Berthold Schwarz Berthold Schwarz Berthold Schwarz (sometimes spelled Schwartz), also known as Berthold the Black and "der Schwartzer", was a legendary German (or in some accounts Danish or Greek) alchemist of the late 14th century, credited with the invention of gunpowder by 15th- through 19th-century European literature. The purported period of Schwarz' activity (late 14th century) thus falls between the first reports of gunpowder in Europe (late 13th century) and the development of effective applications in artillery (mid 15th century). It is unclear whether Schwarz is a historical person. It has been suggested that he was a historical alchemist who had developed
Schwarz Gruppe Schwarz Gruppe Schwarz Gruppe is a private family-owned German retail group that owns and operates the Lidl and Kaufland brands. It is the fourth-largest retailer in the world by revenue. Headquartered in Neckarsulm, Schwarz Gruppe achieved a turnover of nearly 80 billion euro in the fiscal year 2014/2015. The Schwarz Gruppe is owned by the Dieter Schwarz Foundation GmbH (99.9% of the shares) and the Schwarz Gruppe Industrietreuhand KG (0.1% of the shares); the latter holds 100% of the voting rights. The Schwarz Gruppe operated over 10,000 branches in 2015 (around 9900 Lidl branches, of which 3200 in Germany, and