Alfred Krupp (* 26 April 1812 in meals; "† 14 July 1887 in meals, originally Alfried Krupp) was actually Industrieller and inventor. He removed the Krupp casting steel factory, which is come up today in the ThyssenKrupp AG, created by its father Friedrich Krupp, to at that time largest industrial enterprise of Europe. This managed it first with the production of smooth wheel tires, which found tearing paragraph with the development of the railway nature, later however particularly with defense contracts. Alfred Krupp was a largest weapon producer of its time, which brought in the surname for him cannon king.

Alfred Krupp is born 1812 as a son of Friedrich Krupp and his Mrs. Theresia Helena Johanna Wilhelmi (1790-1850) in meals. Its father had not succeeded in time life placing the casting steel factory created by it on a healthy restaurant basis. It dies 1826, when Alfred Krupp is 14 years. The enterprise, with 10.000 Talern indebted, Mrs. Theresia turns into, the son Alfred breaks the school off and takes over immediately the de-facto-line at Friedrichs, although officially only once "on calculation of the nut/mother". The company first further for many years with few coworkers before itself. Starting from approximately 1830 the situation changes:

In Germany increasingly the railway nature develops, and thus goes a risen need of casting steel, which is needed on the one hand for the rail production, on the other hand for the axles. On 26 August 1830 Krupp (after some troubles with the production) supplies for the first time rollers from casting steel to the company to Limburg.

The establishment of the German customs union 1834 promotes the goods traffic to Germany. 1836 is busy about 60 workers with Krupp. About its Kruppianer, how they are called, it worries time of its life: It introduces a health insurance and lets work dwellings build. In response it requires loyalty and identification with the company.

1838 announce Krupp a patent for spoons and forks from casting steel. Alfred Krupp bereist in the following years completely Europe, always on the search for customers, in order to receive the business alive. The company expanded, has however a very thin financial cover and so constantly remains in danger to go to bankruptcy.

The production of weapons begins as hobby: After seven-year-old manual work forges Krupp 1843 its first Gewehrlauf. First attempts to sell firearms from steel fail pitifully, since those of military rather trust in solid bronze - steel is too close at iron, which is to be used too brittle and therefore for the purpose of the cannon production not.

1847 are manufactured the first Krupp casting steel cannon and given to the Prussian war Ministry to the opinion. This is given directly to the arsenal and tried out only after two years. The results are outstanding, the Ministry see however no reason to order such cannons and so the later cannon king sells further to spoon.

Ascent

The final break-through succeeds to Alfred Krupp with the invention of the smooth wheel tire 1852/1853: A forged oblong piece steel is centrically split, drifted apart, strained circularly and finally rolled. For decades railway tires are Krupps Hauptprodukt. The USA use almost exclusively Krupp wheel tires. The symbol of the company Krupp is not therefore also by any means a cannon, but is three (not into one another verwobene) wheel tires lying transferred one on the other. The company increases into the 1850er years to 1.000 workers.

1853 he marries those approximately twenty years younger Bertha calibrationhopes (not to confound with its granddaughter Bertha Krupp). The two have a son, Friedrich, altogether run the marriage however rather unfortunately. Alfred Krupp does not love his wife, it is however on the one hand constantly on journeys, on the other side likes her due to the industry got dirty and ugly city the meals. To forget not: its difficult character. Bertha spends therefore most time of the yearly with Friedrich in Italy.

Around 1857 it develops its own version of a Hinterlader cannon. When it offers it to the Prussian military 1858 for the purchase, it is however rejected, since one has entitled doubts about the reliability of the weapon, which in connection with the unreliability of the catches. In April 1860 Alfred Krupp sells the first steel cannons: Prussia orders 312 which were however front loaders. Very fast now the weapon sales grow, and the company sells cannons to all European great powers with exception of France. This growth is possible by the introduction of innovative production engineering: Krupp several tons the heavy forging steam hammer "Fritz" develops 1861. The mass production of steel is made possible by new methods: Both the Bessemer process, which it buys from England, and the siemens-martin process are inserted of Krupp as first into Germany. The Bessemer process permits the production of steel from pig irons by supply of air and warmth and facilitates production so uncommonly.

