Private company

Tesch & Stabenow

German manufacturer of Zyklon B

The corporation Tesch & Stabenow (in short Testa) was a market leader in pest control chemicals between 1924 and 1945, in Germany east of the Elbe. Testa distributed Zyklon, a pesticide consisting of inert adsorbents saturated with hydrogen cyanide, a volatile liquid extremely toxic to animals and humans. For legitimate use as a pesticide, Zyklon included a warning odorant as not everyone can smell cyanide or recognize its faint almond-like odor.² It is headquartered in Hamburg.¹ It is part of Degesch.¹ It ceased to exist in 1979.¹ Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1924Founded¹

Industrychemical industry¹
HeadquartersHamburg¹
Founded inHamburg¹

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The corporation Tesch & Stabenow (in short Testa) was a market leader in pest control chemicals between 1924 and 1945, in Germany east of the Elbe. Testa distributed Zyklon, a pesticide consisting of inert adsorbents saturated with hydrogen cyanide, a volatile liquid extremely toxic to animals and humans. For legitimate use as a pesticide, Zyklon included a warning odorant as not everyone can smell cyanide or recognize its faint almond-like odor. The company sold Zyklon B, the variant of the original pesticide Zyklon, to the Wehrmacht and the SS in Auschwitz-Birkenau without the odorant, clearly showing that it was intended for use on humans. Two directors of Testa were convicted and executed after being accused of assisting the mass murder of Jews during the Second World War.²

Corporate structure

Tesch & Stabenow is part of a group headed by IG Farben. 384 entities, 54 countries on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

