Bitterfeld electrochemical combine
The Elektrochemische Werke Bitterfeld belonged to IG Farben AG since 1925 and was taken over in 1946 under the name Elektrochemisches Kombinat Bitterfeld (EKB) in the Soviet joint stock companies (SAG) Kaustik . Through reparations payments, the number of systems was reduced to 40 percent of the 1944 level in the following years. Most of the dismantling was completed in 1947. At the same time, parts of the current production were withdrawn from the EKB to fulfill reparation payments. With effect from May 1, 1952, the EKB was released from the SAG and run as a state-owned company (VEB).
At the same time, the management of the combine decided to give the plant its own cultural center, the symbolic groundbreaking of which also took place on May 1, 1952. The Bitterfeld Kulturpalast was inaugurated on October 13, 1954 with great personal achievements, especially by volunteers . In addition to a large number of cultural events , the first authors' conference of the Mitteldeutscher Verlag , later known as the Bitterfelder Weg , took place here. It was discussed how the working people can be given active access to art and culture and how the "existing separation of art and life" and "alienation between artist and people" can be overcome.
In 1959 the EKB was the largest chlorine and chlorine product manufacturer in the GDR, the largest plastic and plastic product manufacturer in the GDR and the largest graphite manufacturer in the GDR. The EKB housed the only primary aluminum company in the GDR and was the most important manufacturer of DDT and insecticides . At that time, the EKB employed around 14,000 people. In the chemistry program passed by the Central Committee of the SED in 1959 , the construction of a new plastic (PC) plant in Bitterfeld with a planned annual capacity of 7,200 tons was expressly mentioned. The construction of new production plants for magnesium was also specified in the chemical program , but this was not realized due to technical problems. As a result of the worsening East-West conflict and the deliberate economic delimitation of the GDR economy from the West, the EKB's production profile necessarily increased, which ultimately resulted in lower profitability.
A gas explosion with more than 50 deaths (according to other reports 43) and 260 injured on July 11, 1968, which destroyed the entire PVC production facilities and a plant protection product plant in Bitterfeld, further weakened the location. As a result, parts of the PVC production were relocated to other locations. The state tried to counteract the difficult economic situation in 1969 by founding the VEB Chemiekombinat Bitterfeld by merging the EKB and the Wolfen paint factory . The explosion caused damage of more than 100 million marks.
Directors of the EKB
- 1945–1949 Adolf Beck
- 1949–1950 Wolfgang Hornke
- 1950–1956 Walter Heyder
- 1957–1958 Berthold Riedel
- 1958–1962 Johannes Schubert
- 1962–1969 Theo Boethin
Products from the EKB (selection)
Aluminum , benzoic acid , chlorine , chromic acid , DDT , Dratex , Duplinon , ice powder, BI 58 , HL , potassium permanganate , light metal scaffolding, light metal alloys, magnesium , methylene chloride , molybdenum disulfide , oxalic acid , PVC flooring, PVC pipes, ring detexol , hydrochloric acid , sulfuric acid , Silvexan , Streu-Gammatox , titanium dioxide , detergent , hydrogen , Wegerein, a herbicide , tungstic acid, toothpaste, synthetic gemstones.
See also
literature
- Chemie AG Bitterfeld-Wolfen (Hrsg.): Bitterfeld Chronicle 100 years of the Bitterfeld-Wolfen chemical site. Bitterfeld 1993.
- City of Bitterfeld (Ed.): 775 years of Bitterfeld: Forays through the history of a city. Bitterfeld 1999.
