Bodenbearbeitungsgerätewerk Leipzig

Bodenbearbeitungsgerätewerk Leipzig (BBG) is a German agricultural machinery brand and company based in Leipzig. Its origins lie in the Landmaschinenfabrik Rudolph Sack, founded in 1863 by Rudolph Sack in the Plagwitz district of Leipzig to produce agricultural implements. By the late 19th century it was among the largest agricultural machinery manufacturers in Germany, and its plough factory remained a leading German plough and farm machinery works until 1945. After the Second World War the company was expropriated and reorganized as the state-owned VEB Leipziger Bodenbearbeitungsgeräte (BBG), becoming one of the most important agricultural machinery producers in the German Democratic Republic, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. It was later integrated into the Kombinat Fortschritt Landmaschinen and, as VEB Bodenbearbeitungsgeräte "Karl Marx" Leipzig, employed around 4,100 people and generated turnover of roughly 470 million GDR marks in the late 1980s. Following German reunification, the firm was converted into a stock corporation under Treuhand administration, underwent turbulent privatization and severe shrinkage, and in 1993 became BBG GmbH Leipzig with about 150 employees. It was taken over by Franz Kleine GmbH & Co. KG, and after Kleine's 1998 insolvency, the Amazonen-Werke became owner of BBG in 1999. Today BBG Bodenbearbeitungsgeräte Leipzig GmbH & Co. KG is the successor company and operates within the Amazonen-Werke group, continuing the Leipzig tradition of soil cultivation and seeding technology. The brand is associated with implements for conventional tillage, mulch seeding and direct seeding, and with the broader AMAZONE range of ploughs, compact disc harrows and precision farming tools.

The origin of Bodenbearbeitungsgerätewerk Leipzig was the Landmaschinenfabrik Rudolph Sack, founded in 1863 by Rudolph Sack in Plagwitz near Leipzig to manufacture agricultural implements. Sack had begun building agricultural equipment, including ploughs and seed drills, as early as 1854 in the village smithy of Löben near Lützen. In early May 1863, on the recommendation of Leipzig lawyer and entrepreneur Karl Heine, he founded a machine factory in Plagwitz that initially operated in rented premises on Alte Straße with five employees. In 1867 Sack erected his own factory buildings and a residence on what is now Karl-Heine-Straße 95; the house was rebuilt in 1875 and later used as an office. In 1881 he acquired further properties at today's Karl-Heine-Straße 90 and 99–101, and the workforce grew from 60 in 1868 to 170 in 1878 and 650 in 1881. Around 1890 a steel foundry with a Siemens furnace and gas generator was established. In 1891 the firm Rud. Sack was converted into a limited partnership (Rud. Sack KG), and Rudolph Sack's son Paul took over management. The company expanded in 1894 to Karl-Heine-Straße 103/105, in 1897 to Weißenfelser Straße 67 where the steam plough and seed drill factory was built, in 1904 to Karl-Heine-Straße 78–88, and in 1912 to Aurelienstraße 62/64. In its 50th anniversary year of 1913, 2,000 people worked for the company, which covered 75,000 square meters and at times had up to six rail sidings. The Rud. Sack plough factory remained one of Germany's leading plough and agricultural machinery factories until 1945. During the Great Depression, 1,150 employees had to be laid off in 1930, and by 1932 only 65 employees and 31 apprentices remained. In 1937/38 the Leonhard company (woodworking machinery) was acquired at Klingenstraße 22. After 1942, 1,570 forced laborers were employed by the company. The Rudolph Sack KG, heavily involved in armaments production, was severely destroyed by the effects of war in 1945. In April 1945 it was shut down by the US occupation, but production resumed under the old name in May 1945 with 224 employees. On 30 October 1945 the assets were seized by the Soviet Military Administration (SMAD). In the Saxon referendum of 30 June 1946, Rud. Sack was placed on List C (SMAD reserved the right to decide on expropriation or return). On 1 July 1946 it was taken over in trust by the Saxon state government. By September 1947 more than 1,000 people were again working for the company. In 1948 it was expropriated and converted into the Volkseigener Betrieb Leipziger Bodenbearbeitungsgeräte (BBG), and assigned to the Association of People's Own Enterprises for Agricultural, Construction and Woodworking Machinery, also based in Leipzig. With almost 1,500 employees, BBG was at that time the largest agricultural machinery manufacturer in the GDR. By 1950 the workforce had grown to about 2,300. This development continued, and in the 1960s and 1970s several small and medium-sized regional operations were assigned to the company. In 1970 the plant became part of the Weimar combine, and in 1978 it was integrated into the Kombinat Fortschritt Landmaschinen. At that time BBG was given responsibility for the Landmaschinenbau Döbeln plant and some smaller operations. In 1984 the Bernburg plant (formerly Landmaschinenbau Bernburg, successor to the company Siedersleben founded in 1867) was assigned to it. In this formation, VEB Bodenbearbeitungsgeräte "Karl Marx" Leipzig achieved turnover of about 470 million GDR marks in the late 1980s and had about 4,100 employees, of whom about 2,800 were at the main Leipzig plant, 600 at the Bernburg plant and a further 700 at operations in Taucha, Großschirma, Colmitz and Leipzig. In 1990 the company became a stock corporation under Treuhand administration. Turbulent privatization activities followed, accompanied by strong shrinkage. At the end of 1993 BBG GmbH Leipzig was formed with about 150 employees, and at the same time it was taken over by Franz Kleine GmbH & Co. KG. The 1998 insolvency of Kleine also affected BBG GmbH Leipzig. Since 1999 the Amazonen-Werke has been the owner of BBG. The BBG Bodenbearbeitungsgeräte Leipzig GmbH & Co. KG is the successor company of the business originally founded as Landmaschinenfabrik Rudolph Sack.

