European Railroad Discussion > Union Horst bridge

A friend of mine found an old railroad bridge here in Brazil dated from 1917 that has a inscription "UNION HORST". Does somebody here knows anything about this Company? Was it a German company?

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,




Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/24 19:17 by pedrop.

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Union has quite a history. One factory was in Essen-Horst. ("Essen-Horst station is located in the district of Horst in the German city of Essen in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia")

Info below from Wikipedia:

Union, AG für Bergbau, Eisen- und Stahl-Industrie – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre (wikipedia.org) <phorum break> <phorum break> Union, AG für Bergbau, Eisen- und Stahl-Industrie - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The Dortmund Union was founded in 1872 at the instigation of Adolph von Hansemann (banker of the Disconto-Gesellschaft) together with the banks Sal. Oppenheim and M. A. Rothschild &amp; Sons. It was created from the merger

• of Hattinger Henrichshütte AG with the Carl Friedrich Erbstollen colliery,
• of the Neuschottland Mining and Smelting Association in Essen-Horst and
• of the Dortmunder Hütte.

In 1880, the Union – like many other steel companies – acquired a license for the Thomas process and expanded its capacities for pig iron production in Dortmund the following year with a blast furnace plant with three furnaces.

In 1884/1885, the blast furnace system of the Henrichshütte was modernized.In 1886/1887, the Brockhauser Tiefbau colliery, which margravitates with the Carl Friedrich Erbstollen colliery, was also acquired. The joint funding of both companies was then relocated there.

In 1898/1899, the Adolf von Hansemann colliery in Dortmund was annexed to the Union and the bridge construction workshop in Dortmund was expanded.The Union also included the Glückauf-Tiefbau colliery and iron ore mines in the Sauerland, among other places.In 1910, the Union was taken over by the German-Luxembourg Mining and Metallurgical Company (German Lux, DL), which was particularly interested in the group's industrial companies.

In the First World War, the Union was one of the most important war suppliers with large-scale grenade production.

In 1926, the companies of German-Lux were merged into Vereinigte Stahlwerke AG. The chairman of the board of directors of DL, Albert Vögler, became chairman of the board of Vereinigte Stahlwerke AG.

During the National Socialist era, the Dortmund subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp existed on the premises of the Dortmund Union. Between 400 and 650 girls and young women, mainly Russians and Poles, were interned here, who had to do forced labor in the arms industry. In 1945, the prisoners were taken to Bergen-Belsen, some were shot in the Bittermark (see Final Phase Crimes). [1]

After the Second World War, Dortmund-Hörder Hüttenunion AG was founded in 1951 in the course of the unbundling of Vereinigte Stahlwerke AG and the reorganisation of the German iron and steel industry; this was taken over by Hoesch AG in 1966.&quot;
_________________
- Doug Debs



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/24 18:29 by DWDebs/2472.

Thank you very much!

Pedro

DWDebs/2472 Wrote:
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> Union has quite a history. One factory was in
> Essen-Horst. ("Essen-Horst station is located in
> the district of Horst in the German city
> of Essen in the German state of North
> Rhine-Westphalia")
>
> Info below from Wikipedia:
>
> Union, AG für Bergbau, Eisen- und Stahl-Industrie
> – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre
> (wikipedia.org)
>
> Union, AG für Bergbau, Eisen- und Stahl-Industrie
> - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
>
> "The Dortmund Union was founded in 1872 at the
> instigation of Adolph von Hansemann (banker of
> the Disconto-Gesellschaft) together with the
> banks Sal. Oppenheim and M. A. Rothschild &
> Sons. It was created from the merger
>
>

• of Hattinger Henrichshütte AG with the Carl
  > Friedrich Erbstollen colliery,
  >
• of the Neuschottland Mining and Smelting
  > Association in Essen-Horst and
  >
• of the Dortmunder Hütte.
  >
  > In 1880, the Union – like many other steel
  > companies – acquired a license for the Thomas
  > process and expanded its capacities for pig iron
  > production in Dortmund the following year with a
  > blast furnace plant with three furnaces.
  >
  > In 1884/1885, the blast furnace system of the
  > Henrichshütte was modernized.In 1886/1887,
  > the Brockhauser Tiefbau colliery, which
  > margravitates with the Carl Friedrich Erbstollen
  > colliery, was also acquired. The joint funding of
  > both companies was then relocated there.
  >
  > In 1898/1899, the Adolf von Hansemann
  > colliery in Dortmund was annexed to the Union and
  > the bridge construction workshop in Dortmund was
  > expanded.The Union also included
  > the Glückauf-Tiefbau colliery and iron ore
  > mines in the Sauerland, among other places.In
  > 1910, the Union was taken over by
  > the German-Luxembourg Mining and Metallurgical
  > Company (German Lux, DL), which was particularly
  > interested in the group's industrial companies.
  >
  > In the First World War, the Union was one of the
  > most important war suppliers with large-scale
  > grenade production.
  >
  > In 1926, the companies of German-Lux were merged
  > into Vereinigte Stahlwerke AG. The chairman of
  > the board of directors of DL, Albert Vögler,
  > became chairman of the board of Vereinigte
  > Stahlwerke AG.
  >
  > During the National Socialist era, the Dortmund
  > subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration
  > camp existed on the premises of the Dortmund
  > Union. Between 400 and 650 girls and young women,
  > mainly Russians and Poles, were interned here, who
  > had to do forced labor in the arms industry. In
  > 1945, the prisoners were taken to Bergen-Belsen,
  > some were shot in the Bittermark (see Final Phase
  > Crimes). [1]
  >
  > After the Second World War, Dortmund-Hörder
  > Hüttenunion AG was founded in 1951 in the course
  > of the unbundling of Vereinigte Stahlwerke AG
  > and the reorganisation of the German iron and
  > steel industry; this was taken over by Hoesch
  > AG in 1966."
  > _________________
  > - Doug Debs

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

Very interesting article.  Thanks, Doug, for providing the background.
jb

It is interesting to say that the railroad company that built this bridge was The Leopoldina Railway, controlled by a British company. Most of the bridge they built here came from United Kingdom. So, it was a surprie to find a German bridge in its old railroad bed.

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

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By January 1917 Britain and Germany would have been at war for 2.5 years, and the British sea blockade of Germany would have inhibited shipment to Brazil during that time.  I wonder if some of the steel for this bridge was repurposed from another project or bridge -- during the war steel would have been in short supply -- either locally, from elsewhere in South America, or possibly Africa.

Best regards, SZ

Another possibility is the bridge to be built and shipped before the war. I imagine that in that time it use to take a long time to send the parts to the location where it should be assembled and then assembly it.

Steinzeit2 Wrote:
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> By January 1917 Britain and Germany would have
> been at war for 2.5 years, and the British sea
> blockade of Germany would have inhibited shipment
> to Brazil during that time.  I wonder if some of
> the steel for this bridge was repurposed from
> another project or bridge -- during the war steel
> would have been in short supply -- either locally,
> from elsewhere in South America, or possibly
> Africa.
>
> Best regards, SZ

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1