Degesch

Degesch was a German chemical company that produced pesticides and industrial chemicals. Founded in 1919 as Deutsche Gesellschaft für Schädlingsbekämpfung mbH (German Company for Pest Control Ltd.), it was a subsidiary of Degussa (Deutsche Gold- und Silber-Scheideanstalt) and IG Farben.

Degesch is most infamously known for its production and distribution of Zyklon B, a cyanide-based pesticide used in the Nazi extermination camps during the Holocaust. While Degesch itself did not operate the gas chambers, it held the patent for Zyklon B and profited from its sale to the German government, specifically to extermination camps like Auschwitz-Birkenau and Majdanek.

After World War II, Degesch was reorganized under Allied control. Its involvement in the production of Zyklon B resulted in considerable scrutiny and legal action. The company was later renamed Deutsche Gesellschaft für Schädlingsbekämpfung mbH again, but its reputation remained irrevocably tainted by its wartime activities. The company's history serves as a stark reminder of the ethical implications of scientific and industrial pursuits.