Auhagen

Auhagen GmbH is a German manufacturer of model railway accessories and building kits headquartered in Marienberg in the Erzgebirge region. The company traces its origins to a cardboard factory founded by Heinrich Auhagen in the Hüttengrund district of Marienberg in 1885. It began producing model building kits in 1952, initially from cardboard with embossed facades, and later switched to plastic kits. Today Auhagen is known for its extensive range of building kits, scenery accessories, and model railway components in TT, H0, and N scales, as well as dual-use H0/TT models produced at 1:100 scale. The company's history reflects the turbulent 20th-century German economy. In 1958, Auhagen Senior and Junior jointly founded H. Auhagen KG. In 1972, the company was nationalized in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and became VEB Modellspielwaren Marienberg-Hüttengrund, part of the Kombinat Holzspielwaren VERO Olbernhau. During this period, its model kits were sold under the Mamos brand (Marienberger Modellspielwaren). In 1979, VEB Modellbahnzubehör Marienberg was integrated, expanding the product range to include terrain mats, trees, and level crossings. Further reorganizations followed in 1980 and 1981. After German reunification, the company was reprivatized in 1990, and in 1993 Auhagen GmbH Modellspielwaren und Verpackungsmittel was founded. In 1996, Auhagen took over the former VERO model railway accessory production from Olbernhau and relocated it to Marienberg. A severe flood in 1999 damaged the production facilities, but subsequent investments in flood protection minimized damage from the 2002 flood. Since 2007, the company has operated simply as Auhagen GmbH. Until July 2019, it remained family-owned in the fourth generation, when it was sold to long-time employees Markus Hillig and Robert Werner. Auhagen currently operates in several business areas: model railway accessories, tool and mold making, plastic injection molding, and cardboard packaging. Its product line includes building kits for stations, houses, industrial structures, and scenery items such as trees, terrain mats, and figures. Recent new products include a compact turntable for H0 scale (3-rail and 2-rail systems), a rural halt with corrugated iron huts, a modern city passage with interior details, and a finely detailed model of an Ikarus 260 city bus in TT scale. The company sells through its own website and a network of specialist model railway retailers, serving hobbyists in Germany, Europe, and internationally.

The history of Auhagen begins in 1885, when Heinrich Auhagen founded a cardboard factory in Hüttengrund, a district of Marienberg in the Erzgebirge. After Heinrich's unexpected death in 1919, the factory passed to his son Rudolf. When Rudolf Auhagen Junior returned from the war in 1946, the company began refining its cardboard products, including embossing jam jar lids and punching Christmas ornaments, in addition to cardboard production. In 1952, the company started manufacturing model building kits made of cardboard with embossed facades. In 1958, Auhagen Senior and Junior jointly founded H. Auhagen KG. In 1970/71, cardboard production ceased, the company was modernized, and the building kit range was converted from cardboard to plastic kits. In 1972, the company was nationalized in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and became VEB Modellspielwaren Marienberg-Hüttengrund, assigned to the Kombinat Holzspielwaren VERO Olbernhau. From then on, the model kits were sold as Mamos kits (Marienberger Modellspielwaren) rather than Auhagen kits. In 1979, VEB Modellbahnzubehör Marienberg (formerly Karl Scheffler KG) was integrated into the operation, expanding production to include terrain mats, trees, and level crossings. In 1980, it was subordinated to VEB Vero Olbernhau and renamed VEB Vero Werk 5, Marienberg-Hüttengrund, which in 1981 was attached to the Kombinat Spielwaren Sonneberg. After German reunification, the company was reprivatized in 1990, and production of model railway accessories and cardboard packaging continued. In 1993, Auhagen GmbH Modellspielwaren und Verpackungsmittel was founded. In 1996, Auhagen took over the former VERO model railway accessory production from Olbernhau from a Treuhand successor company and relocated it to the company site in Marienberg. In 1999, a severe weather disaster in the Mittlerer Erzgebirgskreis heavily damaged the production facilities when the Schlettenbach stream overflowed its banks on July 5, 1999, following a cloudburst. Subsequent investments in flood protection largely minimized damage from the 2002 flood. Since 2007, the company has been known simply as Auhagen GmbH. Until July 2019, the company was family-owned in the fourth generation; then it was sold to long-time employees Markus Hillig and Robert Werner. Today, Auhagen operates in the business areas of model railway accessories, tool and mold making, plastic injection molding, and cardboard packaging.

• 2019

  Sold to long-time employees Markus Hillig and Robert Werner, ending family ownership in the fourth generation.

• 2007

  Company renamed simply Auhagen GmbH.

• 2002

  Flood protection investments minimize damage from the 2002 flood.

• 1999

  Severe flood on July 5 damages production facilities.

• 1996

  Takes over former VERO model railway accessory production from Olbernhau and relocates it to Marienberg.

• 1993

  Auhagen GmbH Modellspielwaren und Verpackungsmittel founded.

• 1990

  Reprivatization; production of model railway accessories and cardboard packaging continues.

• 1981

  Attached to Kombinat Spielwaren Sonneberg.

• 1980

  Subordinated to VEB Vero Olbernhau and renamed VEB Vero Werk 5, Marienberg-Hüttengrund.

• 1979

  VEB Modellbahnzubehör Marienberg integrated; product range expands to terrain mats, trees, level crossings.

• 1972

  Nationalization in the GDR; becomes VEB Modellspielwaren Marienberg-Hüttengrund, part of Kombinat Holzspielwaren VERO Olbernhau; kits sold as Mamos.

• 1970

  Cardboard production ceases; building kits switch from cardboard to plastic.

• 1958

  Auhagen Senior and Junior jointly found H. Auhagen KG.

• 1952

  Start of model building kit production from cardboard with embossed facades.

• 1946

  Rudolf Auhagen Junior returns from the war; the company begins refining cardboard products.

• 1919

  After Heinrich Auhagen's death, the factory passes to his son Rudolf.

• 1885

  Heinrich Auhagen founds a cardboard factory in Hüttengrund, Marienberg.

Specialist manufacturer of model railway accessories and building kits, with a long tradition in the Erzgebirge region, offering detailed products in multiple scales for hobbyists.

• Turntable 3-rail system (11480)

  Compact turntable for wagons and smaller locomotives, stage length 95 mm, overall diameter 111 mm, 90-degree exit angle.

• Turntable 2-rail system (11481)

  2-rail version of the turntable.

• Halt Hüttengrund (11486)

  H0 scale kit with two corrugated iron huts and a small shed, includes base plate and platform edges.

• City Passage (13360)

  TT scale kit of a modern passage with large glass front, extensive interior, bistro on upper floor, terrace.

• Ikarus 260 "Berlin" minicar (66058)

  TT scale kit of a three-door city bus Ikarus 260, finely detailed and accurately printed, with flush windows and separately mounted lights.

1. 1Auhagen Modellbahnzubehör | Auhagen.de - Modellbahnzubehörauhagen.de
2. 2Auhagen GmbH - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Auhagen (Modelleisenbahn) - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org