Waggon- und Maschinenbau Görlitz

Waggon- und Maschinenbau Görlitz (WUMAG) was a German manufacturer of heavy machinery and railway vehicles that operated from 1828 until 1946. The company's origins trace back to a saddlery and paint workshop founded by Johann Christoph Lüders in Görlitz on 5 June 1828. Over the following decades, it evolved into a major industrial enterprise, producing railway wagons, carriages, and later heavy machinery. At its peak, WUMAG was one of the most significant employers in Görlitz and later Krefeld, shaping the economic landscape of the region. The company was transformed into a joint-stock company in 1869 and continued to expand its product range and production capacity. After World War II, the original entity ceased to exist, but several successor companies continued to use the WUMAG name, with the tradition carried on by the metal construction company WUMAG texroll. The brand remains a notable part of German industrial history, particularly in the field of railway rolling stock.

The history of Waggon- und Maschinenbau Görlitz (WUMAG) spans over 160 years and is deeply intertwined with the industrial development of Görlitz and later Krefeld. It began on 5 June 1828 when Johann Christoph Lüders founded a saddlery and paint workshop at the Obermarkt in Görlitz. In addition to saddlery and painting, Lüders produced various types of carriages. By April 1829, the business had moved to the upper Langengasse and was operating as a saddler and carriage builder. Due to growing reputation, it soon relocated to Demianiplatz. At that time, the city of Görlitz issued a tender for the construction of two eight-axle railway wagons for timber transport, as the city owned extensive forest areas in the Görlitzer Heide. Lüders, together with master locksmith Conrad Schiedt, participated in the tender. On 19 October 1849, the city council selected Lüders and Schiedt. This date is considered the birth of Görlitz wagon construction. Conrad Schiedt supplied the necessary iron material from his factory for iron and machine goods in the Büttnergasse and contributed to the construction of the timber transport wagons. In 1849, Lüders moved production to Brunnenstraße. Lüders recognized the growing market for the development and construction of railway wagons. By 1852, his factory had delivered 81 wagons, manufactured by 205 employees from nine trades. Rising production required further expansion. In 1853, Lüders acquired and developed additional land on Brunnenstraße and equipped the factory with a steam engine and steam hammer, marking the start of industrial production. In the following years, more steam engines and workshops were added, along with a steam-powered forge. The workforce grew to 500 by 1862. Production increased from 300 railway wagons in 1856 to 426 in 1869, including military wagons for the Viceroy of Egypt. The main customers, besides private railways, were the Prussian and Saxon state railways, which primarily ordered two-axle compartment coaches. At that time, wagons were transported by horse-drawn vehicles to the railway tracks at the station, prompting Lüders to negotiate with the city in 1868 for a dedicated rail connection from the factory via Hilgergasse and Brautwiesen to the station. However, the project could not be realized. In early 1869, Lüders sold his railway wagon factory to the Berlin merchant J. Mamroth for 600,000 thalers. Mamroth immediately pushed forward with plans to convert the company into a joint-stock company. A founding committee was formed, including Max Maria Freiherr von Weber, royal Saxon finance councilor and director of the Saxon State Railway; Carl Vogt, royal government and building councilor and director of the Breslau-Schweidnitz-Freiburger Railway; and Wilhelm Eichler von Eichkron, imperial and royal court councilor and general director of the Kaiser Ferdinands-Nordbahn. On 3 February 1869, advertisements were placed in numerous newspapers promoting participation in the new joint-stock company. By the closing of subscriptions on 10 February 1869, 2 million thalers had been subscribed instead of the required 800,000. On 26 May 1869, the company passed into the ownership of the joint-stock company and was entered in the company register at the Royal District Court of Görlitz on 21 June 1869. Christoph Lüders left the company at his own request, although he was offered the position of technical director under director Heinrich August Samann. The joint-stock company founded its own company health insurance fund in 1871, providing members with free medical treatment, free medicine or spa and care, as well as sick pay in case of incapacity and death benefits. In 1883, a pension fund was established to provide pensions for civil servants and workers upon disability. Numerous other welfare institutions for employees also existed. In the first half of 1869, the joint-stock company recorded orders from home and abroad worth over 615,000 thalers. Most orders dated back to Christoph Lüders' time. To meet further increasing demand, the carpentry was expanded, a new assembly shed with skylights was built, and the cutting mill (sawmill) was enlarged. However, the company remained on the original site at Brunnenstraße. By 1872, turnover rose to 1,551,918 thalers with 1,222 workers. Nearly 2,000 wagons were produced that year, mostly baggage and freight cars. Despite high turnover, 1872 and the following year were without profit, mainly due to rising raw material and semi-finished product prices, speculative transactions, and numerous new company foundations in rail vehicle construction. Only in the 1874/1875 financial year could a dividend of 4 percent be paid to shareholders again. Due to the economic downturn... [text truncated]

• 1946

  WUMAG ceased operations as an independent entity.

• 1883

  Pension fund established for employees.

• 1871

  Company health insurance fund established.

• 1869

  Lüders sold factory to J. Mamroth; company transformed into a joint-stock company (Aktiengesellschaft für Fabrikation von Eisenbahnmaterial zu Görlitz).

• 1853

  Acquired additional land on Brunnenstraße and equipped factory with steam engine and steam hammer, starting industrial production.

• 1852

  Factory delivered 81 wagons with 205 employees.

• 1849

  City of Görlitz awarded contract for two eight-axle timber transport wagons to Lüders and Schiedt; considered birth of Görlitz wagon construction.

• 1828

  Johann Christoph Lüders founded a saddlery and paint workshop in Görlitz.

Leading German manufacturer of railway rolling stock and heavy machinery in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

• Railway freight wagons

• Passenger carriages

• Military wagons

• Heavy machinery

1. 1Waggon- und Maschinenbau Görlitz - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Waggon- und Maschinenbau Görlitz - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org