers through a wider economic history, not merely a catalogue of luxury names.
Explore the sections on books, articles, film, lectures and media – a compendium of research on economy and society in the 19th century and on Polish enterprise in Europe.
Books
Books by Beniamin Czapla on nineteenth-century economic and social history and biographies of Polish entrepreneurs – including “Antoni Patek. Watchmaker to the Kings”, “Patek, Czapek and Others”, and “Czapek. We collect rare people”.
Articles
Essays by Beniamin Czapla – histories of brands and enterprises, forgotten biographies, and pieces linking economic history with material culture, including on the Zegarki i Pasja portal.
Film
The documentary “Antoni Patek – Patriot and Watchmaker” (2024, dir. Krzysztof Paluszyński) – the story of a nineteenth-century Polish entrepreneur, based on Beniamin Czapla’s book.
Lectures and talks
Lectures and talks by Beniamin Czapla on nineteenth-century economic and social history, Polish enterprise and biographies of figures such as Antoni Patek – including Passion for Watches, the District Museum in Bydgoszcz and Przystanek Historia IPN.
In the media
Beniamin Czapla in the media – conversations on nineteenth-century economic history, biographies of Polish entrepreneurs and book launches, including Dzień Dobry TVN, Poranek RDC and Słowobranie on TVP3 Warsaw.
