1916 The BASF begins in May under the pressure of the war ministry with the construction of an ammoniated work to the production of saltpetre or nitric acid on the area between Merseburg and Spergau to secure the explosive care for the continuation of the First World War and the fertilizer care of the agriculture.

1917 After only eleven-month construction time the first ammoniated synthesis stove is started in the " ammoniated work of Merseburg " (late Leuna works). On the 29th April, 1917 the first tankers with watery ammoniated solution left the work. The first post processing arrangements to the production of ammonium sulphate fertilizer were established.

1918 By the material battles becoming harder and harder the uppermost army management feels constrained to extend the production capacity in ammonia. The imperial Treasury and the BASF sign a contract to the other removal of the work on 250,000 t of ammonia per year.

1919 After the First World War the allies demand the dismantling of the Leunaer ammoniated synthesis arrangements whose construction had been released only by the war. Carl Bosch prevents the destruction of the arrangements in which he persuades the French side of the fact that the ammoniated factories of Germany are for the fertilizer production and with it the food of eminent meaning. A smoking chimney and a grain ear cruising him become the company logo of the Leuna works.

1921 The demands for higher wages, regulated working hours, removal of the extra hours and Sunday work, introduction and recognition of works committees, uniform care and correct treatment by superiors leads already since 1917 to several strikes. The general strike from the 23rd March to the 19th April led to the occupation of the work by armed workers and to the March fights.

1922 The most important research companies and test companies of the BASF are shifted by Ludwigshafen to Leuna. The works concentrate upon other applications of catalytic high-pressure procedures.

1923 From Alwin Mittasch and Christian Schneider in Ludwigshafen the developed second big technical high-pressure synthesis, the synthesis of methanol from carbon monoxide and hydrogen, is realised under the direction of Matthias Pier. With this synthesis Leuna is the only work in the world which can produce methyl alcohol on synthetic way at this time.

1925 With the foundation of the group "IG Farbenindustrie AG" becomes Carl Bosch Vorstandsvorsitzender of this immense enterprise and contributes with his decisions substantially to the other development Leunas. Matthias Pier develops in the same year the procedure carried out in 1913 for the first time by Friedrich Bergius to the coal hydrogenation under use of catalysts.

1926 On the base of the present knowledge from lab test results the decision is met for the construction of a great experimental plant with a capacity of 100,000 metric tons of petrol per year. This is with decisively for the development of the merchant's generators which play a big role as a heart of the hydrogen production for the Hydrierverfahren in Leuna.

1927 The introduction of the first two-stage brown coal hydrogenation arrangement with which was aimed at generating petrol, light oil and lubricating oil from the home brown coal, however, also from tar and heavy oil factions by means of hydrogen under pressure.

1929 With the stock market collapse in the New York Wall Street the world falls in an economic and financial crisis of the biggest magnitude which has dramatic consequences, above all, in the leading industrial lands. The ammoniated production goes back to approx. 30%, 66% of all employees in the location must be dismissed.

1933 The autarky attempts of the National Socialists lead to the end of the so-called "petrol contract" between the German empire and the Ammonikwerk Merseburg. The contract allows the large-scale technical removal of the high-pressure coal hydrogenation to cover the growing fuel need for civil and military purposes.

1934 The main focus of the work development lies on the production of special fuels and oils. The capacities of hdydration are extended constantly and increased in her efficiency.

1936 The petrol renderer distillation takes up the production of airplane petrol. Because of the increasing need of the new production plants in electric energy it is begun with the assembly of high-pressure kettles.

1937 Introduction of the isooctane arrangement to the production of hit resistent fuels. The Leuna factory is distinguished on the world exhibit in Paris for the chemical-technical achievements in the area of the high-pressure procedures with the Grand Prix.

1939 Removal of the arrangements to the saltpetre fertilizer production with the purpose of an increase of 50 t of N per day. An arrangement to the production of adipic acid is put into operation. The war-economic requirements determine stronger and stronger the production.

1941 Introduction of a new great arrangement to production of airplane petrol by dehydration of Isobutan. Establishment of a great arrangement to the production of Caprolactam.

1943 Introduction of the At procedure to the alkylation of Isobutan with n-Buten. The DHD arrangement (Reforming of petrol in molybdenum catalysts) is put into operation. The production of Düngemitteln is very falling, because more and more ammonia to nitric acid is processed by the quickly rising explosive consumption.

1944 At the middle of May the first heavy air raid on Leuna occurs. The construction achievements and repair achievements to the resumption of the production in the damaged arrangements accept unusual magnitudes.

1945 After 22 air raids the Leuna factory was hard destroyed at the beginning of the year and offered a picture of the devastation. After the last air raid on 04.04.1945 the production comes to a great extent for succumbing. The work is taken at the middle of April by the American troops which are removed at the beginning of July from Soviet troops. The hydrogenation takes up the production again.

1946 Big parts of the factory are dismantled from the middle of March according to the regulations of the Potsdam agreement. 43 experts from all areas are obliged to several years' work in the Soviet Union. The crossing in Soviet property as a Soviet corporation (SAG) for mineral fertilizer from July the setting of the dismantlings entails. The reconstruction plan worked out by the German work management is tackled under extreme difficulties.

1947 In the ammoniated factory the first stove chambers go to company again, the production of Mersol and Mersolat is taken up and the production of Isobutylöl and methanol stabilises.

