1939, the Melle furniture factory as well as the competing furniture factory Gebrüder Kruse were awarded the certificate of a "Nationalsozialistischer Musterbetrieb (model plant)". In 1937, the family name as well as the company name Kohn was changed to Kohnert at the request of Hans Kohn and ministerially approved on 14 August 1937. The reason was the hostility because of the Jewish-sounding surname Kohn/Cohn in the context of the National Socialist Aryanisation. The conversion to war-important products was already known from the First World War. Thus, in Second World War, MMM's production was also converted to war-important production. In addition to the production of ammunition boxes, aircraft were also repaired and built in the furniture factory (no further information is available on this). The leading personnel, as far as they were not in front-line service, were specially retrained for this task. Staff shortages due to the drafts were compensated for by the use of female workers. Later, forced labourers were also assigned to the company. These women and men were quartered on the upper floors of the furniture factory. Under the shipping department and under the drying chambers there were cellars which were converted into air-raid shelterss by installing steel doors. In 1940, the “Support organization Meller Möbelfabrik GmbH e.V. was entered as an association in the commercial register. The purpose is unknown. 1946-1961 Economic miracle period After the end of the war, the company management was able to achieve an economic upswing very quickly. This was favoured by the fact that there was no war damage to the factory and of course there was a great demand for furniture. The rapid establishment of a new, comprehensive distribution network for the emerging Federal Republic ensured good sales with a loyal clientele. As an exhibitor at the Cologne Furniture Fair, which took place every 2 years, so many sales orders were written there that production was always busy for at least 6 months afterwards. Immediately after the end of the war, the villa "Haus Sonneck" was confiscated by the British occupation forces. Gerhard Kohnert therefore had to move temporarily into the MMM office building. Due to this emergency, the construction of new living space began as quickly as possible. As a result, the construction of the factory housing complex in “Bismarckstraße” with its 3 clinker brick houses and large gardens was completed as early as 1949. The middle house, no. 15,