, ▁the ▁city ' s ▁rapid ▁growth ▁and ▁wealth ▁were ▁linked ▁to ▁B AS F ' s ▁success ▁and ▁its ▁expansion ▁into ▁becoming ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁most ▁important ▁chemical ▁companies . ▁Ludwig sh afen ▁also ▁became ▁home ▁to ▁several ▁other ▁rapidly ▁growing ▁chemical ▁companies , ▁including ▁Friedrich ▁Ras ch ig ▁GmbH , ▁the ▁Ben ck iser ▁company ▁( f ounded ▁by ▁Johann ▁Ben ck iser ), ▁Giul ini ▁Brothers , ▁Gr ün z weig & H art mann ▁AG , ▁and ▁. ▁ ▁With ▁more ▁jobs ▁available , ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Ludwig sh afen ▁increased ▁rapidly . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁gover ning ▁more ▁than ▁ 6 2 , 0 0 0 ▁residents ▁( comp ared ▁to ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 2 ). ▁ ▁This ▁population ▁explos ion ▁looked ▁quite ▁“ American ” ▁to ▁contempor aries ; ▁it ▁determined ▁Ludwig sh afen ' s ▁character ▁as ▁a ▁“ worker ' s ▁city ”, ▁and ▁created ▁problem atic ▁short ages ▁of ▁housing ▁and ▁real ▁estate . ▁The ▁solution ▁was ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁municipal ▁area ▁and ▁the ▁incorpor ation ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁nearest ▁villages , ▁F ries en heim ▁and ▁M unden heim , ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁ 1 8 9 2 ▁and ▁ 1 8 9 9 . ▁In ▁the ▁area ▁between ▁the ▁city ▁centre ▁and ▁those ▁two ▁sub ur bs ▁new ▁qu arters ▁( “ N orth ” ▁and ▁“ S outh ” ) ▁were ▁built ▁after