Without the abolishment of celibacy by the Reformation and without the economic politcs of Frederic the Great the tobacco company of Steinbömer&Lubinus would never have been founded.

However, with Martin Luther allowing protestant clergy men to generate sons, pastor Joahnn Jacob Wilhelm Steinbömer in Enger Westfalia as well as his colleague and fellow student Peter Friederich Lubinus in Etzel, Ostfriesland, performed this task - with delight, as we may guess, but also by God's blessing!For in the year 1740 two sons were born in both rectories: Johann Heinrich Lubinus at january 30 and Justus Friederich Steinbömer only four months and one day later.Some 20 years after that - we can skip their childhood confidently - both don't care very much for the pursuit of the preacher's profession as their fathers did.Lubinus stems from an old Ostfrisian preacher family (who converted their native name "Lübben" into the latinized form in the 15th century), but he thinks the study of theology by his brother will be sufficient for the family's tradition, and so he learns the profession of a druggist.Contrary to that Steinbömer doesn't have such a religious ancestry: father and grand father were also clergy men, however, their ancestors were linen merchants around Bielefeld.The merchant's blood circled through their veins.Moreover Steinbömer due to the highly adverse conditions during his father's investiture in Enger knows how troublesome such a preacher's office can be.

Johann Jacob Wilhelm Steinbömer got the installation at the church by good references - yet without introducing himself to the members of his future congregation.However, they were stubborn Westfalian peasants and were far from agreeing on an infliction by their sheperd due to authority - even if it were the authorities of Minden Ravensberg.So they decided to act: doors and windows of the church were built up, the keyholes closed.The young parson Steinbömer, bible in his hand, consequently couldn't make his inaugural-sermon because the way to the pulpit was blocked up.By no means the administration did put up with this "rebellion".A military outfit marched from the fortress Minden to Enger in order to open the way to office and church for Steinbömer.Because of risking public peace legal proceedings were taken against the peasants, who still insisted on refusing the young parson.Steinbömer could preach now, but only in front of vacant benches (something which didn't make him happy), at the same time he had to care for the widow of his predecessor Schwartze and her mother, according to the custom.This couldn't make him happy either.Then suddenly his practical sense (inherited from his mercantile ancestry) gave him a very simple solution of the problems: the widow he had to care for was not yet old and mean looking, so he quickly married her.By this marriage the foreign parson got connected to the rectory of Enger - the peasants, who had been rebellious for such a long time, were familiar with this procedure of pushing aside quarrels.In addition it was a pleasant procedure.Instantly their opposition was gone! Consequently Johann Jacob Wilhelm had a wife, a good living and frequent church-goers.The proceedings taken against the peasants had to break off, which turned out to be quite difficult.The case was handed from court to court and always one step higher until the king of Prussia in person stopped all legal proceedings by his highest of all graces.

Surely Justus Friederich Steinbömer, when remembering this episode, sees that his father could enjoy a contemplative life getting round and rosy.But he himself feels attracted to practical business, to be more precise: trade.But what sort of trade? Perhaps it is the blue fume in his father's study that makes him think of manufacturing and selling tobacco for the first time ... it might have been the reason. For, inspite of cursing from many pulpits against the "vice" of smoking, enjoying tobacco is common among christian people - even the famous Bach dedicated a praising menuett to tobacco.

Smoking had spread out already across entire Germany for some time: the armies in the 30 year war made it known and popular everywhere, whereas this was the only thing they brought along for the population.Since this "relic" of the bad times of martial law not only lingered on, but also became more and more popular, tobacco manufacturing arose early in the neighbourhood of Steinbömer's home-town Enger.Justus Friederich now decides to start this profession and learns thoroughly all about producing snuff and tobacco.

Although he and Johann Heinrich Lubinus didn't know of each other during these times, each of them was busy with tobacco.Steinbömer manufactures crude tobacco and Lubinus sells it ready-made at his druggist's shop, for at that time tobacco was highly appreciated as remedy and in Bavaria it had been sold since 1653 by druggists only under the name of "relish-tobacco".

Certainly the parson's son of Etzel doesn't live in Bavaria, but in Ostfriesland, which had been a part of Prussia since 1744..Justus Friederich is a Prussian subject in the Westfalian Ravensburger Country just like Lubinus, and this is the cause of their business-alliance.

What Pussian citizenship meant for the establishment of an entirely private tobacco-firm is shown by a view on the national politics of Frederic the Great after the 7 Years War.The victory for Prussia was very expensive: the government was out of cash, many men died in the battles, the land was worn out - that surely was not a good base for maintaining great power!Therefore since the Hubertusburg Peace Treaty of 1763 the slogan of the King had been "Retablissement" (rebuilding).First of all Prussia needs people to keep up its ranking within Europe.It is Frederic's opinion that "the wealth of a nation consists of the number of subjects" and since according to his theory the population only increases in coexistence with manufactories, manufactories must be built and supported systematically plus subsidized by government money.Increase of production and population have to be declared as the government's target and thus the Prussian "Board of War and Domains" (Kriegs- und Domänenkammer) in Aurich receives the instruction:" ... that in the towns of Ostfriesland several manufactories shall be established, more people from abroad as well as artisans shall be brought to Ostfriesland, and the country side shall be cultivated by day-laborers and that all of this does not depend on the wealth of people from abroad but on more people in the land."Ostfriesland indeed was not a thriving province when Frederic the Great acquired it in May 1744 after there had been no successor of the Cirksena sovereigns.The long lasting quarrels among the different Ostfrisian sovereigns and the mighty ranks of the country side slowed down the economic development of the country almost to a standstill.Therefore the citizens of Ostfriesland felt relieved, when they got a powerful central power for their country by Prussia.Even the city of Norden hurried to make the oath of allegiance by two mayors, two aldermen and two deputees of the citizens.