Reinhard Mannesmann

German businessman

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June 30, 2026

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Reinhard Mannesmann (1856–1922) was a German industrialist and inventor. He is credited with developing the Mannesmann process, a method for creating seamless metal tubes by piercing metal billets.1

Mannesmann founded Mannesmannroehren-Werke in 1890, which grew into a leading steel tubing manufacturer. By the 1930s, it was one of the major iron and steel works in the Ruhr region. Although not a supporter of Adolf Hitler, the company contributed to the war effort. After World War II, it re-emerged as an independent company in 1952, expanding into various industries and countries. In 2000, Vodafone acquired the German conglomerate Mannesmann AG, which at the time was the largest merger in the world.2

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…as Mannesmannroehren-Werke in 1890 by Reinhard Mannesmann (1856–1922), the German company had become a leading manufacturer of steel tubing and by the 1930s emerged as one of the six giant iron and steel works of the Ruhr. Although Mannesmann executives were not among the German industrialists who promoted the rise…
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…as Mannesmannroehren-Werke in 1890 by Reinhard Mannesmann (1856–1922), the German company had become a leading manufacturer of steel tubing and by the 1930s emerged as one of the six giant iron and steel works of the Ruhr. Although Mannesmann executives were not among the German industrialists who promoted the rise…
Read More