• 1999

  Amazonen-Werke becomes owner of BBG.

• 1998

  The insolvency of Kleine also affects BBG GmbH Leipzig.

• 1993

  BBG GmbH Leipzig is formed with about 150 employees and taken over by Franz Kleine GmbH & Co. KG.

• 1990

  The company becomes a stock corporation under Treuhand administration.

• 1984

  The Bernburg plant is assigned to BBG.

• 1978

  Integrated into the Kombinat Fortschritt Landmaschinen; given responsibility for Landmaschinenbau Döbeln.

• 1970

  The plant becomes part of the Weimar combine.

• 1950

  Workforce grows to about 2,300.

• 1948

  Expropriation and conversion into the state-owned VEB Leipziger Bodenbearbeitungsgeräte (BBG).

• 1945

  The heavily war-damaged company is shut down by US occupation in April and resumes production in May with 224 employees.

• 1930

  During the Great Depression, 1,150 employees are laid off.

• 1913

  In its 50th anniversary year, the company employs 2,000 people and covers 75,000 m².

• 1891

  Rud. Sack is converted into a limited partnership (Rud. Sack KG); Paul Sack takes over management.

• 1881

  Workforce reaches 650; further properties are acquired.

• 1867

  Sack erects his own factory buildings and a residence on today's Karl-Heine-Straße 95.

• 1863

  Rudolph Sack founds a machine factory in Plagwitz near Leipzig, the origin of the company.

• 1854

  Rudolph Sack begins building agricultural implements in the village smithy of Löben near Lützen.

Historic East German agricultural machinery brand, now a soil-cultivation specialist within the AMAZONE group.

• Anhängepflüge DZ 25 and DZ 30

  Trailed ploughs for tractors of 20 to 40 PS, a focus of 1950s production.

• Anbaubeet- und -drehpflüge B 100 series

  Mounted plough series from the 1950s.

• Catros compact disc harrow

  AMAZONE compact disc harrow, trusted by customers for 25 years, for shallow to medium-depth mixing tillage.

• Teres 300 mounted reversible plough

  AMAZONE mounted reversible plough now available for on-land ploughing, for tractors up to 300 PS.

1. 1Amazone - Landmaschinenamazone.de
2. 2Bodenbearbeitungsgerätewerk Leipzig - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Bodenbearbeitungsgerätewerk Leipzig - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org