Gasolin
Corporate brand
UnclaimedGasolin was a German oil company and petrol-station brand that operated from 1920 until its absorption into Aral in 1971.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Gasolin was a German mineral-oil company whose origins lay in Olea Mineralölwerke AG, founded in Frankfurt on 23 March 1920. The business was created to acquire and operate enterprises involved in the extraction, manufacture, processing, storage, transport and sale of fuels, lubricants, petroleum products, bitumen and related chemicals. It expanded through acquisitions, including the Süddeutsche Oel- und Melanolwerke and oil facilities connected with the A. Riebeck'sche Montanwerke group. During the consolidation of the German oil industry in the 1920s, the company passed into the orbit of Hugo Stinnes-Riebeck's oil interests and subsequently became part of the restructuring pursued by BASF after Hugo Stinnes's death. In April 1925 it was reorganized as Hugo Stinnes-Riebeck Oel-AG. On 4 May 1926 it adopted the name Deutsche Gasolin Aktiengesellschaft, usually shortened to Gasolin. The new company was backed by I.G. Farben, A. Riebeck'sche Montanwerke, Royal Dutch and Standard Oil of New Jersey, each initially holding a quarter of the capital. Its strategic role was to market German synthetic and refinery-produced fuels, especially gasoline associated with the Leuna coal-hydrogenation program. Gasolin developed a substantial filling-station network and became one of Germany's leading petrol retailers. In the mid-1930s it ranked among the country's five largest station chains, with more than 3,000 pumps. Its range included ordinary gasoline, higher-octane products, benzene blends, lubricants, asphalt and other petroleum-related products. It also used branded products such as Motalin, Motorin and Supralin. The red-and-white pump emblem became a recognizable feature of the brand, while industrial designers and architects including Peter Behrens and Hans Poelzig contributed to the visual and physical design of its stations and pumps. The Second World War disrupted the brand. From 1939, centralized mineral-oil distribution largely removed branded retailing from public view. Gasolin's facilities at Emmerich and Dollbergen suffered wartime destruction, and an underground replacement operation was started at Lohmen in Saxony. After 1945, the company's ownership and securities were complicated by the division of Germany and the breakup of I.G. Farben. A Soviet-zone operation continued as Staatliche A.G. Gasolin Zeitz, while the western company was reorganized under a collective securities arrangement. In 1952, Wintershall and Deutsche Erdöl AG, known as DEA, acquired a 91 percent majority in Deutsche Gasolin. Gasolin was then positioned as a German-controlled fuel-distribution business and became closely connected with the BV-Aral association. In 1956, Wintershall's NITAG network was merged into Gasolin, creating Deutsche Gasolin-Nitag AG and expanding the network to roughly 2,000 stations. Although the wider BV-Aral members later agreed to market many products under the Aral name, Gasolin continued as a distinct brand for several years. The company changed its formal name to Gasolin AG in 1967. Its Dollbergen refinery closed in 1969, increasing the company's dependence on external refinery supply. In August 1971, Gasolin and its remaining station network were absorbed into Aral. The brand therefore ceased to operate as an independent national oil company, although the name survived in corporate form and was later revived at a small number of eastern German stations after reunification. Two stations in Pasewalk and Ueckermünde have been reported as continuing under the Gasolin name through private operation.
History
Gasolin began on 23 March 1920 as Olea Mineralölwerke AG in Frankfurt. It took over Deutsche Schmiermittel GmbH and subsequently expanded through related oil and chemical businesses. From 1922 it operated as Oleawerke AG für Mineralöl-Industrie, and its headquarters moved to Berlin in late 1923. Its early assets included refineries and oil-processing interests in Frankfurt, Freiburg and Dollbergen. The company became entangled in the industrial consolidation surrounding Hugo Stinnes. After Stinnes's death in 1924, BASF took control of the relevant oil interests and reorganized the business. In 1925 the company became Hugo Stinnes-Riebeck Oel-AG. On 4 May 1926 it was renamed Deutsche Gasolin Aktiengesellschaft. The ownership structure reflected cooperation among I.G. Farben, A. Riebeck'sche Montanwerke, Royal Dutch and Standard Oil of New Jersey. Gasolin was intended in large part to serve as a German sales channel for synthetic fuel, while also marketing refinery products. The company prioritized petrol-station expansion. By 1935 it was one of Germany's five largest station chains, with 3,315 pumps and a reported 6.7 percent sales share. Its business combined retail fuel distribution with lubricants, asphalt and related petroleum products. Before 1945, the company promoted Leuna gasoline as well as Gasolin, Motalin, Motorin and Supralin. Its visual identity centered on a red-and-white fuel pump, and station design received attention from prominent architects and industrial designers. Wartime controls changed the consumer-facing business. From September 1939, mineral-oil distribution was centralized, and brand names largely disappeared from fuel sales. An air raid damaged the Emmerich refinery in 1940, while the refineries at Emmerich and Dollbergen were destroyed in 1944. A replacement production project was begun at Lohmen in Saxony using underground facilities and crude oil transported from the Vienna Basin. The postwar division of Germany created ownership and operating complications. Gasolin's securities were located in the Soviet sector of Berlin, while its principal western suppliers and assets were separated by occupation boundaries. The Securities Adjustment Act of 1949 led to invalidation of the old shares and their replacement by a collective certificate. In the Soviet occupation zone, Gasolin operated as Staatliche A.G. Gasolin Zeitz; the later East German petrol-station business was continued by Minol. In the Federal Republic, Wintershall and DEA acquired a 91 percent majority in July 1952 after competing bids from foreign and domestic oil interests. The company retained its filling stations and Dollbergen refinery while preparing to sell products from the developing Emsland refinery at Lingen. In 1956, NITAG's approximately 800 stations were merged with Gasolin's roughly 2,000 stations, creating Deutsche Gasolin-Nitag AG. The relationship with BV-Aral deepened, although Gasolin did not immediately disappear into the Aral consumer brand. DEA withdrew from BV-Aral in 1960 and took its own station chain, while Gasolin remained associated with the organization. In 1961, the association's member companies generally adopted Aral for shared marketing, but Gasolin retained a separate identity because its ownership structure was not identical to the fully participating members. The refinery at Dollbergen closed in 1969. In August 1971, Gasolin was finally merged with Aral, ending its life as an independent oil company. Aral later became part of BP. The Gasolin name has nevertheless remained visible in historical accounts, surviving corporate arrangements and a small number of post-reunification stations in eastern Germany.
