Aldona Snitkuvienė. The Tilmans and their Legacy in Kaunas

The book "The Tilmans and their Legacy in Kaunas" presents the Tilmans family of entrepreneurs who lived in Kaunas from 1878 to 1941. They belonged to the richest stratum of the Lithuanian population and to the ethnic (German community) and religious (Evangelical Lutheran Church) minority that was successfully integrated into the life of the region. Representatives of three generations of the Tilmans family distinguished themselves not only as successful industrialists, but also as talented merchants. In 1893, Richard Tilmans founded the company "Br. Tilmans ir Ko" on the basis of the old "Vulkans", which produced nails, screws, augers, wire and other metal products. The ironware and building materials trading house "Br. Tilmans ir Ko" founded by the Tilmans brothers operated in 1894–1940. The Tilmans were also active in the financial sector: they participated in the establishment of the Lithuanian Commercial Bank and the insurance company "Lietuvos Lloydas". In 1921, they established the joint-stock company "Tilka", which produced matches, furniture, chocolate and sweets, and later only sweets, chocolate and cocoa. During the period of complex historical circumstances, the activities of the Tilmans family in various spheres also revealed a unique page in the history of Kaunas.