
Franco-German cooperation
It is 180 years since Ludwig Sander and
Gaspard Dollfus founded Sander’sche Maschinenfabrik – the beginnings of MAN in
Augsburg.
It was a
bumpy start. Owing to his French citizenship, the Baviaran authorities refused
Gaspard Dollfus the license for an engineering works on Augsburg soil. Tobacco
manufacturer Ludwig Sander, who had been a resident of Augsburg since 1812,
leaped to his partner’s aid and obtained the license, just for himself initially,
but Dollfus was also granted a permit shortly afterwards. Together, they
founded Sander’sche Maschinenfabrik on 13 November 1840 on the site by the
Stadtbach canal where MAN’s workshops stand to this day.
Keen business acumen
It
was around this time that Augsburg developed into a center of the textile
industry. Mechanical spinning and weaving mills produced fabric on an
industrial scale and there was huge demand for repairs and replacements, not to
mention new investments. Serial entrepreneur Ludwig Sander and engineer Gaspard
Dollfus had their eye on this gap in the market. Sander in particular possessed
keen business acumen. He already had an interest in several of the new spinning
and weaving mills, and knew that spinning frames and weaving looms wear out,
and that steam engines run down. He wanted to meet this demand locally with his
new undertaking. The two partners did not allow what was initially very modest
basic equipment at their factory to hold them back. Their machine park
consisted of just four lathes, a boring machine, a cupola furnace and four
blowers, but it was enough for them to become established as up-and-coming
suppliers for the textile industry. The technically accomplished Dollfus had
already gained experience with a rival firm, while Ludwig enjoyed excellent
connections in Augsburg’s business community.
Ludwig Sander ventured into uncharted waters more than
once. He had a feel for new technologies and was a pioneer of groundbreaking
innovation that provided a boost and stimulated growth.
In just four
years, the partners made Sander’sche Maschinenfabrik a firm fixture in
Augsburg, producing steam engines, water wheels, turbines, gears, rolling and
hammer mills, steam boilers and printing presses. But there was a rupture in
1844, with Gaspard Dollfus leaving the company and Ludwig Sander handing the
management of his firm over to Carl Buz and Carl Reichenbach, who turned it
into Reichenbach’sche Maschinenfabrik. In 1857, it became Maschinenfabrik
Augsburg, where Rudolf Diesel later developed and built his game-changing new
engine.

Ludwig Sander
circa 1835
Continuity in change
According to
Jana Lösch, Head of Company Archive, the MAN of today still retains some of its
founders’ spirit. “Ludwig Sander ventured into uncharted waters more than once.
He had a feel for new technologies and was a pioneer of groundbreaking
innovation that provided a boost and stimulated growth.” Sander’sche
Maschinenfabrik is the foundation stone of MAN in Augsburg – including all the
developments and changes that the firm has been through since. The real
continuity of our company lies in this change.