Ludvig Nobel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ludvig Nobel
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| Born |
Ludvig Immanuel Nobel
27 July 1831 Stockholm, Sweden
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| Died | 12 April 1888 (aged 56) |
| Monuments | Nobel Monument |
| Parent(s) | Immanuel Nobel Andriette Nobel |
| Relatives | Alfred Nobel Emil Oskar Nobel Robert Nobel |
Ludvig Immanuel Nobel (/noʊˈbɛl/ NOH-bel; 27 July 1831 – 12 April 1888) was a smart Swedish-Russian engineer and a very successful businessman. He was also known for being a kind person who cared about others. Ludvig was an important member of the Nobel family. His father, Immanuel Nobel, was also a pioneer in engineering. Ludvig was the older brother of Alfred Nobel, who later created the famous Nobel Prize.
Together with his brother Robert Nobel, Ludvig ran an oil company called Branobel in Baku, Azerbaijan. At one point, this company produced half of the world's oil! Ludvig Nobel is often given credit for starting the oil industry in Russia. He built the largest fortune among the Nobel brothers and became one of the richest people in the world. Sadly, after the October Revolution in Russia, the government took away the Nobel family's huge wealth.
Contents
Ludvig Nobel's Early Life and Work
Ludvig Nobel was born in Stockholm, Sweden. When he was 28 years old, he took over the family business. It was a factory called Fonderies et Ateliers Mécaniques Nobel Fils. This factory made things for war, like mines and steam engines.
The company had money problems after the Crimean War ended in 1856. This was because the new ruler, Tsar Alexander II, greatly cut down on military spending. Because of this, the family's company was sold in 1862.
But Ludvig didn't give up! He managed to save some money and started a new company called Machine-Building Factory Ludvig Nobel. At first, his factory made special cast-iron shells. In just a few years, it grew to be one of the biggest makers of gun carriages in Russia.
Building the Russian Oil Industry
While running his factory in St. Petersburg, Ludvig got a big job to make rifles for the Russian government. He needed wood for the rifle parts. In 1873, he sent his older brother, Robert Nobel, to find Russian walnut wood in the Caucasus region.
Robert, however, did something unexpected. He used the 25,000 rubles Ludvig gave him for wood to buy a small oil refinery in Baku instead! Ludvig then sent more money to Robert to make the refinery better and more efficient.
By 1876, the Nobel brothers were known as the best oil refiners in Baku. They sent their first shipment of illuminating oil to St. Petersburg. In 1879, Ludvig turned this growing business into a company called Branobel. He was the main owner, and his brothers Robert and Alfred Nobel were partners.
Ludvig Nobel's Amazing Inventions
Ludvig Nobel was a brilliant inventor. He created new designs for oil tankers and improved refineries and pipelines. Before 1880, the United States was ahead of Russia in many parts of the oil business. But Ludvig Nobel changed that!
He saw that the oil business needed more science and new ideas. So, he set up special chemical research labs in Baku. These labs were very busy. When scientists found something new that could be useful, Ludvig was quick to try it out on a large scale. Many scientists worked for him, finding ways to treat oil, discover new uses for it, and create new products from oil.
Ludvig first tried moving oil in large amounts using barges. Then he focused on self-propelled tankships. He had to make sure the oil and its fumes were far away from the engine to prevent fires. He also had to design the tanks so the oil could expand and shrink with temperature changes, and he needed a way to let fumes out.
The world's first successful oil tanker was Ludvig Nobel's Zoroaster. He designed it in Sweden with Sven Almqvist. The agreement to build it was signed in January 1878. The ship made its first trip later that year, from Baku to Astrakhan. His design was studied and copied all over the world. Ludvig chose not to patent any part of it. In October 1878, he ordered two more tankers like it: the Buddha and the Nordenskjöld. Even the first tank steamer in the United States was built using Nobel's drawings and calculations after he passed away in 1888.
Ludvig Nobel's Humanitarian Efforts
Ludvig Nobel was not just a smart businessman; he was also a very kind person with many good ideas. He believed in sharing profits with his workers. He worked hard to make working conditions better in his factories. His kindness and social approach were quite rare for his time.
In 1885, he started a special bank, called a sparkasse, just for his workers. In Baku, he built social areas for the workers. These included dining rooms, billiard rooms, libraries, and meeting rooms where people could give speeches and have discussions. Near his home, Villa Petrolea, he built several houses for his workers. He even offered a shuttle boat service between the city and the harbor. His company also gave money to schools and ran a hospital. Ludvig and Robert created a large park, which still exists today, in the "Black City" part of Baku near Villa Petrolea.
See also
- Branobel
- Immanuel Nobel
- Marta Nobel-Oleinikoff
- Nobelite
Images for kids
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A Cartridge Display Board of the Nobel Industries, showing how a 5/8-inch unlined cartridge was made.
