The Importance of Connections: The Rise of Jewish Business Elites in Galicia

Abstract

Abstract The article explores relations within the milieu of Jewish elites involved in the oil industry of two towns in Eastern Galicia – Drohobych and Boryslav – in the second half of 19th century. The oil industry, one of the unique examples of early industrialization in Galicia, attracted numerous Jewish participants, especially in the initial stages. They became workers, overseers and entrepreneurs, less or more successful. The Jewish communities of both cities were socially and culturally diverse. This article examines the formation and structure of Jewish economic elites, arguing that kin relations and connections with elites in a non-Jewish environment helped a group of oil entrepreneurs to distinguish themselves from others and sustain business. Though 19th-century industry in Galicia inspired writers with the idea of the oil magnate gaining wealth overnight, the formation of Jewish elites in Drohobych and Boryslav was a long process, which required the ability to connect with different networks.