Gustav Tönnies

Gustav Johann Ludvik Tönnies (January 16, 1814 – November 12, 1886) was a Swedish and Austro-Hungarian carpenter, architect and industrialist, who lived most of his life in Ljubljana.

During the period of the great social and economic change in Europe, Gustav Tönnies and his nine sons were among some of the most famous and respected industrialists, architects and builders of Ljubljana (from 1845 to 1936). They were one of the most economically active families who helped to create an industrial revolution in Slovenian towns and cities and made a significant contribution to the historical records which include the fact that the land of Carniola was ranked as one of the most developed European provinces and which also influenced the development of the cities of Trieste, Sarajevo and Zagreb. Adolf Tönnies (September 21, 1855 – June 13, 1900) trained as a builder and worked for his father's building company. In 1883 he passed the technical exam in Trieste and obtained a concession for Trieste. He managed the Gustav Tönnies Company until his death. William Tönnies (April 24, 1857 – May 31, 1925) trained in mechanical engineering and had technical management of the iron foundry and machine shop. Emil Tönnies (September 7, 1863 – August 30, 1941) practiced as commercialist until 1914, managing his father's quarries in Aurisina and Monrupino. He continued the construction works, greatly expanding the family business. The iron foundry and machine shop were sold in 1919 by a new establishment. Rudolf Tönnies (April 20, 1869 – December 6, 1929 in Munich), studied construction and civil engineering and worked for the Croatian government in Zagreb, then as lead architect for the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo. In 1918 he returned to Ljubljana, obtained a trade concession (building master) and joined his brothers. In Ljubljana he built around 1923 the Credit Bank (today the seat of the National Bank) and at the same time the Ljubljana yard (headquarters of Railway Transport Company).