IG Farben Frankfurt am Main
- Degesch Laudenbach, Germany
  - Tesch & Stabenow Hamburg
- ACNA Subsidiary · Cengio
- Agfa Camerawerk Subsidiary · Munich
- Agfa-Gevaert Subsidiary · Mortsel, Belgium
  - Agfa HealthCare Canada Subsidiary · Waterloo, Canada
  - Agfa-Gevaert (United States) Subsidiary · Goose Creek, United States
  - Information International, Inc. Subsidiary · Los Angeles
  - AGFA Subsidiary · Mortsel, Belgium
  - AGFA FINANCE Subsidiary · Mortsel, Belgium
  - AGFA FINCO Subsidiary · Mortsel, Belgium
  - AGFA HEALTHCARE Subsidiary · Mortsel, Belgium
  - Agfa-Gevaert (Belgium) Subsidiary · Belgium
  - Agfa-Gevaert (Canada) Subsidiary · Canada
- American IG Subsidiary · New York City
  - Ansco Subsidiary · Binghamton
- Apollo Subsidiary · Bratislava, Slovakia
- BASF Subsidiary · Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
  - BASF Praha, Czechia
  - BASF (Canada) Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
    - BASF AGRICULTURAL SOLUTIONS CANADA INC. Subsidiary · Ludwigshafen, Germany
    - BASF COATINGS INC. Subsidiary · Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
  - BASF (France) Paris, France
  - BASF Antwerpen N.V. Antwerpen, Belgium
  - BASF Polyurethanes Lemförde, Germany
  - BASF Schwarzheide Schwarzheide, Germany
  - BASF Schweiz AG Basel, Switzerland
  - Surventis Münster, Germany
  - BASF (China) Subsidiary · 上海, China
  - BASF (Norway) Subsidiary · Oslo, Norway
  - BASF (Switzerland) Subsidiary · Basel, Switzerland
  - Verenium Corporation Subsidiary · San Diego
  - Wintershall Subsidiary · Kassel, Germany
    - Nitag Deutsche Treibstoffe Subsidiary · Berlin, Germany
    - Nord Stream AG Subsidiary · Zug, Switzerland
    - Gewerkschaft Wintershall Subsidiary · Germany
    - Kali-Bank AG Eisenach Subsidiary · Germany
  - Basf Finance Europe N.V. Subsidiary · 100% · Arnhem, Netherlands
  - A.M. CRAIG LIMITED Subsidiary · Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
  - Alsachimie S.A.S. Subsidiary · Chalampé, France
  - B A S F SRL Subsidiary · Bucharest, Romania
  - ba si fu dian chi cai liao (shang hai) you xian gong si (巴斯夫电池材料（上海）有限公司) Subsidiary · Shanghai, China
  - BASF (Netherlands) Subsidiary
  - BASF (United Kingdom) Subsidiary · United Kingdom
  - BASF (United States) Subsidiary · Florham Park, United States
  - BASF (БАСФ) Subsidiary · Sofia, Bulgaria
  - BASF A/S Subsidiary · København V, Denmark
  - BASF AB Subsidiary · Göteborg, Sweden
  - BASF Agri Production SAS Subsidiary · Ecully Cedex, France
  - and 116 more
- Bayer Subsidiary · Leverkusen, Germany
  - Bayer (Australia) Pymble, Australia
  - Bayer (New Zealand) Auckland, New Zealand
  - Bayer Business Services Köln, Germany
  - BAYER HEALTHCARE LLC Wilmington, Delaware, United States
  - Bayer Schering Pharma Berlin, Germany
  - Monsanto Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
    - Cetus Corporation Subsidiary · Emeryville
    - Delta & Pine Land Company Subsidiary · Scott
    - G. D. Searle & Company Subsidiary · New York City
    - Monsanto (Brazil) Subsidiary · São Paulo, Brazil
    - Monsanto (India) Subsidiary · Mumbai, India
    - Monsanto (United Kingdom) Subsidiary · Cambridge, United Kingdom
    - Monsanto Canada Subsidiary · Winnipeg
    - NutraSweet Subsidiary · Chicago
    - Agracetus Subsidiary
  - Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Inc. St. Louis, Missouri, United States
  - Bayer (Belgium) Subsidiary · Machelen, Belgium
  - Bayer (Canada) Subsidiary · Mississauga, Canada
  - Bayer (Japan) Subsidiary · Tokyo, Japan
    - Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd. Subsidiary · Osaka Prefecture, Japan
  - Bayer (Netherlands) Subsidiary · Mijdrecht, Netherlands
  - Bayer (United Kingdom) Subsidiary · Newbury, United Kingdom
  - Bayer Technology Services Subsidiary · Leverkusen, Germany
  - Bayer Türkiye Subsidiary
  - Bayer USA Subsidiary · Robinson Township
  - Currenta Subsidiary · Leverkusen, Germany
  - Cutter Laboratories Subsidiary · Berkeley
  - Dr. Scholl's Subsidiary · London
  - H.C. Starck Subsidiary · München, Germany
    - H.C. Starck Tungsten GmbH Subsidiary · Goslar, Germany
    - Gebr. Borchers AG Subsidiary · Germany
  - Hispania Bayer S.L. Subsidiary
  - Jenapharm Subsidiary · Jena
  - The Climate Corporation Subsidiary · San Francisco
  - Viralgen Subsidiary · San Sebastián, Spain
  - Covestro Stake · 7% · Leverkusen, Germany
    - Covestro Barcelona, Spain
    - Covestro LLC Wilmington, Delaware, United States
    - Covestro (Belgium) Subsidiary · Antwerp
    - Covestro (China) Subsidiary · Shanghai, People's Republic of China
    - Covestro (India) Subsidiary · Ankleshwar, India
    - Covestro (Italy) Subsidiary · Filago, Italy
    - Covestro (Japan) Subsidiary · Amagasaki, Japan
    - Covestro (Taiwan) Subsidiary · Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    - Covestro (Thailand) Subsidiary · Map Ta Phut, Thailand
    - bris'ath kho wes tor (prathesthiy) cakad (บริษัท โคเวสโตร (ประเทศไทย) จำกัด) Subsidiary · Rayong, Thailand
    - Covestro Subsidiary · Antwerpen, Belgium
    - Covestro (Australia) Subsidiary · Australia
    - Covestro (France) Subsidiary · Fos-sur-Mer, France
    - Covestro (Hong Kong) Limited Subsidiary · Hong Kong, Hong Kong
    - COVESTRO (INDIA) PRIVATE LIMITED Subsidiary · Thane, India
    - Covestro (Netherlands) B.V. Subsidiary · Geleen, Netherlands
    - Covestro Deutschland AG Subsidiary · Leverkusen, Germany
      - 1 more
    - Covestro Elastomers Subsidiary · Romans-sur-Isère, France
    - Covestro Finance GmbH Subsidiary · Leverkusen, Germany
    - COVESTRO INDUSTRIA E COMERCIO DE POLIMEROS LTDA Subsidiary · Sao Paulo, Brazil
    - COVESTRO INTERNATIONAL RE, INC. Subsidiary · South Burlington, Vermont, United States
    - Covestro International SA Subsidiary · Fribourg, Switzerland
    - COVESTRO PO LLC Subsidiary · Proctor, West Virginia, United States
    - COVESTRO POLIMER ANONIM SIRKETI (COVESTRO POLİMER ANONİM ŞİRKETİ) Subsidiary · Ataşehir, Turkey
    - COVESTRO SA DE CV Subsidiary · Mexico City, Mexico
    - and 9 more
  - Adverio Pharma GmbH Subsidiary · Leverkusen, Germany
  - and 111 more
- Behringwerke Subsidiary · Marburg
- Buna Werke Subsidiary · Merseburg
- Deutsche Länderbank Subsidiary · Berlin, Germany
- DK Recycling und Roheisen GmbH Subsidiary · Duisburg, Germany
- Donau Chemie Subsidiary · Wien, Austria
  - Donau Carbon GmbH Subsidiary · Frankfurt am Main, Germany
  - DONAUCHEM GmbH Subsidiary · Wien, Austria
    - DONAUCHEM s.r.o. Subsidiary · 67.5% · Nymburk, Czechia
- Gasolin Subsidiary · Hanover
- Interhandel Subsidiary
- Leuna works Subsidiary · Leuna
- Pulverfabrik Rottweil Subsidiary · Rottweil, Germany
- Wagenmann & Seybel Subsidiary · Vienna, Austria
- WASAG Subsidiary · Coswig, Germany
  - H.A. Meyer & Riemann Chemische Werke Subsidiary · Germany
- WCM AG Subsidiary · Berlin, Germany
  - Salzgitter Klöckner-Werke Subsidiary · Salzgitter, Germany
    - HSP Hoesch Spundwand und Profil Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung Subsidiary · Dortmund, Germany
    - Klöckner Eisen Subsidiary · Germany
    - Klöckner-Werke AG Eisen und Stahlwerk Kneuttingen Subsidiary · France
- Württembergische Cattunmanufaktur Subsidiary · Heidenheim an der Brenz, Germany
- Braunkohlenwerke Bruckdorf Subsidiary · Germany
- Deutsche Grube Subsidiary · Germany
- Guano Works Subsidiary · Germany
- I.G. Bergwerke Subsidiary · Germany
- and 1 more

