It all began in 1975 with the vision of a young, ambitious engineer: to redefine tunneling technologically. Martin Herrenknecht wanted to develop machines that were more powerful, safer and more reliable than anything that had existed before. This idea first gave rise to an engineering office in Lahr and a little later – in 1977 – the mechanical engineering company Herrenknecht GmbH, which moved from Lahr to Schwanau-Allmannsweier in 1980. The fact that the company will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026 is entirely in the spirit of the founder and CEO of today’s Herrenknecht AG: pragmatic decision – and made simple.

The company grew quickly because it solved a specific problem: The need for high-performance underground infrastructure was increasing worldwide – and Herrenknecht provided the right solutions with innovative technology. Early on, Martin Herrenknecht sought close exchange with his customers, picked up on requirements and optimization suggestions directly and translated them into technical innovations with his team. From small beginnings, step by step, a globally active company with its own production, a growing team and increasingly demanding projects has emerged.

Today, Herrenknecht stands for tunnel boring technology at the highest level – with around 5,000 employees worldwide, a unique portfolio and experience from complex, often groundbreaking projects around the globe. “We have repeatedly pushed the boundaries of what is feasible and developed solutions that work even under the most difficult conditions. This requires entrepreneurial courage, technical know-how and the firm will to make things possible,” explains Dr.-Ing. E.h. Martin Herrenknecht on the occasion of the anniversary. “Above all, however, all this would be unthinkable without our employees – at the Schwanau site and worldwide, many of whom have been part of our company for decades. When I feel this common will, I am sure that we can make the supposedly impossible possible. I will always be grateful for that.”

An anniversary gala under the banner of pioneering spirit and team spirit

The company expressed this thanks – also to long-time companions – on Saturday in the Baden-Arena Offenburg. Under the motto “Celebrating Progress – 50 Years of High-Tech in Action”, an international anniversary gala took place there. Among the approximately 2,300 guests were numerous employees from all over the world, as well as long-standing partners and representatives from business and politics, including the former Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg and current Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Herrenknecht AG, Günther H. Oettinger, as well as Minister of the Interior Manuel Hagel and Minister of Agriculture Marion Gentges as representatives of the state government.

The evening was moderated by Barbara Schöneberger. She took the guests on a journey through five decades of company history: Numerous film clips traced the company’s path from its beginnings to its global presence with over 60 Group locations worldwide. Around 50 current and former employees had their say and made it clear what makes Herrenknecht so successful: their commitment, their know-how and their team spirit.

Musical and artistic program items – including ABBAMania, Vanessa Mai, illusionist Enzo Weyne and a top-class ensemble of international artists and dancers – took up this journey through time and provided impressive moments and the best entertainment. There were many laughs in the audience at the “Herrenknecht Family Duel”, which was based on the TV show, in which Martin Herrenknecht and the extended board – consisting of Martin-Devid Herrenknecht, Michael Sprang, Ulrich Schaffhauser and Olivier Kraft – competed against a team of employees. The Ortenau star chef Daniel Fehrenbacher and his team took care of the physical well-being with a menu created especially for the evening.

The brilliant finale was a fireworks display designed by long-time Herrenknecht companions from Swiss tunneling – a reminiscence of Martin Herrenknecht’s close personal and entrepreneurial ties with Switzerland. It set the deliberately “mining” conclusion of the evening.

Growing with experience – geared towards the future

The guests experienced an atmospheric and at the same time very personal evening. There were numerous encounters between long-time companions. Quite a few saw each other again after years and reminisced about their shared memories. At the same time, the focus was always on the future: on the challenges of tomorrow and the role that Herrenknecht will continue to play in the design of modern infrastructure worldwide in the future.

In his speech, Günther H. Oettinger emphasized the importance of Herrenknecht for the business location and at the same time paid tribute to the continuing entrepreneurial spirit of its founder: “One can only take one’s hat off to the achievements of Martin Herrenknecht and his employees. Herrenknecht stands for technological competence and the will to solve even the greatest challenges – and to go the decisive extra mile if necessary,” explained Oettinger. “What I particularly admire about Martin Herrenknecht is his tireless drive to question the status quo again and again and to think ahead than many others. I also appreciate his courage to take a clear position in public and to address topics that others often shy away from. In this way, he makes an important contribution to the competitiveness of our state and the preservation of jobs. Baden-Württemberg and Germany can consider themselves lucky to have such a company and such an entrepreneurial personality – firmly anchored in its home country and at the same time providing impetus worldwide.”

It was precisely this look into the future that was also the focus of the company founder himself. In his speech, Martin Herrenknecht confidently looked ahead: “The need for high-performance infrastructure is growing worldwide – for mobility, energy, water and data. Many of these solutions are created underground – and we are developing the technologies for them here in Ortenau. Be it in the increasingly digitized and automated tunnel construction or in the development of new energy sources such as deep geothermal energy,” explained the company boss, who is still full of energy two weeks after his 84th birthday. “Whether it’s transport, energy or supply, the future is being created underground – and we will continue to drive it forward decisively.”

The video is now available on LinkedIn