Schachtbau Nordhausen

Schachtbau Nordhausen GmbH (SBN) is a German industrial engineering company headquartered in Nordhausen, Thuringia. Its origins trace back to 1898, when Louis Gebhardt founded Eismaschinen- und Internationale Tiefbau GmbH, a firm that pioneered the practical application of the freezing method for shaft sinking. In 1939, this company merged with Deutsche Schachtbau GmbH (founded 1906) to form Gebhardt & Koenig – Deutsche Schachtbau AG. After World War II, the company was nationalized in East Germany and underwent several name changes before becoming Schachtbau Nordhausen GmbH in 1990. Since 1992, it has been part of the Bauer Group, a globally active construction and machinery conglomerate. Today, SBN operates through four main divisions: mining (shaft sinking, maintenance, and safeguarding), steel construction (including steel bridge building), plant engineering (water management facilities), and machinery manufacturing (components for specialist foundation engineering equipment). The company employs around 1,000 people and has a second location in Lengenfeld, Saxony. It serves both national and international markets, with subsidiaries and participations in Russia and Kazakhstan. SBN is known for its engineering expertise, particularly in ground freezing and shaft sinking, and has contributed to numerous major infrastructure projects in Germany and abroad. As part of the Bauer Group, it benefits from synergies in construction and equipment technology. The company emphasizes innovation, versatility, and reliability, and maintains high standards in health, safety, and environmental protection.

The history of Schachtbau Nordhausen GmbH (SBN) begins in 1898, when Louis Gebhardt founded Eismaschinen- und Internationale Tiefbau GmbH in Nordhausen. Gebhardt had learned the freezing method for shaft sinking while working for Friedrich Hermann Poetsch, the inventor of the technique. He improved the method to practical maturity, and in 1900 the first successful freezing shaft was completed at the Anhaltinische Salzwerke Leopoldshall in Güsten. Under Gebhardt and engineers such as Hugo Joosten and Wilhelm Zaeringer, the company became a world leader in shaft freezing technology. In 1925, Joosten developed a method for consolidating sand using water glass. In 1939, on the initiative of Deutsche Erdöl AG, which had acquired majority stakes in both companies, Eismaschinen- und Internationale Tiefbau GmbH merged with Deutsche Schachtbau GmbH (founded 1906) to form Gebhardt & Koenig – Deutsche Schachtbau AG Nordhausen. During World War II, about 30% of the Nordhausen facilities were destroyed in air raids. After the war, production resumed quickly; in 1947, the first post-war freezing shaft was sunk in Doberlug-Kirchhain. From 1950, the Joosten method was increasingly used for sealing dams. As a result of the division of Germany, the company was split. The main plants in Nordhausen were dismantled between January 1946 and July 1947 and nationalized in May 1947, becoming Deutsches Schachtbau- und Tiefbohrunternehmen Nordhausen/Harz. On 5 May 1948, it was incorporated into the VVB Schachtbau- und Bohrbetriebe der Kohleindustrie, based in Nordhausen. Further name changes followed: in 1954, VEB Schachtbau, Verfestigungen und Abdichtungen Nordhausen; in 1959, VEB Schachtbau Nordhausen der VVB Nichteisenmetall-Industrie; in 1968, VEB Schachtbau Nordhausen im Mansfeld Kombinat 'Wilhelm Pieck'. On 1 January 1990, it became VEB Schachtbau Nordhausen, and on 8 June 1990, it was converted into Schachtbau Nordhausen GmbH under the German GmbH law. During the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, the company completed several major projects, including the completion of Shaft Unterbreizbach 2 in 1964 after nine years of sinking, the completion of shafts Zielitz 1 and 2 in 1969, the completion of mining work at the Markersbach pumped-storage plant in 1977, the first successful use of shaft drilling in potash mining at Shaft Ramstedt 1 in 1980, the start of driving the 10 km 'Lichte' drinking water tunnel in 1982 using the self-developed VM 24-27 tunneling machine, the sealing of the West field in the Sangerhausen copper shale mine in 1986, and the conversion of Shaft 1 in Sondershausen from wood to steel lagging in just 40 days. Exploration also became an important business field, with numerous international contracts. Since its founding, the company was also active in mechanical engineering and construction. Initially, machines such as drilling rigs and cooling systems for freezing shaft sinking were developed and built in-house. Later, the workshops were used for building auxiliary equipment and, in crisis times, for non-core production and repairs. In East Germany, due to limited access to world markets, many plants and machines were built in-house. The resulting steel construction capacities were used from 1990 for steel and mechanical engineering. In 1992, the Bauer Group acquired Schachtbau Nordhausen GmbH from the Treuhand agency. Subsequently, several subsidiaries were founded or acquired. Today, SBN is a modern technology company within the Bauer Group, with around 1,000 employees and a second location in Lengenfeld, Saxony. It operates in the fields of mining, plant engineering, mechanical engineering, and steel construction, with international activities including subsidiaries and participations in Russia and Kazakhstan.

• 1992

  Bauer Group acquired Schachtbau Nordhausen GmbH from Treuhand.

• 1990

  Converted into Schachtbau Nordhausen GmbH on 8 June.

• 1986

  Start of sealing the West field in the Sangerhausen copper shale mine.

• 1982

  Start of driving the 10 km 'Lichte' drinking water tunnel using the self-developed VM 24-27 tunneling machine.

• 1980

  First successful use of shaft drilling in potash mining at Shaft Ramstedt 1.

• 1977

  Completion of mining work at Markersbach pumped-storage plant.

• 1969

  Completion of shafts Zielitz 1 and 2.

• 1968

  Renamed VEB Schachtbau Nordhausen im Mansfeld Kombinat 'Wilhelm Pieck'.

• 1964

  Completion of Shaft Unterbreizbach 2 after nine years of sinking.

• 1959

  Renamed VEB Schachtbau Nordhausen der VVB Nichteisenmetall-Industrie.

• 1954

  Renamed VEB Schachtbau, Verfestigungen und Abdichtungen Nordhausen.

• 1948

  Incorporated into VVB Schachtbau- und Bohrbetriebe der Kohleindustrie on 5 May.

• 1947

  First post-war freezing shaft sunk in Doberlug-Kirchhain; company nationalized in May.

• 1939

  Merger of Eismaschinen- und Internationale Tiefbau GmbH and Deutsche Schachtbau GmbH to form Gebhardt & Koenig – Deutsche Schachtbau AG Nordhausen.

• 1925

  Hugo Joosten developed a method for consolidating sand using water glass.

• 1906

  Deutsche Schachtbau GmbH founded.

• 1900

  First successful freezing shaft completed at Anhaltinische Salzwerke Leopoldshall in Güsten.

• 1898

  Louis Gebhardt founded Eismaschinen- und Internationale Tiefbau GmbH in Nordhausen.

Innovative, versatile, and reliable engineering partner with a long tradition in mining and construction.

• Shaft sinking and ground freezing

  Mining services including shaft sinking, maintenance, and safeguarding, using the freezing method.

• Steel bridge construction

  Core competency in steel bridge building, serving as an innovative steel construction partner for 30 years.

• Water management facilities

  Plant engineering for water management facilities, covering a broad spectrum of services.

• Specialist foundation engineering components

  Design and manufacture of highly modern components for specialist foundation engineering equipment, with worldwide service.

1. 1wer wir sind | SCHACHTBAU NORDHAUSEN GmbHschachtbau.de
2. 2Über uns | SCHACHTBAU NORDHAUSEN GmbHschachtbau.de
3. 3Schachtbau Nordhausenwikidata.org
4. 4Schachtbau Nordhausende.wikipedia.org