Philipp Holzmann
Encyclopedia
Philipp Holzmann AG was a German
construction company based in Frankfurt am Main.
The company was founded in 1849 by Johann Philipp Holzmann (1805-1870) at Sprendlingen in present-day Dreieich
near Frankfurt am Main as Philipp Holzmann & Cie. Initially the former sawmill
company was concentrating on the supply of ties for railway construction, but then began to expand into building construction and civil engineering. In 1856 the headquarters moved to Frankfurt where in the late 19th century the company experienced rapid growth.
The first large building contract was the construction of the Amsterdam Centraal railway station in 1882, followed by the opera house
and the central station
in Frankfurt am Main. Holzmann also built the law courts of Munich
, the Hamburg city hall
and several railway projects in East Africa and Asia, especially the Bagdadbahn built from 1903 on and the Istanbul Haydarpaşa railway station finished in 1908. Furthermore the company participated in the construction of the Elbe Tunnel of 1911 and the Edersee
reservoir, but also of the modernist Riederwald
housing estate in Frankfurt.
In 1917 Philipp Holzmann & Cie merged with the Internationale Baugesellschaft and became the publicly traded Philipp Holzmann Aktiengesellschaft
. In 1938 the company had 20,800 employees and contributed to several major building projects like the new Reich Chancellery
in Berlin, the Nazi party rally grounds
in Nürnberg, the Prora
complex as well as the Westwall
and numerous sections of the Reichsautobahn. In World War II Holzmann constructed large parts of the Atlantic Wall
by order of the Organisation Todt
.
In the post-war period the company soon recovered with the rebuilding of Frankfurt, the airport
and several public infrastructure projects. At its peak in 1994 the company had 43,000 employees and was with a revenue of 13.1 billion DM the largest German construction company. Despite public efforts for a recapitalization the company was finally liquidated in 2002.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
construction company based in Frankfurt am Main.
The company was founded in 1849 by Johann Philipp Holzmann (1805-1870) at Sprendlingen in present-day Dreieich
Dreieich
Dreieich is a town in the Offenbach district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. It lies roughly 10 km south of Frankfurt am Main and with more than 40,000 inhabitants is the district’s second biggest town.- Location :...
near Frankfurt am Main as Philipp Holzmann & Cie. Initially the former sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
company was concentrating on the supply of ties for railway construction, but then began to expand into building construction and civil engineering. In 1856 the headquarters moved to Frankfurt where in the late 19th century the company experienced rapid growth.
The first large building contract was the construction of the Amsterdam Centraal railway station in 1882, followed by the opera house
Alte Oper
The Alte Oper is a major concert hall and former opera house in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The building was inaugurated in 1880. Many important works have been premiered at the Alte Oper, including Carl Orff's Carmina Burana in 1937....
and the central station
Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof
is the central station for Frankfurt am Main. In terms of railway traffic, it is the busiest railway station in Germany. With about 350,000 passengers per day the station is the second most frequented railway station in Germany and one of the most frequented in Europe.- Proto-history :In the late...
in Frankfurt am Main. Holzmann also built the law courts of Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, the Hamburg city hall
Hamburg Rathaus
The Hamburg Rathaus is the Rathaus—the city hall or town hall—of Hamburg, Germany, it is the seat of the government of Hamburg, located in the Altstadt quarter in the city centre, near the lake Binnenalster and the central station...
and several railway projects in East Africa and Asia, especially the Bagdadbahn built from 1903 on and the Istanbul Haydarpaşa railway station finished in 1908. Furthermore the company participated in the construction of the Elbe Tunnel of 1911 and the Edersee
Edersee
The Edersee Dam is a hydroelectric dam constructed between 1908 to 1914 across the Eder river, near the small town of Waldeck in northern Hesse, Germany, it lies at the northern edge of the Kellerwald...
reservoir, but also of the modernist Riederwald
Riederwald (Frankfurt am Main)
Riederwald is a district or Stadtteil of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is part of the Ortsbezirk Ost. It is one of the smallest Frankfurt districts...
housing estate in Frankfurt.
In 1917 Philipp Holzmann & Cie merged with the Internationale Baugesellschaft and became the publicly traded Philipp Holzmann Aktiengesellschaft
Aktiengesellschaft
Aktiengesellschaft is a German term that refers to a corporation that is limited by shares, i.e. owned by shareholders, and may be traded on a stock market. The term is used in Germany, Austria and Switzerland...
. In 1938 the company had 20,800 employees and contributed to several major building projects like the new Reich Chancellery
Reich Chancellery
The Reich Chancellery was the traditional name of the office of the Chancellor of Germany in the period of the German Reich from 1871 to 1945...
in Berlin, the Nazi party rally grounds
Nazi party rally grounds
The Nazi party rally grounds consist of about 11 square kilometres in the southeast of Nuremberg, Germany...
in Nürnberg, the Prora
Prora
Prora is a beach resort on the island of Rügen, Germany, known especially for its colossal Nazi-planned touristic structures. The massive building complex was built between 1936 and 1939 as a Kraft durch Freude project. The eight buildings are identical, and while they were planned as a holiday...
complex as well as the Westwall
Siegfried Line
The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
and numerous sections of the Reichsautobahn. In World War II Holzmann constructed large parts of the Atlantic Wall
Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the western coast of Europe as a defense against an anticipated Allied invasion of the mainland continent from Great Britain.-History:On March 23, 1942 Führer Directive Number 40...
by order of the Organisation Todt
Organisation Todt
The Todt Organisation, was a Third Reich civil and military engineering group in Germany named after its founder, Fritz Todt, an engineer and senior Nazi figure...
.
In the post-war period the company soon recovered with the rebuilding of Frankfurt, the airport
Frankfurt Airport
Frankfurt Airport may refer to:Airports of Frankfurt, Germany:*Frankfurt Airport , the largest airport in Germany*Frankfurt Egelsbach Airport, a general aviation airport*Frankfurt-Hahn Airport , a converted U.S...
and several public infrastructure projects. At its peak in 1994 the company had 43,000 employees and was with a revenue of 13.1 billion DM the largest German construction company. Despite public efforts for a recapitalization the company was finally liquidated in 2002.