History

In 1927, KTG established itself on the island of Wilhelmsburg on the Elbe river before Hamburg, where, thanks to modern warehouse and handling facilities, it was able to satisfy the growing demand for transport services. Within a very short time, a port was built, commissioned by the state of Prussia. It was placed at the disposal of the potash syndicate for an annual fee of 450,000 Reichsmark. A similar port facility was built in Bremen in 1928. In both ports, there was now sufficient storage space for 190,000 tonnes of potash salts.

Until World War II, 950,000 tonnes were shipped every year. Following rapid reconstruction, exports of fertilizers resumed in 1947 and a few years later reached pre-war volume levels. In 1955, KTG purchased the Hamburg port facility from the Hanseatic city, and in 1967, it purchased the Bremen site from the potash syndicate. At the beginning of the 1970’s, KTG separated itself from the Bremen facility for strategic reasons. We have spent many millions of marks so far on modernising the quay, warehouses and loading equipment in Hamburg in order to boost our capacity and optimise our handling costs.