In 1851, Ernst Christian Friedrich Schering opened the Grüne Apotheke in Berlin's Chausseestraße, and in 1871 converted into the name Chemische Fabrik auf Actien. This date is the company's date of incorporation. The company grew strongly in the following years. In 1913, the company employed 935 workers, 112 master craftsman and 180 office employees. In addition to the Berlin site, two factories were also located in Russia with over 1,000 workers and a plant in Great Britain. Turnover at the time was about 10 millionGerman gold mark, created with the production of photochemicals and pharmaceuticals. Important products produced were salicylic acid, the antigout preparation atophan, various sleeping and disinfecting agents. At the beginning of the 1920s, Schering took over the wash and colouring company located in the Berlin district Köpenick. In 1922, the management acquired the majority of shares in the chemical factoryChemischen Fabrik auf Actien from the Upper Silesian. In 1937, the companies Kokswerke und Chemische Fabriken AG and the Chemischen Fabrik auf Actien amalgamated with the sister company Schering-Kahlbaum AG and, on the same day, renamed on account of the internationally respected name Schering to Schering Aktiengesellschaft. The pharmaceutical business thus became part of a mining and chemical group, which also produced radiographic products and pesticide products. Schering was the manufacturer of Primodos.
Bayer takeover 2006
In March 2006, Merck KGaA announced a €14.6bn bid for Schering, which by 2006 had annual gross revenue of around €5 billion and employed about 26,000 people in 140 subsidiaries worldwide. Bayer responded with a white knight bid and in July acquired the majority of shares of Schering for €14.6bn, and in 2007, Bayer took over Schering AG and formed Bayer Schering Pharma. The acquisition of Schering was the largest take-over in Bayer's history, and as of 2015 this was one of the ten biggest pharma mergers of all time. At the time of the merger, the company employed more than 26,000 people in 140 subsidiaries worldwide. Schering's annual gross revenue was nearly €5 billion. Schering AG focused on the business areas of gynaecology, andrology, multiple sclerosis, oncology, and contrast agents. Schering's best-known products are probably its brands of combined oral contraceptive pills. Other key products included the interferon-beta brand Betaferon and the paramagnetic contrast agentMagnevist. The largest German manufacturing facility was located in Bergkamen.
