Jean-Jacques Dony

<h2 id="biography">Biography</h2>
Dony was born on 24 February 1759 in <a href="/facts/Li%C3%A8ge/QjGaj3M9">Liège</a>. He studied to become a priest, but in 1797 took over his father's business as a cattle transporter.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1">1</a>
Dony invented a procedure for the industrial production of totally pure <a href="/facts/Zinc/80b1qgk3">zinc</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2">2</a> In 1806, <a href="/facts/Napoleon/8TKBIjPM">Napoleon</a> granted him a <a href="/facts/Monopoly/BXIQWUmR">monopoly</a> for the exploitation of the zinc mines of <a href="/facts/Moresnet/8bXWElsE">Moresnet</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3">3</a> now in <a href="/facts/Li%C3%A8ge_Province/D6IbEg8S">Liège Province</a>, <a href="/facts/Belgium/YKuMXP5j">Belgium</a>. The mines were successful, and his company became Europe's largest producer of zinc.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4">4</a> These mines continued operating until 1880.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a>
From the exploitation of the Moresnet mines rose the 'Vieille Montagne Association' (<a href="/facts/French_language/qe1DnaQh">French</a> for Old Mountain), which later expanded its operations abroad (to <a href="/facts/France/CxIeIKM3">France</a>, <a href="/facts/Germany/paluuWBX">Germany</a> and <a href="/facts/Sweden/u3qC7lyj">Sweden</a> (Zinkgruvan) among others).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a> The activities of the association of the Old Mountain were taken over in 1989 by the Union Minière (Mining Union) group, which is known since 2001 as <a href="/facts/Umicore/QlSlLC0H">Umicore</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a>
In 1809, Dony opened a factory in Liège, but ran into financial difficulties, and was forced to sell 75% of his stocks. In 1819, he was declared bankrupt, and died in <a href="/facts/Bois-l%27%C3%89v%C3%AAque/yDU24spv">Bois-l'Évêque</a> on 6 November 1819, at the age of 60.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="http://www.umicore.com/en/">Umicore</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">"Jean-Jacques-Daniël Dony". Periodiek Systeem (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2021. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230326150612/https://periodieksysteem.com/biografie/jean-jacques-daniel-dony" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20230326150612/https://periodieksysteem.com/biografie/jean-jacques-daniel-dony</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">Guy Depas (5 July 1997). "LA BAIGNOIRE DE NAPOLEON EN VEDETTE A LIEGE... UN ZINC A LA MAISON DE METAL". Le Soir (in French). Retrieved 9 December 2021. <a href="https://www.lesoir.be/art/la-baignoire-de-napoleon-en-vedette-a-liege-un-zinc-a-l_t-19970705-Z0DY2F.html" target="_blank">https://www.lesoir.be/art/la-baignoire-de-napoleon-en-vedette-a-liege-un-zinc-a-l_t-19970705-Z0DY2F.html</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">Duvergier, Jean Baptiste (1836). Collection complète des lois, décrets, ordonnances, règlemens avis du Conseil d'état, publiée sur les éditions officielles du Louvre: de l'Imprimerie nationale, par Baudouin; et du Bulletin des lois; (de 1788 à 1830 inclusivement . (in French). A. Guyot et Scribe. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=kzkUAAAAYAAJ&dq=dony+24.mars.1806&pg=RA4-PA315" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=kzkUAAAAYAAJ&dq=dony+24.mars.1806&pg=RA4-PA315</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">"The Vieille Montagne Zinc Mining Company - World Sites". Alston Moor Historical Society. 9 December 2021. <a href="https://archive.alstonmoorhistoricalsociety.org.uk/vm/mining_sites/" target="_blank">https://archive.alstonmoorhistoricalsociety.org.uk/vm/mining_sites/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">"Jean-Jacques-Daniël Dony". Periodiek Systeem (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2021. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230326150612/https://periodieksysteem.com/biografie/jean-jacques-daniel-dony" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20230326150612/https://periodieksysteem.com/biografie/jean-jacques-daniel-dony</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">"The Vieille Montagne Zinc Mining Company - World Sites". Alston Moor Historical Society. 9 December 2021. <a href="https://archive.alstonmoorhistoricalsociety.org.uk/vm/mining_sites/" target="_blank">https://archive.alstonmoorhistoricalsociety.org.uk/vm/mining_sites/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">"Beleggers verzetten zich tegen bod op Maastrichtse Zinkwit". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). 12 September 1989. <a href="https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/1989/09/12/beleggers-verzetten-zich-tegen-bod-op-maastrichtse-zinkwit-kb_000031315-a3613377" target="_blank">https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/1989/09/12/beleggers-verzetten-zich-tegen-bod-op-maastrichtse-zinkwit-kb_000031315-a3613377</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">"Case: Umicore 2001". Corporate Brand Matrix. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2021. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230607022422/http://www.corporatebrandmatrix.com/cases.asp?ca_id=41&case=Umicore%202001" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20230607022422/http://www.corporatebrandmatrix.com/cases.asp?ca_id=41&case=Umicore%202001</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">"Jean-Jacques-Daniël Dony". Periodiek Systeem (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2021. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230326150612/https://periodieksysteem.com/biografie/jean-jacques-daniel-dony" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20230326150612/https://periodieksysteem.com/biografie/jean-jacques-daniel-dony</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Jean-Jacques Dony open-in-new

Jean-Jacques Dony