List of German companies by employees in 1907


This is a list of German companies by employees in 1907. The largest 127 companies of the German Empire in 1907 accounted for 7.8 percent of all employees in the German Empire; excluding railways and state-owned enterprises the share was only 3.6 percent. This compares to corresponding percentage shares of 8.2 respectively 4.6 for the United Kingdom at the same time. The largest German companies were predominantly in the heavy industries, accounting for 38.7 percent of all employees and the transport and communication sector, accounting for 45.4 percent of all employees. State-owned enterprises such as the state railways companies, the postal administration, the Prussian state mines, military workshops and the Imperial shipyards are dominant among the very largest companies.

Companies by employees

The list is based on Wardley, who compiled data from three different sources: the work of Kocka and Siegrist and Fiedler on German companies in 1907, and the work of Kunz on Prussian state-owned enterprises in 1913. Given the shortage of historical employment data some employment numbers are only estimates and some companies might be missing from this list. Employment numbers are including all subsidiaries as long as the parent company is the majority shareholder, that is, holds more than 50 percent of the stock. Employee numbers are not including those employed in foreign subsidiaries. The only two companies in 1907 with large foreign subsidiaries were Siemens with 19.9 percent of the workforce employed abroad and Mannesmann with 34 percent of the workforce employed abroad. With the de Wendel'sche Berg-und Hüttenwerke the list also includes the German subsidiary of the French de Wendel group. Originally this establishment was located in France, but became part of the German empire with the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine in 1871.
RankCompanyEmployeesIndustrySource
1.Preußische Staatseisenbahnen486,318RailwayFiedler
2.Deutsche Reichspost277,116Postal administrationFiedler
3.Preußische Berg-, Hütten-und Salinenverwaltung 180,000 MiningKunz
4.Friedrich Krupp64,354Mining and steelKocka & Siegrist
5.Bayerische Staatseisenbahn55,295RailwayFiedler
6.Sächsische Staatseisenbahn40,000RailwayFiedler
7.Siemens 34,324Electrical engineeringFiedler
8.Elsass-Lothringen Reichseisenbahn32,545RailwayFiedler
9.Phoenix AG für Bergbau und Hüttenbetrieb32,000Mining and steelFiedler
10.Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-AG31,261Mining and steelFiedler
11.Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft30,667Electrical engineeringKocka & Siegrist
12.Preußische Rüstungswerkstätten 30,000Mechanical engineeringKunz
13.Kaiserliche Werften27,000ShipbuildingKunz
14.Harpener Bergbau26,317MiningFiedler
15.Badische Staatseisenbahnen25,709RailwayFiedler
16.Norddeutscher Lloyd25,000ShippingFiedler
17.Vereinigte Königs- und Laurahütte24,885Mining and metalsFiedler
18.Gutehoffnungshütte21,657Mining and steelKocka & Siegrist
19.Mansfeld'sche Kupferschiefer-bauende Gewerkschaft21,283Mining and metalsKocka & Siegrist
20.Württembergische Staatseisenbahnen20,234RailwayFiedler
21.Bergwerksgesellschaft Hibernia19,109MiningFiedler
