Mannesmann A. G.

the largest pipe-rolling concern in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), second in the production of steel piping in the capitalist world. The concern also produces equipment and plastics and carries on transport operations.

Mannesmann A.G. was founded in 1890 by the Mannesmann brothers under the name Mannesmannröhren-Werke. During World War II (1939-45) it was one of the largest suppliers of armaments for the fascist German Army. According to the decisions of the Potsdam Conference of 1945 the concern was to be liquidated, but in fact it was merely subjected to a minor reorganization. In the 1960’s it again began producing armaments. In 1967, Mannesmann A. G. concluded an agreement with the A. Thyssen concern on specialization and exchange of capacities. According to the agreement, Mannesmann A. G. received the Thyssen pipe-rolling mills and as a result concentrated in its hands about 70 percent of the steel pipe production of the FRG and about 30 percent in all the European Economic Community (Common Market) countries. In 1971, Mannesmann A. G. had 80 enterprises, its turnover was 7.2 billion West German marks, its gross profit was 295 million marks, its assets were 4.7 billion marks, pipe production totaled 2.9 million tons, steel production amounted to 3.6 million tons, and it employed 86,000 persons.