In the Federal Republic of Germany the air refining process of hot metal was phased out and completely replaced by the basic oxygen steelmaking by 1978. In the middle of 1990ies, the last open hearth furnace in the territory of the former German Democratic Republic was replaced by an electric steel plant using steel scrap as input material. In Germany, today steel is produced exclusively via the blast furnace — converter route and in electric arc furnaces. This article outlines the state of development of both process routes.