1949 A chamber to the tar hydrogenation is put into operation again.

1951 Beginning of the crossing of the coal hydrogenation for the oil processing. In the hydrogenation Austrian crude oil (matzoes) is used.

1952 The tar processing is put, a small-technical arrangement to the catalytic cracking takes up the company.

1954 The LeunaWerk as the biggest and most important chemical company will hand over together with 32 other SAG to companies to the GDR.

1958 In the chemical conference on the 3rd/4th of November in Leuna a program which intends the duplication of the production of the chemical industry is decided. Beside the removal of the traditional Carbochemie the petrolchemische complex (Leuna factory II) counts to the most important new building plans.

1959 The last coal hydrogenation arrangement is taken except company. The construction of the investment complex of Leuna II begins. In the period till 1971 two petrol split-blocks originate to the Ethylenerzeugung, guest racing arrangements to the isolation of methane, Propylen, Olefinen and other products, the Hochdruck-Polyethylenanlage, C arrangements to the production of Caprolactam of phenol and to the utilization of by-products.

1967 In the course of the combine education the Leuna work to the minister for chemical industry is subordinated directly. The oil pipeline Schwedt - Leuna is put into operation and forms with it the base for the care of the petrolchemischen complex with the required oil.

1971 Bigger capital projects like the construction of the industrial power station the north, the new oxygen factory, the reconstruction of the synthesis gas production, the oil processing and the extension of the Mirathen production have, above all, the increase of the production to the purpose.

1973 With completion of the natural gas management, except the Leuna works also the Poles VR, the Hungarian VR and them and *268; supplying SSR with Soviet natural gas, not only a new raw material spring is opened, but also a determining improvement of the terms of employment and environmental conditions is reached. The first Hydrospaltkammer takes up the continuous operation.

1975 Introduction of the Ethylen-group management with Böhlen and extension of the production capacities by realisation of important investments in the IKW north, the natural gas low pressure gap arrangement and the Mirathenerzeugung.

1977 The new oil distillation (Grimma distillation) and the great experimental plant Salicyl acid waste water disposal is put into operation.

1981 Introduction of the DK refinement and introduction of the HCF procedure.

1982 The production profile changes in favour of higher improved products and the rise of the interest of bright products. The oil processing is intensified by the introduction of the reformer 3, the Visbreakers and the renderer's distillation.

1984 The vacuum side gonorrhea to the production of a raw material for the synthesis gas production and a Visbreaker-vacuum distillate to the Hydrospalten is put into operation.

1985 Extension of the HCF procedure by a procedure step to the catalytic Entparaffinieren by means of a Zeolithkatalysators.

1986 Introduction of a new investment complex to the production of low pressure methanol of synthesis gas as a condition for a refinery free of fuel oil.

1989 The political layout in autumn of the year takes next time determining influence on the situation of the Leuna factory. The suddenly carried out crossing to the market economy and the breakdown of the GDR and east market leads to considerable financial losses and is the starting point for a rapid employee's dismantling.

1990 Economic and social aspects give the rash for the preservation of the location of Leuna. Nevertheless, it turns out fast that the combine converted in a corporation can be received not on the whole.

1991 Up to the end of the year the structures and arrangements are analyzed by order of the trust institution by famous firms of consultants after free-enterprise points of view relevant for environment and are valued. The privatisation strategies whose basic idea intends a Splittung of the enterprise in survivable business segments are developed. The Linde AG takes over the area technical gases.

1992 The contract between the trust institution and the syndicate Societé Eleven Aquitaine/Thyssen commercial union about the privatisation of the Leuna refinery is concluded. The new Tankwagenbefüllstation is put into operation.

1993 The first privatisation in the chemical area on the business segment amine and Dimethylformamid occurs through the Belgian enterprise UCB. It follows the French Atochem with the traditional product line urea to build formaldehyde and glues and the declaration of intent, in a joint-venture with Air Liquide a new arrangement to the production of hydrogen peroxide. The WIG Industrieinstandhaltung und Co. KG takes over the former central technology of the LEUNA WERKE AG.

1994 The STEAG AG decides the construction of a new natural gas power station as well as a gas and steam turbines arrangement. The takeover and modernisation of the Caprolactamproduktion by the Belgian DOMO Group shows an other future-protecting development for Leuna. The InfraLeuna GmbH as a service provider and service partner of the chemical producers is founded at the end of the year retrospectively to the 1st January

1995 At the beginning of the year the to a great extent progressed privatisations initiated by the trust institution of the business segments Epoxydharze, catalysts, Tenside and the research are finished. In May the laying of the foundation stone takes place for the biggest German French capital project, the new refinery. The reconstruction and extension of the DK refinement is concluded and a new refinery sewage treatment (RAWA) is put into operation.

1996 The new sulfuric acid arrangement and the STEAG power station go to company.

1997 The sales of the production plants for synthetic wax on Ethenbasis to a middle-class enterprise group form the end of the privatisation in the chemical area of the LEUNA WERKE AG. After zweieinhalbjähriger construction time the most modern refinery of Europe is put into operation in autumn by the Mitteldeutsche Erdöl-Raffinerie GmbH (MIDER).

2004 The main production lines of the LEUNA WORKS are modernised and extended, new business segments have taken up the production. More than 9 milliard DM of investments have protected the location of Leuna, in eight famous French, Belgian, American and German enterprises chemical products produce or protect the power demand. The location develops increasingly to a chemical centre of European format which is prepared for the requirements of the next decades.