Jan Glucksberg (1784-1859)

 Jan Glucksberg was younger brother of Natan Glucksberg. He was most probably an apprentice at his brother’s company. He began his own activity in 1830.
Jan established a bookstore at Przejazd Street around 1834 and moved it to Miodowa Street in 1837. The bookstore was called “The Library of Public Schools”. In 1838 Glucksberg made an agreement with Rada Administracyjna Komisji Rządowej Spraw Wewnętrznych, Duchownych i Oświecenia Publicznego (Administrative Council of Governmental Commission for Internal, Clerical and Educational Matters). The agreement obliged Glucksberg to provide school libraries with books from Russian bookstores. Moreover, Glucksberg was supposed to establish in Warsaw a public library where everyone could read. He fulfilled his obligations and such library was opened and its book collection had approximately 2,000 volumes. Furthermore, the collection was extended each year. Jan Glucksberg published “Pamiętniki o królowej Barbarze” (“Memoirs about Queen Barbara”) by M. Baliński, “Zasady i całość wiary katolickiej” (“Principles and Integrity of Catholic Faith”) by K. Frankowski, “Encyklopedia obrazowa systematyczna” (Encyclopedia of Systematics with Pictures) edited by F. Bentkowski, “Numizmatyka krajowa” (“Domestic Numismatics”) by K. W. Bandkie-Stężyński. Jan Glucksberg introduced first illustrated weekly magazines to the market. Among them, there were: “Magazyn dla dzieci” (“Magazine for Children”), “Magazyn Mód” (“Fashion Magazine”) and “Kosmorama Europy” (“Cosmorama of Europe”) (merged with “Magazyn Powszechny” [“Common Magazine”] in 1841). Jan Glucksberg was an active member of the board of the Jewish Community and the Tutelary Board of Jewish Hospital in Warsaw. During the November Uprising in 1831, Glucksberg was engaged in the national liberation movement and was a member of Stołeczna Gwardia Narodowa (the National Guard in Warsaw). Samuel Lewental, who was Glucksberg’s son-in-law, managed the company after Jan’s death. Eventually, Lewental took over the printing house and the publishing company in 1863.