Global
Steeped in history
Our history is also your future
What makes Schwarzheide special? The people. Their experience, their know-how and their willingness to constantly develop further shape our success - yesterday and today.
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Our site in Schwarzheide has been an integral part of the chemical industry for 90 years - and has established itself as a powerful player on the global market. Part of the BASF Group since 1990, the site can look back on an eventful and impressive success story.
1935: fuel is produced from lignite at the former Braunkohle-Benzin AG (BRABAG) plant. Even then, the plant was one of the most important employers in the region. The war years of 1944/1945 were among the darkest in the history of the site. The plant was bombed several times and the damage was repaired under extreme, inhumane working conditions, mainly by prisoners from the Schwarzheide satellite camp of Sachsenhausen concentration camp.
After the Second World War, the Soviet Union continued production under the "Asyn" brand. Polyurethane production began at the later VEB Synthesewerk Schwarzheide in the early 1970s. A design classic from the product range at that time is the garden egg. Even today, products made in Schwarzheide insulate fridges, make cars lighter and quieter and ensure sleeping comfort with mattresses individually tailored to customers' needs.
The transformation to one of Europe's largest BASF sites begins in Schwarzheide after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1990. The takeover of the Schwarzheide industrial site by BASF marks the start of a new beginning and the success story continues to this day.
What sets the location apart is the combination of decades of experience and a constant focus on the future. Transformation and continuous further development are key components of the success story. The employees have played a decisive role in this with their courage and willingness to change.