22.Gewerkschaft Deutscher Kaiser18,931Mining and steelKocka & Siegrist
23.Gebrüder Stumm GmbH17,000SteelFiedler
24.Hamburg-Amerika Linie17,000ShippingFiedler
25.von Giesche Erben Bergwerksgesellschaft13,291MiningKocka & Siegrist
26.de Wendel'sche Berg-und Hüttenwerke12,500Mining and steelFiedler
27.Hohenlohe-Werke12,367Mining and steelKocka & Siegrist
28.Kattowitzer AG für Bergbau und Hüttenbetrieb12,218Mining and steelFiedler
29.Bochumer Verein12,173Mining and steelFiedler
30.Felten & Guilleaume11,848Electrical engineeringFiedler
31.Dortmunder Union11,605Mining and steelKocka & Siegrist
32.Oberschlesische Eisenbahnbedarf11,500Mining and steelKocka & Siegrist
33.Deutsch-Luxemburgische Bergwerks- und Hütten-AG11,038Mining and steelFiedler
34.Ludwig Loewe & Company11,000Mechanical engineeringFiedler
35.Vereinigte Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg10,908Mechanical engineeringKocka & Siegrist
36.Große Berliner Straßenbahn10,391Public transportFiedler
37.Borsig10,000Rail vehiclesFiedler
38.Elsässische Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Grafenstaden10,000Mechanical engineeringKocka & Siegrist
39.Schichau-Werke10,000ShipbuildingFiedler
40.Schlesische AG für Bergbau und Zinkhütten10,000Mining and metalsKocka & Siegrist
41.Eschweiler Bergwerksverein9,648Mining and steelFiedler
42.Oberschlesische Eisenindustrie9,500MetalsKocka & Siegrist
43.Rheinische Stahlwerke9,435Mining and steelFiedler
44.Rheinpreußen Gewerkschaft9,277MiningFiedler
45.Hoesch Eisen-und Stahlwerk9,183Mining and steelFiedler
46.Gräflich Henckel von Donnersmarckische Verwaltung9,122MetalsKocka & Siegrist
47.Badische Anilin-& Soda-Fabrik8,877ChemicalsKocka & Siegrist
48.Fürstlich Pless'sche Kohlenbergwerke8,560MiningKocka & Siegrist
49.Donnersmarckhütte8,000Mining and steelKocka & Siegrist
50.Henschel8,000Rail vehiclesKocka & Siegrist
51.Norddeutsche Wollkämmerei8,000TextilesKocka & Siegrist
52.Röchling'sche Eisen-und Stahlwerke8,000SteelKocka & Siegrist
53.Villeroy & Boch8,000CeramicsFiedler
54.Farbenfabriken Bayer7,811ChemicalsKocka & Siegrist
55.Mathias Stinnes7,700MiningKocka & Siegrist
56.Bismarckhütte7,505SteelFiedler
57.Georgs-Marien-Bergwerks- und Hüttenverein7,296Mining and steelFiedler
58.Rombacher Hüttenwerke7,120SteelFiedler
59.Schalker Gruben- und Hüttenverein7,091SteelFiedler
60.Stettiner Maschinenbau Vulkan6,748ShipyardFiedler
61.Ewald bei Herten Gewerkschaft6,500MiningKocka & Siegrist
62.Kaiserliche Werft Kiel6,500ShipbuildingFiedler
63.Thyssen & Co.6,489Mechanical engineeringFiedler
64.Arenbergische AG für Bergwerk und Hüttenbetrieb6,292SteelFiedler
65.Consolidation Bergwerks AG6,000MiningKocka & Siegrist
66.Hoechster Farbwerke6,000ChemicalsKocka & Siegrist
67.Zollverein Gewerkschaft5,958MiningFiedler
68.Gerresheimer Glashüttenwerk5,800GlassFiedler
69.Preußische Bergwerksdirektion Recklinghausen5,745MiningFiedler
70.Concordia Bergbau5,741MiningFiedler
71.Constantin der Große Verein Gewerkschaft5,583MiningKocka & Siegrist
72.Leop. Engelhardt & Biermann Cigarettenfabrik5,523TobaccoFiedler
73.Ilseder Hütte5,400SteelFiedler
74.Deutsch-Österreichische Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG5,200SteelFiedler
75.Continental-Caoutchouc-Companie5,185RubberFiedler
