The history of Csepel Works dates back to 1882, when the Weiss brothers, Berthold and Manfred, established a canned food manufacturing facility at Lövölde tér in the 7th district of Budapest. A few months later, the factory was relocated to Soroksári út, near the Cattle Slaughterhouse.
During periods of free capacity, workers dismantled ammunition for the army. With their sheet metal forming machines, the Weiss Company began producing rifle magazines and cartridges. Following an explosion in the factory in 1890, the Weiss brothers decided to move operations to the small, underpopulated village of Csepel (now the 21st district of Budapest) in 1892. In 1896, Berthold left the company when he became a member of parliament.
Between 1896 and 1914, Manfred developed the company into one of the largest defense contractors of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, primarily producing ammunition but also manufacturing military equipment such as field kitchens. During World War I, the workforce grew to around 28,000, and the company operated on a 250-hectare estate.
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After the war, the number of employees decreased to approximately 6,000, and the company diversified its production to include household appliances, bicycles, and agricultural machinery. Manfred Weiss passed away in 1922, and his sons, along with one of his sons-in-law, continued the business.
By 1930, the workforce had increased to 15,000. During World War II, the Weiss Manfred Company supplied ammunition, aircraft engines, tanks, and other military equipment. After the war, the factory was nationalized in 1948 and became known as Csepel Iron and Metal Works, a flagship company of the communist era, producing tubes, machinery, bicycles, motorcycles, and vehicles. In the 1970s, more than 35,000 people were employed at the factory.
In the 1990s, the company’s assets were privatized, and today, hundreds of ventures operate in the area, employing between 6,000 and 8,000 people. The Csepel Works site is home to 14 industrial monuments under local protection and an additional 30 noteworthy buildings.
1211 Budapest, Színesfém u., Hungary
