Witten
Deutsche Edelstahlwerke Witten
The Witten steelworks is one of the oldest in the Ruhr area. It was founded by Carl Ludwig Berger in 1853 and became the site of many inventions that are still used in the steel industry today.
Image photography
By Viktor Macha in 2024.
Plant facts and figures
Full description
The first open-hearth furnace was put into operation here in 1907.
During the 1920s and 1940s, the works were called ´Vereingte Stahlwerke AG´.
In 1957 the steel production began in a 32 t basic oxygen vessel, the very first one in Germany. The iron was supplied by a cupola furnace.
In 1967 the Vacuum oxygen decarburization process was inveted here.
Steel production in an electric arc furnace began in 1973 by a 50t unit.
The former open-hearth steelworks were closed in 1981 and replaced by a modern 110t UHP electric arc furnace, which is still in operation today.
The entire plant was purchased from the original owner ThyssenKrupp by Schmolz+Bickenbach in 2005, later renamed Deutsche Edelstahlwerke.
In 2020 Swiss Steel was formed, which still operates the production of long-rolled special steel products today.