In 1740, the
Prussian King Frederick II founded the "Department for Factories, Commerce and Manufacturing" when he took office, which corresponded to a ministry of economics in the administrative structure at the time. The responsible ministers (who, however, usually covered other areas of responsibility) were also called Trade Ministers. There were corresponding ministers before, but they were responsible for many areas. The service building was the former gold and silver factory in Berlin's
Friedrichstadt,
Wilhelmstrasse 79. In 1854–1855, the building was expanded by another floor according to plans by
Friedrich August Stüler, and in 1868 the adjacent new building at Wilhelmstrasse 80 was added. On 17 April 1878, the Public Works, including infrastructure and construction administration, was spun off as the
Ministry of Public Works, leaving the Ministry of Trade and Commerce. However, both ministries were run concurrently until 1879.
Post World War I In 1917, the Reich Economic Office was established and, in 1919, the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs was created. By law of August 15, 1921, the Ministry of Public Works was dissolved. Its responsibilities, including the remaining responsibilities for the railway system, largely fell back to the Ministry of Commerce, which at that time was called the Ministry of Agriculture, Domains and Forestry and of Trade and Commerce. The state construction administration was ultimately affiliated to the
Ministry of Finance, as was already the case in other German states. In
1932, the name Ministry of Economics and Labor was introduced under the Prussian
coup d'état (). ==List of ministers==