76.König Ludwig Gewerkschaft5,157MiningKocka & Siegrist
77.Graf von Ballestremische Güterverwaltung5,000MiningKocka & Siegrist
78.Gräflich Schaffgotschische Werke GmbH5,000MiningKocka & Siegrist
79.Mülheimer Bergwerksverein4,933MiningFiedler
80.Julius Pintsch AG4,918Mechanical EngineeringFiedler
81.Essener Steinkohlenbergwerke4,840MiningKocka & Siegrist
82.Eisenhüttenwerke Thale4,795SteelFiedler
83.Lothringer Hüttenverein Aumetz-Friede4,700SteelFiedler
84.Blohm + Voss4,630ShipbuildingFiedler
85.Breslauer AG für Eisenbau-Wagenbau4,600Rail vehiclesFiedler
86.Gewerkschaft des Steinkohlenbergwerks Neumühl4,600MiningFiedler
87.Strassen-Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft Hamburg4,500Public TransportFiedler
88.Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik4,500MetalwareFiedler
89.Deutsche Bank4,439BankingFiedler
90.Buderus'sche Eisenwerke4,400SteelKocka & Siegrist
91.Vereinigte Gummiwaaren-Fabrik4,320RubberFiedler
92.Oberschlesische Kokswerke & Chemische Fabrik4,259Coal products and chemicalsKocka & Siegrist
93.Graf Bismarck Gewerkschaft4,234MiningFiedler
94.Riebeck'sche Montanwerke4,104ChemicalsKocka & Siegrist
95.Friedrich der Große Gewerkschaft4,076MiningKocka & Siegrist
96.Aktien-Gesellschaft Weser4,059ShipbuildingFiedler
97.AG für Bergbau-, Blei-und Zinkfabrikation4,025MetalsKocka & Siegrist
98.Bergmann Elektricitäts-Werke4,000Electrical engineeringFiedler
99.Chemische Fabrik Griesheim-Elektron4,000ChemicalsKocka & Siegrist
100.Deutsche Gasglühlicht 4,000Electrical engineeringFiedler
101.Luxemburger Bergwerk und Saarbrückener Eisenhütte4,000SteelFiedler
102.Rheinische Metallwaren-und Maschinenfabrik4,000Mechanical engineeringKocka & Siegrist
103.Sächsische Maschinenfabrik4,000Mechanical engineeringFiedler
104.Königsborn AG für Bergbau3,927MiningKocka & Siegrist
105.Lauchhammer AG3,774SteelFiedler
106.Saar-und Mosel Bergwerks Gesellschaft3,758MiningFiedler
107.Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG3,744Mechanical engineeringFiedler
108.Dortmunder Steinkohlebergwerk Louise Tiefbau3,724MiningFiedler
109.Orenstein & Koppel3,700Mechanical engineeringKocka & Siegrist
110.Bergwerksgesellschaft Dahlbusch3,600MiningFiedler
111.Maschinenfabrik Gritzner3,595Mechanical engineeringFiedler
112.Gasmotorenfabrik Deutz3,470Mechanical engineeringKocka & Siegrist
113.Maschinenbauanstalt Humboldt3,470Mechanical engineeringFiedler
114.Essener Bergwerksverein König Wilhelm3,277MiningFiedler
115.Zeche Königin Elisabeth3,150MiningKocka & Siegrist
116.Berlin Anhaltische Maschinenbau3,117Mechanical engineeringKocka & Siegrist
117.Deutsche Reichsbank3,084BankingFiedler
118.Adlerwerke vormals Heinrich Kleyer3,000Mechanical engineeringFiedler
119.Berliner Maschinenbau Schwartzkopff3,000Rail vehiclesFiedler
120.Kammgarnspinnerei Stöhr3,000TextilesKocka & Siegrist
121.Gewerkschaft Lothringen3,000MiningKocka & Siegrist
122.Gewerkschaft Mont Cenis2,978MiningKocka & Siegrist
123.Saar- und Mosel-Bergwerks-Gesellschaft2,933MiningKocka & Siegrist
124.Gebrüder Körting2,800Mechanical engineeringKocka & Siegrist
125.Gewerkschaft Vereinigte Helene & Amalie2,598MiningKocka & Siegrist
126.Gebrüder Stollwerck2,500FoodKocka & Siegrist
127.Portland-Cement-Fabrik AG Heidelberg2,500CementKocka & Siegrist