1925 / Foundation of I.G. Farbenindustrie AG

Ongoing political unrest, reparation obligations, the dismantling of factories, coal shortages, transportation problems, the French occupation of the left bank of the Rhine, and the establishment of a customs border on the Rhine initially hinder economic recovery at BASF. Representatives of major chemical companies meet to discuss strengthening their loose cooperation begun in 1916. They agree to jointly carry out the necessary streamlining of production and sales. In this way, I.G. Farben Aktiengesellschaft (I.G. Farben) originates in 1925 through BASF’s merger with five other companies (including Hoechst and Bayer). The registered office of the company is relocated to Frankfurt. The sites in Ludwigshafen and Oppau form the main part of the "Upper Rhine works group", one of the four original operating units of I.G. Farben.

Since 1933, many of I.G. Farben's products become essential to the regime’s policies of autarky and military armament. This leads to collaboration on securing and developing the production of nitrogen, gasoline and Buna.