Minol 4628144 196533309 2008-03-07T14:14:21Z Dawkeye 1524731 add disambig link to explosive {{Otheruses4|the East German company|the high explosive|Minol (explosive)}} [[Image:Minol logo 1980.jpg|thumb|The logo of Minol from 1980]] The '''[[Volkseigener Betrieb|VEB]] Kombinat Minol''', founded on [[1 January]] [[1956]], was the state-owned [[gasoline]] and [[lubricant]] reseller of the [[German Democratic Republic]]. The marketing name MINOL was invented in 1949, when Die Deutsche Kraftstoff- und Mineralölzentrale (DKMZ) and the German-Russian Naphta-AG founded the VEB Kraftstoff-Vertrieb. Both DHZ und VEB Kraftstoff-Vertrieb founded the VEB MINOL on [[1 January]] [[1956]]. All of the products of the VEB were marketed under the name '''Minol''' and when the [[Berlin wall]] fell, it had a market share of 97 per cent (according to the research "Grundlagenstudie MINOL in der BRD", September 1990). These brands were not used in other countries. The colours of Minol were red for the caption and yellow for the background. The [[mascot]], Minol's [[Golden Oriole]] was widely known in the GDR. By the time of the collapse of the GDR there were about 1300 Minol [[filling station]]s, including small stations. On [[8 June]] [[1990]] the VEB Minol became a [[joint stock company]] under the name MINOL Mineralölhandel AG. This company had three daughter companies selling fuel: *Minol Nordtank GmbH in [[Rostock]] *Minol Zentraltank GmbH in [[Potsdam]] *Minol Südtank GmbH in [[Chemnitz]] In the course of [[privatization]] of East German enterprises, MINOL AG and the [[Leuna]] oil refinery were bought by the French oil company [[Elf Aquitaine]]. However, the new owner stopped operating stations under the Minol name. [[As of 2006]], the brand MINOL is owned by the French company [[Total S.A.|Total]], the successor of Elf Aquitaine. In fear of losing the trademark, Total reopened a total of three Minol filling stations (Berlin, Chemnitz und Leipzig) in 2003 and 2004. For economic reasons the stations in Berlin and Chemnitz were, however, soon closed down. There is currently only one Minol station operating, in Lützner street in [[Leipzig]]. Minol is also the name of a utility billing company, located in Addison, Texas. == External links == *[http://www.total.de/live/wex/de/detotal.nsf/VS_OPM/EE1B9976D0B11E84C1256EDF0047540E?OpenDocument The history of Minol on Total's home page] {{de icon}} *[http://www.minol-buch.de/ minol-buch.de A book about Minol] {{de icon}} [[Category:East Germany]] [[Category:Oil companies of Germany]] [[de:Minol]]