Production plant Ilsenburg

Ilsenburg can trace its origins back to the year 1595. After several centuries in which production was concentrated on copper products, plate rolling began in Ilsenburg in 1948.

The plant has been part of today’s Salzgitter Group since 1992, since 2001 as a subsidiary of Tochtergesellschaft Ilsenburger Grobblech GmbH.

Origins and development of copper working (1595-1945)

1595	The Ilsenburger Kupferhammer forge was established to manufacture copper sheet, bowls and kettles
1838	Formation of the Kupferhammerbetriebsgesellschaft Halberstadt auf Aktien
1841	Commissioning of a water-powered copper and lead rolling mill
1864	Commissioning of the first refinery furnace, after which the plant was expanded with the addition of further rolling mills
1891	The Kupferhammerbetriebsgesellschaft was wound up and the business continued as Kupferwerk Ilsenburg
1906	Merger with Messingwerke Eberswalde to form Hirsch Kupfer- und Messingwerke AG with head offices in Berlin; plant facilities were further expanded
1920	Commissioning of new production plant, making Ilsenburg one of the most modern copper works in Europe
1932	Hirsch Kupfer- und Messingwerke AG was split up, with Ilsenburg absorbed into the newly formed Berlin-Ilsenburger Metallwerke AG
1934	Formation of Kupferwerk Ilsenburg AG
1934-1945	Reclamation of copper from scrap, manufacture of steel fireboxes, first experimental steel rolling trials

From a "Volkseigener Betrieb" to a "GmbH" (1945-1991)

Commissioning the new two-high rolling mill, 1954

1945	The Kupferwerk AG was appropriated by the East German state and integrated into Industriewerke Sachsen-Anhalt
1948	Formation of the state-owned enterprise VEB Kupfer- und Blechwalzwerk Ilsenburg; steel plate rolling became part of the regular production program and the rolling mills were expanded
1954	Commissioning of a new two-high plate rolling mill with an annual design capacity of 276,000 t as well as a double pusher furnace
1964	Ilsenburg was attached to the VEB Stahl- und Walzwerk Brandenburg, becoming a satellite branch from 1969
1967	Copper business transferred to the VEB Mansfeld-Kombinat Eisleben
1989	Formation of the limited company Walzwerk Ilsenburg GmbH

Under the umbrella of the Salzgitter Group (from 1992)

1991	Privatization and acquisition of Walzwerk Ilsenburg GmbH by Preussag Stahl AG
1995	Walzwerk Ilsenburg GmbH absorbed into Preussag Stahl AG to form the Plate Division
1998	Preussag Stahl AG was spun off from the Preussag Group as an independent unit that was renamed Salzgitter AG and floated on the stock market
2001	Plate business spun off with the formation of the new subsidiary Ilsenburger Grobblech GmbH