Prussia wins the GermanDanish war due to the superiority of the Krupp steel cannons opposite the Danish bronze cannons. the first time armies face each other 1866 in the German war, which were equipped both by Krupp. 1867 were perfected the Hinterlader cannon by the development of the round wedge catch by Krupp. The French-German war is decided by Moltkes logistic genius and above all the double range of the Prussian steel cannons compared with the French bronze cannons.

The largest enterprise of Europe

In the founder years after forming the German Reich double themselves the German heavy industry, and the company, how one generally calls Krupp now, becomes the largest industrial enterprise of Europe. Meal becomes Kruppstadt and increases around hundredthousands inhabitants. Nevertheless Krupp is constantly in danger of the bankruptcy, for example 1874 with the financial crisis of the German heavy industry, which has strong over-capacities. Krupp owes at that time the banks the considerable sum of 30 million Marks, can these off however quite fast owing to the railway boom in the USA pay.

Likewise into this time falls the building of the mansion hill, the magnificent "master lock" the Krupps, which is sketched by Alfreds themselves, which is built from fear of fires without any inflammable materials and in its technical mechanisms (among other things heating, food elevators) at that time the most modern house of the world is.

When organized general strike 1871 it publishes reaction to one of the socialist labour party of Germany (SAP) 1872 the general regulation, which is expenditure-divided to all workers. In its 72 paragraphs, which were valid up to the end of the company as exempt private companies into the 1960ern, the rights and obligations of the Kruppianer were precisely described:

Unfaithful one and betrayal must with all legal severity be pursued"Â… as from the seed the fruit comes out and depending upon its kind food or poison, then the act rises from the spirit - property or bad.

Those the workers imposed obligations are strictly, their rights however extensive. Thus they keep cheap dwellings, revolutionary a health insurance, and for Germany: Who works time of its life at Krupp, a pension receives. If a worker will dismiss, it loses all these privileges. The later social legislation Otto von Bismarcks orients itself to a large extent at the Krupp general regulation.

Into the 1880er years becomes oppressive the competition of the American steel industry. Krupp loses the American market and thus its main area of distribution for wheel tires. From now on it concentrates on arms production and development. The same applies for two largest competitors, the Frenchmen cutter and the Englishman to its Armstrong. The three together start the European arms spiral, whose result the material battles of the First World War are later.

In Germany Alfred Krupp fights meanwhile against SAP. He fears a bankruptcy by their ideas. Furthermore it regards its workers as its property. A black list that worker is led, who participates in demonstrations. Who is noted on it, to dismiss and/or one does not adjust at all. To select requested before each realm tag choice the workers, not SAP.

1887 die Alfred Krupp at a cardiac infarct. Its son Friedrich Alfred Krupp inherits the company, which has meanwhile 20,000 persons employed.

Personality

Alfred Krupp was after each yardstick unusual humans. On side was it a Workaholic, on the other hand in addition, a Hypochonder the first rank, which suffered weeks from depressions and then and did not leave months the bed.

It means - and it concerns only a legend here - that it loved the smell of horse dung and therefore its work room over the horse stables of the mansion hill be built could, in order to insure itself over vent ducts of land air peppered with dung smell.

It had to communicate a large need and was written in the course of its life several thousand letters - sometimes the same person several per day - and written an immense number at notes at its workers.

Admits however is its panische fear of fire, which led to the fact that he let the entire interior arrangement from non-combustible materials make with the building of the mansion hill.

1865 are to have rejected Krupp it the award of the aristocracy descriptor offered in the name of the king of Prussia not accordingly "as its desires".

He preserved large admiration for England, why he did not call himself Alfried, as its baptismal name was, but Alfreds.

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