History

Short Chronicle of Hochtief

HOCHTIEF is now the largest construction company in Germany, but also the oldest. Its beginnings date back to the 70's of the 19th century, when the brothers Helfmann opened a building business in Frankfurt am Main. The invention of reinforced concrete also triggered the successful development of HOCHTIEF. After the Second World War, during the course of the economic miracle, HOCHTIEF made its international breakthrough. As an economic leader, the company implements today, starting from its core competence construction, complex projects of all dimensions on all continents.

Important moments of HOCHTIEF’s history:

1873-1896 :	Company established, first major construction contracts gained
1896-1921 :	The company becomes an Aktiengesellschaft (joint-stock corporation) and expands its infrastructure
1921-1933 :	Success in Germany, initial orders from other countries
1933-1945 :	HOCHTIEF in the Third Reich
1945-1966 :	Post-war rubble-clearing and reconstruction
1966-1989 :	From the master-builder to the group of construction companies
1990-2005 :	Development into an international construction services provider

Romanian Hochtief-History

• 1938 – Royal Decree: New building-project for the Headquarters of the Minister of the Interior.
           – Contract assigned to Emil Prager, a local constructor. The beginning of the War delays the works.

• 1941 – Founding of the HOCHTIEF-PRAGER joint-venture. Works begin.

• 1944, May – Works cancelled because of American bombings.

• 1945 – The “Administration Authority of the Soviet Goods in Romania” takes over the German business in the country, herewith the assets of HOCHTIEF-PRAGER too.

• 1946 - 1950 – Sovkonstrukt“ continues the building which becomes the Headquarters of the Romanian communist party (1958).

• 1989, December 22 – Dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu flees from popular fury by helicopter from the roof of the building.

• 1990 - 2006 – The building is the Headquarters of the Romanian Senate.

• 2006 – Building given back to the Ministry of Interior, becoming its headquarters.
           – A new country unit of HOCHTIEF CONSTRUCTION AG is founded in Bucharest.

Bucharest - Headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior