Krupp. Friedrich Krupp began the family's metal-based activities, building a pioneering steel foundry in Essen in 1810. His son Alfred known as "the Cannon King", invested heavily in new technology to become a significant manufacturer of steel rollers (used to make eating utensils) and railway tyres. The company began to make steel cannons in the 1840s—especially for the Russian, Turkish, and Prussian armies. Low non-military demand and government subsidies meant that the company specialized more and more in weapons: by the late 1880s the manufacture of armaments represented around 50% of Krupp's total output. Friedrich Alfred continued his father's work and in 1896 gained access to shipbuilding. In the 20th Century the Company was headed by Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach who had married Friedrich’s daughter Bertha in 1906.
A major armaments producer during World War I (Krupp produced most of the artillery of the Imperial German Army) the company suffered greatly from the limitations of the treaty of Versailles and the loss of the Ruhr area to France. During WWII, Krupp produced submarines, tanks, artillery, naval guns, armour plate, munitions and other armaments for the German military. At the end of 1943 Fried. Krupp AG transferred to Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, the eldest son of Bertha and Gustav. In 1968 the firm became a corporation, Fried. Krupp GmbH. In 1999, the Krupp Group merged with its largest competitor, Thyssen AG; the combined company—ThyssenKrupp AG, became one of the largest steel producers in the world.
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