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History of the company/bank and archive description for Degussa AG

Besides the precious metal business the Degussa since its foundation has engaged in the trade of chemicals and even produced some of them. The entry into large - scale chemical technology commenced in 1898, when Degussa together with an English partner began construction of a plant for the production of sodium and sodium peroxide at Rheinfelden / Hochrhein. This plant can be seen as the starting point in the large field of activity of activated oxygen. After the First World War by acquisition the dental sector, in the 30s the production of soot, the pharmaceutical sector and organic chemistry were added.

After the Second World War Degussa was successful in making fundamental inventions. Already at the beginning of the 1950s the first production abroad started in Brasil. In 1968 the foundation of the chemical industry site Degussa - Antwerp and in 1973 of the plant Mobile of the today Degussa Corporation followed, which is present at more than 15 locations in Northern America. The construction of production facilities and trading companies in the asiatic region began in the 80s and is still in progress.

Since 1997 the VEBA Holding is in possession of a block of shares of 36,4% of the Degussa AG. As a result of this, in 1999 Degussa AG, Frankfurt, and Hüls AG, Marl, the chemical branch of VEBA, merged to the new Degussa-Hüls AG, Frankfurt. After the merger of VEBA and VIAG to E.ON in 2000, a new merger followed in the chemical branches of E.ON, and so in February 2001 Degussa Hüls AG, Frankfurt, and SKW Trostberg AG, Trostberg, became the new Degussa AG, Düsseldorf.

The main archive in Frankfurt collects not only all information about the former Degussa, but also of the new Degussa, Düsseldorf.

The archive in Marl collects all historical facts about the former Hüls AG, while the archive in Essen collects the history of the Goldschmidt AG and Darmstadt of the Röhm GmbH & Co. KG. Goldschmidt and Röhm are Subsidiary companies of the new Degussa. The Service Center Corporate Archives is responsible for the whole Degussa company with all its manufacturing plants, branches as well as its associated companies at home and abroad.

Corporate Archives form the department of Degussa where information concerning the development of the company is examined, developed, registrated via a database and archivated. Thereby this information is preserved for the future. The information is used for internal requirements, made accessible to the public and is utilized for public relations purposes.
The records comprise documents and other materials of the Degussa Head Office, the Degussa manufacturing plants, the Degussa associated companies at home and abroad and assets.
The archive is subdivided into the historical archive, the photographic archive, the archive for printed matters and advertising materials as well as the collections library, posters, diplomas, plans, tapes and exhibits of the museum.

• Degussa AG (Hg.) : Aller Anfang ist schwer. Bilder zur hundertjährigen Geschichte der Degussa. Text : Dr. Heinz Mayer - Wegelin. 1973.
• Degussa AG (Hg.) : Heinrich Roessler 1845 - 1924. Ein halbes Jahrhundert Degussa - Geschichte. Text und Redaktion: Dr. Mechthild Wolf. 1984.
• Degussa AG , Firmenarchiv (Hg.) : Von Frankfurt in die Welt. Aus der Geschichte der Degussa AG. Text : Dr. Mechthild Wolf. 1988.
• Degussa AG (Hg.) : Im Zeichen von Sonne und Mond. Von der Frankfurter Münzscheiderei zum Weltunternehmen Degussa AG. Text und Redaktion : Dr. Mechthild Wolf. 1993.
• Degussa AG , Unternehmensarchiv (Hg.) : Von Frankfurt in die Welt. Stationen der Geschichte des Degussa - Konzerns (Chronik). 3. überarbeitete Auflage 1996.
• It all began in Frankfurt. Landmarks in the history of the Degussa group (Chronicle). 2nd revised Edition 1996.
• Degussa AG (Hg.) : Immer eine Idee besser. Forscher und Erfinder der Degussa. Redaktion : Dr. Mechthild Wolf. 1998.

• Foreign exchange procurement in the period of national socialism with special consideration of the role of Degussa in precious metals trade in the course of a habilitation at the research institute for social and economic history of the University of Cologne.
• The chemicals and pharmaceuticals business of Degussa in the period of national socialism by Peter Hayes, professor at North Western University, Evanston / Illinois.
• Co - operation with the Jewish World Congress to clarify the whereabouts of precious metals in Jewish possession in the 1930s and 1940s.