Frankfurt: The origin and headquarters of Degussa until 2001. For 128 years, until the merger of Degussa-Hüls AG and SKW Trostberg AG to form the new Degussa AG in February 2001, the fortunes of the Degussa group were guided from Frankfurt.

In a World of Gold and Silver

The emergence of the Deutsche Gold und Silber-Scheideanstalt (which became Degussa AG in 1980) on the Main riverfront site in Frankfurt, is closely associated with the history of the city. In 1841, the Council of the Free City of Frankfurt decided to appoint Friedrich Ernst Roessler as Master of the Mint in Frankfurt. The Council assigned him the responsibility of testing the quality and weight of the coins minted in Frankfurt. He was also asked to set up an operation in the municipal mint building where precious metals could be separated. This precious metal separating operation constituted the origin of Degussa in Frankfurt.

The factory in the municipal mint was situated in the heart of Frankfurt on a plot of land that became known from 1848 as 20 Münzgasse. Since the space in the mint quickly became too tight, Roessler starting looking for a new production site. He found a suitable property in Schneidwallgasse, in the immediate vicinity of the municipal mint. These properties, which back then had the addresses 6 Schneidwallgasse and 5-7 Papageigasse, still form the core of the site today.

In 1887, Degussa constructed the first new administration building. Another office building was built in 1905 on Weißfrauenstraße. A new administration building was built in 1950 to replace the building that was destroyed during World War II. In 1955, Degussa rounded off their site down towards the bank of the Main. The group bought the house at No. 4 Untermainkai from the city of Frankfurt, which is now under monumental protection. The construction of further buildings followed: the multistorey building on Theaterplatz (today Willy-Brandt-Platz), the buildings in Seckbächer Gasse, on the Main riverfront and in Neue Mainzer Straße.

The construction work for the new Degussa headquarters began in 1981 on the site that was enclosed by these buildings. The cross-shaped building was opened in 1984, the company cafeteria two years later. Frankfurt was the location of the headquarters of the Degussa-Hüls group until February 2001.

Today, the Degussa site in Frankfurt is the home of the Advanced Fillers & Pigments, Aerosil & Silanes and Building Blocks operating divisions, as well as numerous service centres. Around 1000 employees work in the office space that Degussa leased back after selling the site to the investment and development partners Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Immobilien Chancen.

More historical details on the usage:
http://www.degussa-geschichte.de/geschichte/en/locations/frankfurt/