Private company

Buna Werke

Logo: Unknown author Unknown author (of the concept) Kun Kipcsak (of the vectorial version), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Chemical company

Buna Werke Schkopau were a chemical company specialising in the production of polymer materials such as plastics and artificial rubber. The name BUNA is derived from the technology of polymerising butadiene with sodium (chemical symbol: Na) as a catalyst.2 It is part of Dow Olefin Compound.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

1936Founded1
  • Industrychemical industry1
  • HeadquartersMerseburg1
  • Legal formGesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung1

See how the biggest companies compare on our leaderboards

Buna Werke Schkopau were a chemical company specialising in the production of polymer materials such as plastics and artificial rubber. The name BUNA is derived from the technology of polymerising butadiene with sodium (chemical symbol: Na) as a catalyst.2

Corporate structure

Buna Werke is part of a group headed by Dow Olefin Compound. 2 entities, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

Built from subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

History

In order to make Germany independent from the importation of natural rubber, the first industrial plant for the production of artificial rubber was built in Schkopau near Halle (Saale) and named Buna-Werke GmbH Schkopau. It was a subsidiary of Ammoniakwerk Merseburg GmbH, later known as Leunawerke, which belonged to IG Farben. The foundation stone was laid in April 1936.

Production of artificial rubber started in 1937. Other products were PVC and basic chemicals such as trichlorethylene, formaldehyde, tetrahydrofuran, acetic acid, and acetone. Another factory, Hüls-Werke in Marl started production of Buna rubber in 1939.

Further information

Gabriele Ahlefeld, Astrid Molder, Rudolf Werner: Plaste und Elaste aus Schkopau. 60 Jahre Buna-Werke. Runkel, Pinneberg 1996, ISBN 3-9803386-5-7 (in German).

Dirk Hackenholz: Die elektrochemischen Werke in Bitterfeld 1914–1945. Ein Standort der IG-Farbenindustrie AG. LIT Verlag, Münster 2004, ISBN 3-8258-7656-X (Forschungen zur neuesten Geschichte 3) (doctoral thesis, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, 2004, in German).

"Geschichte der Buna-Werke Schkopau" (in German). Deutsches Chemie-Museum Merseburg. - History of Buna Werke

"Registerauskunft" (in German). Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt. - Wordmark "Plaste und Elaste aus Schkopau"

"Die Plastindustrie der DDR" (in German). Lehmann & Werder Museumsmedien. - The plastics industry in the GDR

From Wikipedia’s article on Buna Werke Schkopau, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Subsidiaries and ownership

Parent company

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 1936Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4