December 2011 saw the publication of the book Kronenberg. History of Fortune by Andrzej Żor. Published by the Kronenberg Foundation and Polish Scientific Publishers PWN, the book is the first complete biography of the Foundation's patron and the founder of Bank Handlowy w Warszawie.
Leopold Kronenberg was a 19th-century financier, philanthropist and culture patron. He is not widely known, although his wealth and activity in social and cultural life was unparalleled among the great financiers of his time. To quote the author, "The birth of capitalism in Poland has not been exactly a popular scholarly topic. Any existing studies of 19th century systemic changes have been largely buried under the heaps of papers on wars and martyrdom. Any awareness that lingers in the public mind comes from the film adaptations of The Doll or The Promised Land, rather than structured knowledge about the processes in economic and social life [...]. However, asked about the builders of Polish capitalism, Poles respond instantly and unanimously, "Kronenberg!"
The release of Kronenberg. History of Fortune on 19 December 2011 was accompanied by a promotion conference. At the event Prof. Marek Belka and Sławomir S. Sikora presented the achievements of Leopold Kronenberg and the role of Bank Handlowy in the history of Polish banking, while the author assumed the Kronenberg persona and was interviewed by Jacek Żakowski.
