Ernst Stauf und Richard Stauf Time of prosperity, crisis years

The brothers Ernst (left, 1862-1949) and Richard Stauf (1868-1956) managed the company jointly through turbulent decades.

At the turn of the century the brothers Ernst and Richard Stauf took over management of the company. The years up to the First World War were a time of prosperity for the hide glue industry. The technical production processes introduced led to major improvements in glue quality. Before the boiling operation, it was possible to drain the glue stock in presses and then heat it gently using steam. The ten-percent glue broth then no longer had to be boiled openly, but it was brought up to a glue content of 30 to 45 percent ina vacuum evaporator. From the rigidified gelatine, slabs were again cut, which then only had to dry for 10 to 14 days in a heating drying structure. The rising demand for raw materials could no longer be covered by the region's tanneries. A large proportion of the glue stock had to be imported from overseas. The intensive odour of the glue stock was an integral part of daily life for those living around the factory in Siegen. The First World War brought the boom in the hide glue industry to an end. Although the demand for glue continued unabated, the confusion caused by the war and the lack of raw materials rendered profitable production imposssible. The Stauf brothers were therefore forced to close the glue factory from 1915 until 1920. Of the approximately 140 hide and bone glue factories which had existed prior to the First World War, only 88 were still in operation in 1920. In the post-war years the hide glue industry experienced a brief upturn until 1923. But as world trade was reorganised, competition on the raw materials market also intensified. The economic crisis and the political unrest from1929 on destroyed any hope of recovery.

Vacuum evaporator To remove water from the glue bath, this was concentrated down in the vacuum evaporator.   Drying room In special drying rooms the slabs were dried for ten to fourteen days. Installation of the drying facility The hide glue slabs were carried into the ventilated drying facility on transport carriages for grid frames.         Gluemaking flesh residues The storage of flesh residues in the open caused odour nuisance.