»I am taking this opportunity to instill in you the most stringent scruples and honesty as your utmost duty in doing business.«
Emanuel Merck to his son Georg, 1840

It is a customary pattern in the early years of industrialization for the entrepreneur’s sons to begin preparing for their future work at an early age. Yet it is still remarkable how early and resolutely the Merck parents initiate this. To Emanuel Merck’s satisfaction, all three of his sons become well acquainted with the workin the pharmacy and the factory. The oldest, Carl, completes his commercial training, Georg continues the family’s pharmacy tradition, and the youngest son Wilhelm, who actually wants to become a farmer, decides to pursue a career in the chemical industry presumably under pressure from his father.

The sons’ extensive training is of great importance to their parents and, befitting the time and their social status, includes extended stays abroad which, in addition to the training itself, require preparation by way of French and English language courses. From an early stage, the sons are closely involved in business matters and also informed of topics relating to the family and the upper class. However, they also receive their fair share of occasionally even petty admonitions regarding their character and behavior. With diligent planning and remarkable resoluteness, the entire education and training of the two older sons, and shortly after also that of Wilhelm, is put to the service of the company: Carl finishes his apprenticeship as planned in April 1842 and, following further training in Paris and London, joins his father’s business in December 1846. Around two years later, in January 1849, his brother Georg follows in his footsteps.

To secure the continued existence of his company, Emanuel Merck establishes the business partnership "E. Merck" [Darmstadt, Germany] together with his sons in 1850. The partnership reflects a time characterized by a growing workforce and the expansion of the product range. Previously managed and run by one person, the company becomes an enterprise with multiple partners. In the meantime, the work is successfully shared among the senior and junior partners, although things remain firmly under the control of Emanuel Merck.

While Carl deals with commercial matters in Darmstadt, Georg devotes himself to the pharmaceutical side of the company. On the death of their father in 1855, the youngest son Wilhelm still hasn’t finished his training. In 1856, he assumes an active role in the company and in 1858 becomes the third equal partner. Inparticular, Wilhelm is tasked with running the technical factory operations. A business man, pharmacist and chemist, the three brothers now shape the company together.

Magdalene and Emanuel Merck ensure the careers of their sons lead to a role in the company. The sons receive an upper-class education and want for nothing, but by the same token are given little freedom. Pictured in the middle: Carl, his sister Magdalene and brother Georg, who trains to become a pharmacist.

In early 1850, Emanuel, Carl and Georg Merck establish a »business partnership operating under the E. Merck company«, Darmstadt, Germany, in which Emanuel names his sons as »associés with an equal share of the profit and loss in [...] pharmacy and factory business«. Emanuel’s third son Wilhelm later also becomes a partner.

From 1858 until the death of Georg in 1873, the three brothers run the company together as partners. As a businessman, Carl mainly attends to commercial matters; as a pharmacist Georg primarily handles pharmaceutical topics; and Wilhelm, a chemist, is tasked with running the technical factory operations.