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===== Dawning of the era of electrical engineering ===== | ===== Dawning of the era of electrical engineering ===== | ||
[[File:1950 Siemens spin-dryer.jpg|thumb|1950's advertisement for the Siemens spin-dryer. (Source: Siemens Corporate Archives)]] | |||
In addition to communications technology, Werner Siemens succeeded in laying the cornerstone for electrical engineering with the discovery of the dynamo-electric principle in 1866. This dynamo for the first time allowed mechanical energy to be converted cost-effectively into electricity. The machine was the trigger for a series of other groundbreaking Siemens technologies, including the first electrical railway, the first electrical street lighting and the first electrical elevator.<ref>Siemens AG (Ed): 150 Jahre Siemens, pages 12-13.</ref> | In addition to communications technology, Werner Siemens succeeded in laying the cornerstone for electrical engineering with the discovery of the dynamo-electric principle in 1866. This dynamo for the first time allowed mechanical energy to be converted cost-effectively into electricity. The machine was the trigger for a series of other groundbreaking Siemens technologies, including the first electrical railway, the first electrical street lighting and the first electrical elevator.<ref>Siemens AG (Ed): 150 Jahre Siemens, pages 12-13.</ref> | ||
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===== Wartime economy ===== | ===== Wartime economy ===== | ||
The international network of subsidiaries and associated companies was broken up with the outbreak of World War I. Property, material assets as well as patents and property rights abroad were confiscated. The international business had to be rebuilt again when the war ended. Former subsidiaries, such as the English Siemens Brothers & Co., were now competitors. As before the war, Siemens succeeded in keeping the business going with the aid of large orders. The largest of these projects was the electrification of the entire Irish Free State, which was completed in 1930. Siemens had re-established 193 overseas branch offices before the outbreak of World War II in 1939. | The international network of subsidiaries and associated companies was broken up with the outbreak of World War I. Property, material assets as well as patents and property rights abroad were confiscated. The international business had to be rebuilt again when the war ended. Former subsidiaries, such as the English Siemens Brothers & Co., were now competitors. As before the war, Siemens succeeded in keeping the business going with the aid of large orders. The largest of these projects was the electrification of the entire Irish Free State, which was completed in 1930. Siemens had re-established 193 overseas branch offices before the outbreak of World War II in 1939. | ||
[[File:1971 Siemens kitchen.jpg|thumb|1971 advertisement for Siemens kitchen appliances. (Source: Siemens Corporate Archives)]] | |||
Siemens benefited in National Socialist Germany from the flow of orders stimulated by preparations for war. With revenue of 1.3 billion Reichsmark, the company group became the most successful German electrical company. The labor shortage that ensued during the war years was increasingly compensated for by forced labor in the 1940s, with the result that some 50,000 of Siemens' entire 244,000 strong workforce were working as forced laborers in 1944.<ref>Siemens AG (Ed): 150 Jahre Siemens, pages 58-59.</ref> In 1942, the "Siemenslager Ravensbrück" camp was established in the immediate vicinity of the Ravensbrück concentration camp, where detainees manufactured telephone sets, radios and measuring instruments for Siemens. Siemens products deemed important for the war effort were produced additionally in the concentration camps at Auschwitz and Lublin. | Siemens benefited in National Socialist Germany from the flow of orders stimulated by preparations for war. With revenue of 1.3 billion Reichsmark, the company group became the most successful German electrical company. The labor shortage that ensued during the war years was increasingly compensated for by forced labor in the 1940s, with the result that some 50,000 of Siemens' entire 244,000 strong workforce were working as forced laborers in 1944.<ref>Siemens AG (Ed): 150 Jahre Siemens, pages 58-59.</ref> In 1942, the "Siemenslager Ravensbrück" camp was established in the immediate vicinity of the Ravensbrück concentration camp, where detainees manufactured telephone sets, radios and measuring instruments for Siemens. Siemens products deemed important for the war effort were produced additionally in the concentration camps at Auschwitz and Lublin. | ||
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===== History of Siemens Hausgeräte ===== | ===== History of Siemens Hausgeräte ===== | ||
