Time of the world wars
With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the blockade of the North Sea by the British Royal Navy increasingly dried up the supply of raw materials and primary products, while at the same time the demand for war equipment increased.[19] Initially, voluntary metal donations were processed into war material. Later, expropriated household items as well as church bells and organ pipes were also melted down through the influence of a state-owned company.[20][21] During the war, Belgian and Russian prisoners of war were also employed as forced labourers.[5]
After the end of World War I in 1918, the Norddeutsche Affinerie was affected by the transition to a peacetime economy, labor shortages, high inflation and outdated equipment. In 1921, major investments were made in the site. In 1926, the British Metal Corporation acquired a 26% stake in Norddeutsche Affinerie,[22] while two years later 51% of Chemiefabrik J. E. Devrient AG was acquired and incorporated into the Group. Despite the Great Depression starting in 1929, the company proved resilient and was able to expand its product range.[23]
After the National Socialists came to power (1933), the company experienced a massive upswing.[24] At the same time, three people of Jewish descent, Richard Merton, Julius Levisohn and Heinrich Wohlwill, had to resign from the board of directors.[25] With Wilhelm Avieny from Metallgesellschaft and Hermann Schlosser from Degussa, two people who were closely linked to National Socialist politics took over leading positions on the Supervisory board in 1939.[26] On the eve of the World War II, the company covered half of Germany's copper consumption and employed around 1,450 people.[27]
From 1940, the Norddeutsche Affinerie was involved in the processing of looted gold that had been extorted from Jewish owners.[25] The company also played a leading role in a so-called metal donation from the German people and, in addition to voluntary donations, also melted down expropriated grave crosses, fountains, monuments and church bells.[28][29]The bombing raids of Operation Gomorrah (July and August 1943) hit the factory rather indirectly: although the factory suffered a few bomb hits, the damage was limited compared to other areas of the city. Nevertheless, operations were at times at a standstill because large parts of the population and workforce had left Hamburg and only gradually returned. The damage caused by an air raid on November 4, 1944 was much more serious, and operations at the Norddeutsche Affinerie did not restart until the end of the war.[30]
During the World War II, Norddeutsche Affinerie was an important supplier for the arms industry and used forced laborers in production. At its peak in July 1944, 806 forced laborers were employed out of a total workforce of around 1900, although an offer of a further 1,000 to 1,500 forced laborers from the Neuengamme concentration camp was rejected.[31][5]
