Minol
Encyclopedia
The VEB
Kombinat Minol, founded on 1 January 1956, was the state-owned gasoline
and lubricant
reseller of the German Democratic Republic
.
The marketing name MINOL was invented in 1949, when Die Deutsche Kraftstoff- und Mineralölzentrale (DKMZ) and the German-Russian Naphta-AG founded the VEB Kraftstoff-Vertrieb. Both DHZ und VEB Kraftstoff-Vertrieb founded the VEB MINOL on 1 January 1956.
All of the products of the VEB were marketed under the name Minol and when the Berlin wall
fell, it had a market share of 97 per cent (according to the research "Grundlagenstudie MINOL in der BRD", September 1990). These brands were not used in other countries. The colours of Minol were red for the caption and yellow for the background. The mascot
, Minol's Golden Oriole
was widely known in the GDR.
By the time of the collapse of the GDR there were about 1300 Minol filling station
s, including small stations.
On 8 June 1990 the VEB Minol became a joint stock company
under the name MINOL Mineralölhandel AG. This company had three daughter companies selling fuel:
In the course of privatization
of East German enterprises, MINOL AG and the Leuna
oil refinery were bought by the French oil company Elf Aquitaine
. However, the new owner stopped operating stations under the Minol name.
, the brand MINOL is owned by the French company Total
, the successor of Elf Aquitaine.
In fear of losing the trademark, Total reopened a total of three Minol filling stations (Berlin, Chemnitz und Leipzig) in 2003 and 2004. For economic reasons the stations in Berlin and Chemnitz were, however, soon closed down. There is currently only one Minol station operating, in Lützner street in Leipzig
.
Minol is also the trading name of Minol Messtechnik W. Lehmann GmbH & Co. KG, a utility billing and metering company group operating on six continents.
Volkseigener Betrieb
The Volkseigener Betrieb was the legal form of industrial enterprise in East Germany...
Kombinat Minol, founded on 1 January 1956, was the state-owned gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
and lubricant
Lubricant
A lubricant is a substance introduced to reduce friction between moving surfaces. It may also have the function of transporting foreign particles and of distributing heat...
reseller of the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
.
The marketing name MINOL was invented in 1949, when Die Deutsche Kraftstoff- und Mineralölzentrale (DKMZ) and the German-Russian Naphta-AG founded the VEB Kraftstoff-Vertrieb. Both DHZ und VEB Kraftstoff-Vertrieb founded the VEB MINOL on 1 January 1956.
All of the products of the VEB were marketed under the name Minol and when the Berlin wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
fell, it had a market share of 97 per cent (according to the research "Grundlagenstudie MINOL in der BRD", September 1990). These brands were not used in other countries. The colours of Minol were red for the caption and yellow for the background. The mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
, Minol's Golden Oriole
Golden Oriole
The Eurasian Golden Oriole or simply Golden Oriole is the only member of the oriole family of passerine birds breeding in northern hemisphere temperate regions...
was widely known in the GDR.
By the time of the collapse of the GDR there were about 1300 Minol filling station
Filling station
A filling station, also known as a fueling station, garage, gasbar , gas station , petrol bunk , petrol pump , petrol garage, petrol kiosk , petrol station "'servo"' in Australia or service station, is a facility which sells fuel and lubricants...
s, including small stations.
On 8 June 1990 the VEB Minol became a joint stock company
Joint stock company
A joint-stock company is a type of corporation or partnership involving two or more individuals that own shares of stock in the company...
under the name MINOL Mineralölhandel AG. This company had three daughter companies selling fuel:
- Minol Nordtank GmbH in RostockRostockRostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
- Minol Zentraltank GmbH in PotsdamPotsdamPotsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
- Minol Südtank GmbH in ChemnitzChemnitzChemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
In the course of privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
of East German enterprises, MINOL AG and the Leuna
Leuna
Leuna is a town in the Saalekreis, Saxony-Anhalt, eastern Germany, south of Merseburg and Halle. It is known for the Leunawerke , at 13 km2 one of the biggest chemical industrial complexes in Germany, where a very wide range of chemicals and plastics is produced...
oil refinery were bought by the French oil company Elf Aquitaine
Elf Aquitaine
Elf Aquitaine was a French oil company which merged with TotalFina to form TotalFinaElf. The new company changed its name to Total in 2003...
. However, the new owner stopped operating stations under the Minol name.
, the brand MINOL is owned by the French company Total
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
, the successor of Elf Aquitaine.
In fear of losing the trademark, Total reopened a total of three Minol filling stations (Berlin, Chemnitz und Leipzig) in 2003 and 2004. For economic reasons the stations in Berlin and Chemnitz were, however, soon closed down. There is currently only one Minol station operating, in Lützner street in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
.
Minol is also the trading name of Minol Messtechnik W. Lehmann GmbH & Co. KG, a utility billing and metering company group operating on six continents.