IG Farben was a
German chemical industry
conglomerate. Its name is taken from
Interessen-Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AktienGesellschaft (
Plc Syndicate [literally, "community of interests"] of dye-making corporations). The company was formed in 1925 from a number of major chemical companies that had been working together closely since
World War I. During its heyday, IG Farben was the largest chemical company in the world and the fourth largest overall industrial concern, after
General Motors,
U.S. Steel, and
Standard Oil of New Jersey.