The first half of the 20th century was shaped by unprecedented challenges — world wars, economic crises, and political upheaval. Lauchhammer, the birthplace of today’s TAKRAF Group, was not spared. But from devastation emerged resilience.
Production fell sharply during World War I. Many employees were conscripted, over 2,000 men in the first year of the war alone. With the onset of World War II, everything was subordinated to the war effort. Lauchhammer's traditional bell casting, which produced around 500 bronze bells between the wars, ended in 1939.
The three Lauchhammer factories were actively involved in producing arms. Nevertheless, large machines continued to be produced under difficult conditions until 1945. 72 bucket wheel excavators, 25 overburden conveyor bridges, and various other devices were manufactured, though 24 planned bucket wheel excavators could not be completed due to a lack of materials and personnel.
A technical milestone in 1944 was the world's first land transportation of an overburden conveyor bridge. Bridge No. 41 was moved 5.5 kilometers and resumed operation in the Werminghoff II open-pit mine on July 1, 1946, a year after the war ended.
The last years of the war brought massive damage from air raids. After the war ended, the Soviet military administration ordered extensive dismantling. Entire plant areas - from the power plant to the ironworks to the briquette factory - were dismantled to be rebuilt near Odessa, Ukraine.
Road to renewal
Despite everything, the bronze foundry reopened in August 1945, marking the plant's 220th anniversary. Initially, the plant primarily manufactured mining machinery. In 1949, with the delivery of the SRs250 bucket wheel excavator for the Koyne open-cast mine, Lauchhammer once again made a name for itself as a manufacturer of large-scale technical equipment.
Despite demilitarization, dismantling, and shortages, engineers and workers began rebuilding in the mid 1940s. By 1948/49, initial production had resumed — now focused on coal mining equipment. This marked a turning point.
In the 1950s, the plant shifted its focus to large-scale mining machinery — an area that would define TAKRAF Group’s future. New workshops, assembly halls, and technical departments emerged, laying the foundation for what was to come.
"The willingness to rebuild and rethink everything from scratch was key to our long-term success." – says Thomas Jabs, TAKRAF Group CEO.
In August, we will take a closer look at the technological breakthrough with bridge conveyors and bucket wheel excavators.