Polte Works

The Polte Armaturen- und Maschinenfabrik OHG in Magdeburg was a significant manufacturer of large valves and one of the largest munitions producers in the world in the first half of the 20th century. The company was one of the most important employers in Magdeburg, a pioneer in establishing sanitary and social facilities for employees and workers, and internationally recognized for the engineering quality of its products. After World War II, it became particularly known for the massive employment of forced laborers and concentration camp inmates. The parts of the Polte factories that were not destroyed during the war or were transported away by the Soviet occupying forces as reparations later became part of the VEB Schwerarmaturenwerk "Erich Weinert" and the subsequently emerging VEB Magdeburger Armaturenwerke "Karl Marx".
Founded in 1873 as a metal foundry and valve factory under the name Jürgens & Co., the company was taken over by Eugen Polte in 1885 and registered as Armaturenfabrik Polte in the commercial register in 1887. Under the name Polte, the company operated from 1885 until 1945. During this 60-year period, it remained a family-owned business and was owner-operated. From 1917 on, it existed in the legal form of a OHG.

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