
Ilsenburger Grobblech
The industrial production in Ilsenburg (Saxony-Anhalt) has an extraordinary long tradition. The original copper smelter "Ilsenburger Kupferhammer" was founded in 1595.
Nevertheless the first water-driven rolling mill was built much later - in 1841, for hot rolling and shaping of copper and lead products. In 1906 the "Hirsch Kupfer- und Messingwerker AG" were founded, which soon became the most modern copper plant in Europe.
The first attempts of steel hot rolling were made in 1934.
In 1948, the "VEB Kupfer- und Blachwalzwerk Ilsenburg" was established within the Soviet occupation zone, and the hot-rolled steel plate became the leading part of the production range.
The rolling mill became fully independent in 1989 and known as "Walzwerk Ilsenburg GmbH" for some time. Since 2001 the plant became a subsidiary of Salzgitter AG.