Mannesmann

Mannesmann (German pronunciation: [ˈmanəsman]) was a German industrial conglomerate. It was originally established as a manufacturer of steel pipes in 1890 under the name "Deutsch-Österreichische Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG" (lit. "German-Austrian Mannesmann pipe-works joint-stock company"). In the twentieth century, Mannesmann's product range grew and the company expanded into numerous sectors; starting from various steel products and trading to mechanical and electrical engineering, automotive and telecommunications. From 1955, the conglomerate's management holding with headquarters in Düsseldorf was named Mannesmann AG.

The particular success of the corporate activities in the area of telecommunications that started in 1990 was the predominant reason for the takeover of Mannesmann by the British telecommunications company Vodafone in 2000, still one of the largest-ever company takeovers worldwide. Back then, the Mannesmann Group had 130,860 employees worldwide and revenues of €23.27 billion.

The corporate name Mannesmann ceased to exist across the engineering, automotive, and telecommunications sectors soon after its acquisition by Vodafone. This event marked the end of the brand's direct presence in those industries. However, the name survives within the German steel industry, specifically maintaining its identity in the specialised steel tube and pipe manufacturing sector, which represents its original industrial core. This existence was secured when the major German steel manufacturer Salzgitter AG purchased the pipe production division of Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG (now operating as Mannesmannröhren-Werke GmbH), thereby acquiring ownership of the Mannesmann brand itself, ensuring its future within global heavy industry.