MANNESMANN AG

German multinational corporation engaged in the extraction and processing of raw materials, the production and processing of iron and steel, the manufacture of tubes and tube products, the production of data processing equipment and precision instruments, the design and construction of industrial plants and equipment, and trade and shipping. Headquarters are in Dsseldorf. Founded as Mannesmannroehren-Werke in 1890 by Reinhard Mannesmann (18561922), the company became a leading manufacturer of steel tubing. By the 1930s it had emerged as one of the six giant iron and steel works of the Ruhr. Although Mannesmann executives were not among the German industrialists to have promoted the rise of Adolf Hitler, the company did contribute significantly to the war effort and therefore was stripped of nearly all its directors under the terms of the war-crimes mandate. Following reorganization of Germany's basic industries according to Allied occupation policy, Mannesmann emerged in its present form in 1952. The company has units in Brazil, Canada, Argentina, Austria, and other European countries.