A method for the manufacture of a superconductor having a superconductive intermetallic compound consisting of at least two elements in which at least one core containing at least one ductile element of the compound is surrounded by a jacket of ductile matrix material, after which the structure so obtained is subjected to a cross section-reducing process and the remaining elements of the compound subsequently applied to the jacket of matrix material followed by a heat treatment performed in a manner such that the compound is formed through a reaction of the remaining elements with the core after diffusion through the matrix material. The remaining elements are applied as a sheath of an alloy containing these elements along with a carrier metal which is deposited on the jacket of the matrix material after the last cross section-reducing process step and before heat treatment for forming the compound.