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

Tesch & Stabenow was founded in 1924 in Hamburg. In 1925, the firm became the only distributor of Zyklon on behalf of Degesch east of the Elbe. In 1927, Stabenow left the firm; Bruno Tesch became 45% owner, Degesch had 55% of the shares; in June 1942, Tesch became the sole owner. Testa distributed a growing amount of the gas to the German army. In 1941, Tesch instructed the SS in Sachsenhausen in the use of the pest control gas. Starting in 1941, Testa sold Zyklon B to Auschwitz-Birkenau, Majdanek, Sachsenhausen, Ravensbrück, Stutthof, Neuengamme, Groß-Rosen and Dachau. The highest turnover of cyanide was in 1943.

The company continued in Hamburg after the war as Testa Gmbh until 1979, when it merged with Heerdt-Lingler GmbH (HeLi).

From Wikipedia’s article on Tesch & Stabenow, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.³

Subsidiaries and ownership

Parent company

Degesch

Owners

Bruno Tesch
Degesch

From Wikidata.¹

Controversies and legal

Prosecution

On 3 September 1945, the British arrested Bruno Tesch, director Karl Weinbacher and employee Joachim Drosihn. They were brought before a military tribunal and charged with distributing the gas to concentration camps with the intent to kill humans. An employee even stated that Bruno Tesch himself suggested the idea to the SS. Tesch and Weinbacher were convicted in the Curiohaus trial, sentenced to death, and executed on 16 May 1946. Drosihn was acquitted.