An international conference on economic history dealing with the question "Regional producers or global players ?" will take place in Mainz on October 6-7 2014. Until now neglected, research on the economic history of the Rhineland-Palatine area will be presented. However, the conference is not limited on the history of this region - in fact, companies from this origin will be compared to producers from other regions and countries. The increasing internationalization of companies is currently an important field of research among historians. From the second half of the 19th century to World War I, the interdependence of the West European economy grew strongly. In the second half of the 20th century, we can observe another globalization push. We were able to win internationally renowned researchers for the papers. Conference language is predominantly German, partly English. Please notify us in advance of your coming via email (engelen@uni-mainz.de).

Program

October 6th 2014

Chair : Ute Engelen (IGL, Mainz)

14:00-14:15 :

• Opening speech, Heinz-Hermann Schnabel (Landtag Rheinland-Pfalz, Vizepräsident)
• Opening speech, Georg Krausch (Universität Mainz, Rektor)
• Address of welcome, Michael Matheus, Ute Engelen (Mainz)

Section on the ceramic industry

• 14:15 - 14:45 : Einführung Werner Plumpe (Frankfurt)
• 14:45 - 15:15 : Die Westerwälder Blumentopf-Fabrik Spang als ein Beispiel für internationale Handelsbeziehungen des Kannenbäckerlandes, Bärbel Bollinger-Spang (Spang, Ransbach-Baumbach)
• 15:15 - 15:45 : The Richard Ginori company. How it conquered the international market while remaining a high level quality brand, Pia Toscano (Cassino), Cinzia Capalbo (Rom)
• 15.45 - 16:00 : Comment Rolf Petri (Venedig)
• 16:00 - 16.30 : Discussion

Coffee break

Section on the glass industry

• 17:00 - 17:30 : SCHOTT 1884 – 2014. Vom Glaslabor zum Global Player, Jürgen Steiner (Schott, Mainz)
• 17:30 - 18:00 : The Saint-Gobain Company: A Global Strategy (18th – 20th century), Jean-Pierre Daviet (Caen)
• 18:00 - 18:15 : Comment Hervé Joly (Lyon)
• 18:15 - 18:45 : Discussion

October 7th 2014

Chair : Michael Kißener (Mainz)

Section on the sparkling wine and champagne industry

• 08:30 - 09:00 : Markenschutz, Exportorientierung und die „Fabrication moussirender Weine“: Zur Geschichte der Mainzer Sektkellerei Kupferberg, Matthias Dietz-Lenssen (Mainz)
• 09:00 - 09:30 : The success of a wine of international reputation. The champagne Moët & Chandon (19th/20th centuries), Claire Desbois-Thibault (Paris/Reims)
• 09:30 - 09:45 : Comment Manfred Daunke (Wiesbaden)
• 09:45 - 10:15 : Discussion

Coffee break

Section on the chemical industry

• 10:45 - 11:15 : Von lokalen zu europäischen Märkten. Thesen zur Internationalisierung von Werner & Mertz, Ute Engelen (Mainz)
• 11:15 - 11:45 : An Early Multinational Disturbed by Wars – The Complex Globalization of Solvay, Ernst Homburg (Maastricht)
• 11:45 - 12:00 : Comment Stefanie van de Kerkhof (Düsseldorf)
• 12:00 - 12:30 : Discussion

Lunch in the Restaurant of the Landtag (at your own expense)

Section on the leather industry

• 13:30 - 14:00 : Agieren auf weltweiten Märkten – Bemerkungen zur Internationalisierung der Lederindustrie am Beispiel der Wormser Lederwerke Cornelius Heyl (ca. 1890 bis 1939), Gerold Bönnen (Worms)
• 14:00 -14:15 : Discussion
• 14:15 -14:45 : Final discussion