AEG (German company)

AEG was a German electrical equipment manufacturer founded in 1883 by Emil Rathenau in Berlin. The brand is currently owned and used by Swedish company Electrolux, which also licenses it.

The company's initial focus was driven by electrical lighting, as in 1881, Rathenau had acquired the rights to the electric light bulb at the International Exposition of Electricity in Paris. Using small power stations, his company introduced electrical lighting to cafés, restaurants, and theaters, despite the high costs and limitations. By the end of the 19th century, AEG had constructed 248 power stations, providing a total of 210,000 hp of electricity for lighting, tramways, and household devices.

During the Second World War, AEG worked with the Nazi Party and benefited from forced labor in Nazi concentration camps. After the war, its headquarters moved to Frankfurt am Main.

In 1967, AEG joined with its subsidiary Telefunken. In 1985, Daimler-Benz purchased AEG and wholly integrated the company in 1996. The remains of AEG became part of Adtranz and Deutsche Aerospace.

After acquiring the AEG household subsidiary AEG Hausgeräte in 1994, Electrolux obtained the rights to the AEG brand name in 2005, which it now uses on some of its products. The AEG name is also licensed to various brand partners under the Electrolux Global Brand Licensing program.