BataStory.net

1895

The year is 1895 and the situation of the family firm is still serious. What’s more – Tomas sister Anne got married and brother Antonin left to serve his military duty. Tomas stayed alone to solve the crises and take care about his emploee. Company has ten permanent workers and about forty others who work for him at home. Thus Tomas, in his only nineteen (!) years feels responsible for about fifty woorkers and their families. He himself buys and prepares material, he enters and takes over the work finished, he charges and pays, negotiates loans and repays the debts until finally in 1896 the company is saved.

German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen invents his famous Roentgen X-rays.

Right at the time of the company rescue here comes a new disaster: the release of a bill, secretly signed by his brother at 20,000 florins. Young Tomas stands in a short time again, this time completely without his fault, before bankruptcy. Though thre is a chance to avoid the payment, because his brother who had signed the bill is no his military service, and the law does not recognize the commitments of troops, Tomas decides to fight the problem himself.

Czech-Slavonic Ethnographical Exhibition takes place in Prague, and Czech Edison’s associate Emil Kolben founds the electrical factory in Vysocany, next famous CKD – Českomoravská Kolben – Danek.

Thomas finally, after meetings with Vienna lawyers, although reluctantly, solves gradually all brother’s commitment. This time, fortunately, his fight for breaking out of debt is at least a little easier as he had acquired the reputation of a man who could honestly deal with really no small debt in the past. Before the end of 1897 he is again in a profit.

First modern Olympic Games take place in Athens.

Company was saved also by help of the success of Tomas invention – unpretentious textile shoes, partly from canvas, partly leather, called first “séglovky” then, with its success “baťovky”. And in March 1898 his half-brother Jan – future collaborator had been born. Jan spents his childhood with his parents in Uherske Hradiste, but when he later moves to Zlín, Tomas will find him a talented partner and follower.

Friedrich Engels and Louis Pasteur died. Also the inventor of dynamite – Alfred Nobel. And Americans Earle and Judson invent the first zip

The end of the 19 century is here and railways reach Zlín in 1899. To take full advantage of it Tomas moves enterprise closer to the railwaystation. And next year, he enhance production entering steam-powered machines. He becomes to be the second richest man in Zlín and his company starts to be assigned to the most important Austrian enterprises.

In Germany, Ferdinand Zeppellin took off with his first steerable airship, instituting a new generation of aviation.

At the turn of the century Bata company consists of 120 employees and Thomas himself finally appears in its title. (While initially sounded A. Bata after his brother Antonin, now there is also Tomas initial: T. & A. Bata. And be it added to the honor – that even after the brother’s death Tomas does not change it for the next 30 years.