Deutsch Search Activities Careers News & Media Sustainability Investor Relations About HOCHTIEF Home About HOCHTIEF History Previous 1873 - 1896 1896 - 1921 1921 - 1933 1933 - 1945 1945 - 1966 Next 1873 - 1896 Company established, first major construction contracts gained HOCHTIEF was founded by two brothers: Balthasar (1848-1896, mechanic) and Philipp Helfmann (1843-1899, mason). In 1872 Philipp Helfmann moved to the Bornheim district of Frankfurt to start up in business as a lumber merchant, then as a building contractor. His brother Balthasar followed him in 1873, shortly before the ‘Gründerkrise’, the economic crisis after foundation of the German Reich, started. In 1874 the Bornheim address book first recorded the firm as “Helfmann Brothers”. At this time Frankfurt am Main experienced enormous new impetus to its process of industrialization. As the number of inhabitants increased, so did the demand for homes, factories and infrastructure. The Helfmann Brothers initially built houses “speculatively”—at their own risk, for sale on the open market when completed. After only a short time the firm received its first major construction order: the University of Giessen (1878-1879). Soon after, the young company branched out in different directions, as construction projects led to industrial buildings and civil engineering contracts such as sewage treatment plants. University of Giessen Learn more Bauer Type Foundry Learn more Rosenthal-Viaduct near Friedberg/Hessen Learn more Neue Zeil Courthouse in Frankfurt am Main Learn more HOCHTIEF-Share 66.60 -5.42% Share price minimum 15 minutes delayed 11/26/2021/17:35 Dataprotection Imprint We build Berlin New York Sydney Hamburg Prag Expertise Construction Services and mining PPP and concessions Homepage Activities Careers News & Media Sustainability Investor Relations About HOCHTIEF Follow us © HOCHTIEF Aktiengesellschaft 2021