- 1971
Merged into Aral
[1]Gasolin's independent corporate existence and principal station network ended through merger with Aral.
- 1969
Dollbergen refinery closed
[1]The company's remaining refinery at Dollbergen ceased operations.
- 1967
Company renamed Gasolin AG
[1]The formal corporate name was shortened to Gasolin AG.
- 1956
NITAG merged into Gasolin
[1]The merger created Deutsche Gasolin-Nitag AG and materially enlarged the station network.
- 1952
Wintershall and DEA acquire majority
[1]The two German oil companies acquired a 91 percent majority in Deutsche Gasolin.
- 1935
One of Germany's largest petrol chains
[1]Gasolin reported 3,315 pumps and ranked among the country's five leading station networks.
- 1926
Deutsche Gasolin Aktiengesellschaft created
[1]The company adopted the Gasolin name on 4 May and became a major German fuel-sales vehicle.
- 1925
Reorganized as Hugo Stinnes-Riebeck Oel-AG
[1]The oil business was reorganized during BASF's restructuring of the Stinnes interests.
- 1922
Renamed Oleawerke AG für Mineralöl-Industrie
[1]The business adopted the Oleawerke name and later moved its headquarters to Berlin.
- 1920
Olea Mineralölwerke AG founded
[1]The company was established in Frankfurt on 23 March, taking over Deutsche Schmiermittel GmbH.
Products and positioning
A German-owned, nationally distributed mineral-oil and petrol-station brand associated with domestic fuel production, technical reliability and an extensive road-fueling network.
Fuel
Gasolin petrol
The core branded gasoline sold through Gasolin's filling-station network. Before and after the Second World War, the name identified the company's ordinary petrol offering and its wider retail identity.
Fuel
Motalin
A knock-resistant petrol product associated with the Gasolin portfolio. Historical descriptions identify iron pentacarbonyl as the additive used in this product.
Fuel blend
Motorin
A petrol-and-benzene mixture marketed by Gasolin, reflecting the fuel formulations used in the company's historical product range.
Engine starting aid
Supralin
A starting agent intended to assist engine ignition in cold weather. It was one of the technical products sold under the historical Gasolin name.
Lubricants
Gasolin lubricants
Motor oils, lubricating oils and related technical fluids formed part of Gasolin's broader petroleum-products business alongside fuels and station retailing.
Marketing campaigns
- 1936Olympic-era Motanol identity
Germany
Gasolin's road-map and station advertising used its red-and-white pump identity, while a Motanol rhombus was added in connection with promotion around the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Outcome. The campaign contributed to the visual association between Gasolin's retail network and branded automotive products.
Brand decisions
1971
Absorb Gasolin into AralM&ABackground
The German petrol market was consolidating around the Aral organization and brand.
Action taken
Gasolin and its station network were merged into Aral in August.
Aftermath
Gasolin ceased to operate as an independent national oil company, although the name survived in limited later uses.
1956
Merge NITAG into GasolinM&ABackground
German oil companies sought to strengthen their position against foreign-owned petrol-station chains.
Action taken
Wintershall's NITAG network was combined with Gasolin, creating Deutsche Gasolin-Nitag AG.
Aftermath
The combined business operated approximately 2,000 stations and became more closely linked to BV-Aral.
1926
Adopt the Gasolin name and focus on fuel distributionStrategyBackground
The reorganized oil business needed a German sales organization for synthetic and refinery-produced gasoline.
Action taken
Hugo Stinnes-Riebeck Oel-AG was renamed Deutsche Gasolin Aktiengesellschaft and expanded its petrol-station network.
Aftermath
Gasolin became a significant German petrol retailer and a principal marketing channel for domestic fuel production.
Sources1 sources
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