Cologne bicycle pioneer Allright: From the world champion to company death

Cologne bicycle pioneer Allright: From the world champion to company death

In the heart of Cologne, the impressive history of the Allright bicycle brand comes alive. Horst Nordmann, a passionate collector, is currently presenting an exhibition on the traditional brand in the sports and Olympic Museum. A true highlight of the exhibition is the original Georg-Sorge-Rad, which symbolizes the roots of this Cologne brand and awakens memories of the glamorous times of its founder, Georg Sorge.

founded in 1890, Allright quickly developed into one of the best -known bicycle brands in the German market. Georg Sorge was not just a successful cyclist; He also set records, including the incredible route of 250 kilometers from Blankenheim to Boppard in just 11 hours and 51 minutes. At a time when bicycles were unaffordable, his bicycles even offered the army and thus ensured a special racing between cyclists and the cavalry in 1893. Surprisingly, worry came to the finish line from Vienna as the finish line, which could increase the demand for his bicycles, even if no contract came with the army.

from small business to the large employer

Over time, Sorges Kleine Werkstatt changed to the stock corporation and finally operated as "Cologne Lindenthaler Metallwerke AG" (KLM). Through the influence of Adolf Hanau, a Jewish businessman and shareholder, Allright became even more successful. Under his leadership, the factory area grew on around 20 soccer fields, and 750 workers produced impressive 35,000 bicycles every year. In the 1920s, production with 100,000 bicycles reached a new measure per year and made Allright one of the largest employers in western Cologne.

But the story took a dramatic turn when the National Socialists came to power in 1933. Hanau had to hand over his company to Conrad Brusselsbach. While Hanau and his mother died in the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1942, the company Unter Brusselsbach, who converted the company into a National Socialist model company and employed forced laborers. The radical political circumstances have not only changed the workforce, but also strongly influenced cycling itself.

cycling in the Third Reich

When the National Socialists had taken over the power, a time of restructuring began, which also affected cycling. Cycling associations excluded Jewish athletes and politically dissenters and the competitions were died. The “Around Cologne” competition, which was redesigned in 1933, took place under strong SA presence. Such events were used propaganda by the regime and the bicycle industry hoped for economic advantages through professional cycling, which was to be expanded into a popular sport.

With the professionalization of cycling in the following years, new racing groups were founded and numerous cycling manufacturers, including Allright, were committed to professional sports. Despite the critical political framework, many cyclists adapted and some joined the NSDAP. This was also reflected in the popularity of races and the same reporting of that time.

After the war, the company experienced some legal disputes that were triggered primarily by the Hanau family, while the company remained under Brusselsbach and Wolf. Finally, the production was relocated to Hürth-Efferen, but the old motorcycles and bicycles that were once produced under Allright/Cito are only reminiscent of the glorious past of this brand.

Well, many years later, Allright not only remains an important part of Cologne's history, but also an example of the change in cycling over time. It shows us how tight economy, sport and politics are often linked. Horst Nordmann's exhibition in the sports and Olympic Museum makes a valuable contribution to keeping this chapter in Cologne's city history.