The Krupp family had been settled in the village of Essen for many generations.
1787 Birth of Friedrich Krupp, who went onto found the family firm;
1800 the "Gute Hoffnungshutte" Ironworks, which became one of the most important in Germany, were acquired and worked by the widow of Hermann Krupp.
Experiments were carried out in making steel.
In 1810 Krupp started a small forge, and a hammer mill worked by water. His efforts were so successful that in 1815 he was able to announce that he could supply cast steel
About 1820 Friedrich Krupp gave up his house in the town, and withdrew with his wife and family to a small workman's cottage.
1826 Friedrich Krupp died, having used up his physcial strength, as well as his fortune.
He left the secret of making steel to his son Alfred; the mother and her son carried on the busness as before. Alfred started in business with only two workmen; in 1832 the number had risen to ten. After much hard work, the number employed rose to 8187 in 1865. By the end of the century, 43,000 were employed in the works.
1852 Krupp finally left the small workman's cottage where he had won his way to fame. Shortly after he married, and his son, Friedrich Alfred Krupp, was born on February 17th, 1854.
Krupp earned greatest fame as a maker of ordnance. His first large order was guns for Egypt in 1857, In 1861 the Prussian military authorities adopted the Krupp breech-loading system which gave them an advantage in the 1870 war with the French. The factory was supplied from the company's own iron and coal mines and blast furnaces.
1887 Alfred Krupp died.
1886 the company acquired the Annen steel mill near Witten.
1893 the Gruson works in Magdeburg was purchased
1902 Friedrich Alfred Krupp, of Essen, died at the age of forty-nine
The Krupp Works consisted of:
- The Essen Steel Works,
- The Friedrich Alfred Krupp Ironworks in Rheinhausen,
- The Steel Works in Annen,
- The Grusen Works at Magdeburg Buckau, and
- The Shipyard Germania at Kiel.
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