Berthold Geipel Director of the Erfurt Arsenal. Date of Birth: 11.10.1888 Country: Germany

1. Berthold Geipel: A Life in the "Weapon City of Germany"
2. Founding of Erma Werke
3. Development of MP 38 and MP 40

Berthold Geipel: A Life in the "Weapon City of Germany"

Berthold Geipel, a renowned director of the Erfurt Arsenal, left an indelible mark on the history of the German arms industry. His life and work were deeply intertwined with Erfurt, known as the "weapon city."

Founding of Erma Werke

In the aftermath of the Versailles Treaty of 1919, German arms companies were forbidden from producing automatic weapons. However, former Erfurt Arsenal director Berthold Geipel and engineer Heinrich Vollmer saw an opportunity. In 1926, they established the firm Erma Werke, circumventing the Treaty's restrictions by illegally designing and manufacturing automatic weapons.

Development of MP 38 and MP 40

Erma Werke utilized the basic design of Hugo Schmeisser's MP 36 submachine gun. By refining the model and incorporating Vollmer's locking system, they developed two iconic German submachine guns used extensively in World War II: the MP 38 and MP 40. These weapons, collectively known as "Schmeisser-MP" submachine guns, were produced in large numbers, totaling approximately 1.2 million units.