Jan Gottlieb Bloch – a portrait of a forgotten pacifist

Abstract

Years later the time is restoring oblivions due place in the history of the Jan Gottlieb Bloch. He was person, who was active in many fields- the Warsaw banker and the industrialist, train entrepreneur and economic activist in the not only Polish, but also European scale. Author of many citizen initiatives, from which the most important is falling out organization first in Poland of Statistical Office and contribution to work of creating the Warsaw Technical University. He was also a co-founder of many financial institutions of the Kingdom of Poland – Commercial Bank in Warszawa, Company of the Credit Flat Of Warsaw and he was a long- standing president of the Warsaw Stock Exchange. It is particularly worth emphasizing that he was a precursor of propagating pacifist ideas on Polish land what in his biographical entries is treated incidentally. On this field he gained a publicity as an author of the „bible of the pacifism” – book in six volumes, entitled „The future of war in its technical, economic and political relations”, afer writing of which was nominated for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. In view of above facts, the main aim of the article will be present an of Jan Gottlieb Bloch and his most importance actions to promoting peace movement and peace ideas on Poland, at the time when Polish society saw the outbreak of war as a chance to regain independence.