Antoni Tyzenhaus

Antoni Tyzenhaus was a noble of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, landowner, industrialist, and a personal friend of Stanisław August Poniatowski (r. 1764-1795), the last King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.

In his youth Antoni became friend with Poniatowski and after the latter came to the throne of Poland–Lithuania, Tyzenhaus became Court Treasurer of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Starosta of Hrodna, and administrator of royal estates. He managed the royal estates and in 1777 he became lessee of the same. As administrator of royal estates Tyzenhaus tried to create royal folwarks in Šiauliai - serfdom-based farm and agricultural enterprise - by taking land from serfs, demanding two days of imposed labor, increasing rent payment in cash, and adding additional duties such as road building. The reforms tripled the income but also caused a peasant revolt in 1769. The revolt was suppressed and the reforms were only slightly modified.

Tyzenhaus also tried to industrialize the Commonwealth by setting up at least 23 factories that employed around 3000 workers and produced textile, paper, jewelry, tools, furniture, carriages. However, he used forced labor of the local peasant population. He also opened schools for midwives, physicians, veterinarians, accountants, engineers, even ballet dancers. His endeavors were hampered by poor supervision, expensive foreign industrialists, and the old system of serfdom. Because of the failures of his endeavors, in 1780 nobles brought charges that Tyzenhaus used treasury money for his private affairs. He was relieved of his duties, his privileges were revoked and his property was confiscated.