Development in the shadow of crisis and inflation

Following the acquisition of two companies, Elektrochemische Fabrik Neufeldt & Kuhnke in Kiel, and Chemische Fabrik Buckau in Ammendorf near Halle/Saale, Goldschmidt AG became a group. The purchase of Chemische Fabrik Buckau, founded in Magdeburg in 1841, was a strategic move by Goldschmidt towards entering the big leagues of the chemical industry. The aim of acquiring the Elektrochemische Fabrik Neufeldt & Kuhnke was to diversify and spread the risks. The Elektrochemische Fabrik Neufeldt & Kuhnke had been established in 1889 and grew prior to and during the World War to become an important supplier of marine engineering products. After the World War, Neufeldt & Kuhnke came under strong economic pressure. Even the manufacture of modern civil products such as diesel engines, radios and telephones failed to halt its decline. In 1936 under the aegis of Goldschmidt, it changed its name to the better known Hagenuk (standing for Hanseatische Apparatebau Gesellschaft Neufeld und Kuhnke). Hagenuk was never integrated into the Goldschmidt Group in the true sense of the word. As a result the company was sold to the Howaldswerke in Kiel in 1979.

The Polish government seized the Chorzow calcium cyanamide facility (Upper Silesia) belonging to Bayerische Stickstoffwerke AG. As a result, the Reich government provided funds for the enlargement of Bayerische Stickstoffwerke's remaining plants in Trostberg and Hart, in order to offset the loss of production. During the years up to 1928, the third expansion of the production plants in the Hart and Trostberg facilities took place.

Röhm & Haas AG in Darmstadt set up a welfare fund for the time intended to assist employees in special emergencies.

Change of leadership at Goldschmidt AG in Essen: Theo Goldschmidt took over as CEO from his father Karl Goldschmidt at the beginning of the year. This change happened during stormy times. In January 1923, French and Belgian troops occupied the Ruhr district. As a result, the government urged the population to pursue a policy of passive resistance. A severe blow for the company. Although the facility in Essen was not occupied, production almost came to a complete standstill owing to a shortage of raw materials and transport resources.

For rationalization reasons, the government decided to establish the Vereinigte Industrie-Unternehmungen Aktiengesellschaft (VIAG AG). Bayerische Kraftwerke AG was incorporated into the newly-founded AG.

The Deutsche Gold- und Silber-Scheideanstalt, Frankfurt, introduced inhouse training of apprentices for the time.

In the same year Scheideanstalt began working on metal hardening. What started out as the straight sale of Durferrit® cementing powder by the Chemische Fabrik Stobwasser & Co. from Bergedorf near Hamburg developed into important new business segments, such as industrial furnace construction, after the acquisition of an inhouse production license. These business units were only gradually sold off in the 1990s.

Th. Goldschmidt AG began manufacturing fine-grained lead oxides, so-called red leads, as additives for rust-proofing paints. A big advantage of these paint-on red leads was that they no longer had to be stirred before use and, thus, did not expose painters to any harmful solvent vapors.

The ethylene research department founded by Friedrich Bergius at Th. Goldschmidt AG launched its successful products, emulsifiers, which are still produced today by Evonik’s Chemicals Business Area under the names Tegin® and Protegin®. Emulsifiers are mainly used to mix water and oil in creams, lotions or flushing agents.

With its patent for methyl methacrylate, Röhm & Haas succeeded in making a breakthrough in the acrylate and methacrylate field after years of research. Methacrylate chemistry is the core business of the present Evonik Röhm GmbH, which is a part of Evonik’s Chemicals Business Area.. In the same year Röhm & Haas started production of multilayer safety glass, known as LUGLAS®. Initially small disks were produced for protective goggles and gas masks, but soon the non-shatter glass was also being used in the construction of automobiles and airplanes. At the end of the Second World War the production of LUGLAS® at Röhm & Haas came to an end. However, multilayer safety glass continued to be manufactured under license by other companies.