Krupp, also known as Friedrich Krupp AG and later Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp after acquiring Hoesch AG in 1991, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century as well as Germany's premier weapons manufacturer during both world wars. From the Thirty Years' War to the end of World War II, it produced battleships, U-boats, tanks, howitzers, guns, utilities, and hundreds of other commodities. The company also produced steel used to build railroads in the United States and to cap the Chrysler Building.
The three rings were the symbol for Krupp, based on the Radreifen – the seamless railway wheels patented by Alfred Krupp. The rings are currently part of the ThyssenKrupp logotype.