1865 – 1901 / The Age of Dyes

On April 6, 1865, the Badische Anilin- & Sodafabrik (“Baden Aniline and Soda Factory”) is founded in Mannheim, Germany. The emerging company is intended to produce dyes, as well as the necessary inorganic chemicals. When attempts to purchase a site in Mannheim on the Baden side of the Rhine fail, the facilities are built on the opposite river bank in Ludwigshafen, a city of the Palatinate region. Very soon afterwards, the new company launches its first products.