Electrical home appliances remained luxury goods for a long time due largely to a patchy public power supply. A mere fifty percent of households were connected to the power network in the metropolis of Berlin in 1927. Yet Siemens had been manufacturing electrical home appliances since the turn of the century. The history of Siemens Hausgeräte began in 1906 with the dust suction pump, the world's first vacuum cleaner.<ref>Siemens-Electrogeräte GmbH (Ed.): Geschichte der Siemens Hausgeräte 1847-2003. Munich 2003, page 14.</ref> Siemens was producing home appliances, such as coffee grinders, hairdryers, irons, refrigerators, washing machines and electric cookers, under the brand name "Protos" from 1925.<ref>Siemens AG (Ed): 150 Jahre Siemens, pages 42-43.</ref> The "Gesellschaft für drahtlose Telegraphie mbH", or "Telefunken" as it was known, was founded as a joint venture between Siemens and AEG and produced radio receivers and the first television sets in the 1930s.<ref>Siemens AG (Ed): 150 Jahre Siemens, pages 54-55.</ref> | Electrical home appliances remained luxury goods for a long time due largely to a patchy public power supply. A mere fifty percent of households were connected to the power network in the metropolis of Berlin in 1927. Yet Siemens had been manufacturing electrical home appliances since the turn of the century. The history of Siemens Hausgeräte began in 1906 with the [[Dedusting_pumps_–_the_first_mobile_vacuum_cleaners|dust suction pump]], the world's first vacuum cleaner.<ref>Siemens-Electrogeräte GmbH (Ed.): Geschichte der Siemens Hausgeräte 1847-2003. Munich 2003, page 14.</ref> Siemens was producing home appliances, such as coffee grinders, hairdryers, [[Drying_hoods|drying hoods]], irons, refrigerators, washing machines and electric cookers, under the brand name "Protos" from 1925.<ref>Siemens AG (Ed): 150 Jahre Siemens, pages 42-43.</ref> The "Gesellschaft für drahtlose Telegraphie mbH", or "Telefunken" as it was known, was founded as a joint venture between Siemens and AEG and produced radio receivers and the first television sets in the 1930s.<ref>Siemens AG (Ed): 150 Jahre Siemens, pages 54-55.</ref> | ||
When production was restored in the 1950s, the portfolio included the entire range of white and brown goods, as the home appliances (white) and entertainment equipment (brown) were known to reflect their typical colors. The business grew rapidly. Siemens produced home appliances at the Berlin and Traunreut locations and then also in Ratingen-Lintorf from 1961 with the acquisition of washing machine manufacturer Constructa. The first signs of saturation on the home appliance market were starting to appear by the mid-1960s. Siemens Electrogeräte founded Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH together with the home appliances group of Robert Bosch GmbH in 1967. The two companies consolidated their production and thus succeeded in remaining competitive in an increasingly tough market. BSH<ref>BSH was founded in 1967 as Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH - BSHG for short. In 1998, the name was changed to BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH, with the short form BSH. Since the sale of the Siemens shares in BSH to Robert Bosch GmbH the company’s name is now BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, but still BSH for short.</ref> has continued operating successfully to this day. Siemens pulled out of direct customer business in the new millennium. The share in BSH was sold to Robert Bosch GmbH in 2015 as the final consumer segment. | When production was restored in the 1950s, the portfolio included the entire range of [[Siemens_small_appliances|small appliances]], white and brown goods, as the home appliances (white) and entertainment equipment (brown) were known to reflect their typical colors. The business grew rapidly. Siemens produced home appliances at the Berlin and Traunreut locations and then also in Ratingen-Lintorf from 1961 with the acquisition of washing machine manufacturer Constructa. The first signs of saturation on the home appliance market were starting to appear by the mid-1960s. Siemens Electrogeräte founded Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH together with the home appliances group of Robert Bosch GmbH in 1967. The two companies consolidated their production and thus succeeded in remaining competitive in an increasingly tough market. BSH<ref>BSH was founded in 1967 as Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH - BSHG for short. In 1998, the name was changed to BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH, with the short form BSH. Since the sale of the Siemens shares in BSH to Robert Bosch GmbH the company’s name is now BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, but still BSH for short.</ref> has continued operating successfully to this day. Siemens pulled out of direct customer business in the new millennium. The share in BSH was sold to Robert Bosch GmbH in 2015 as the final consumer segment. | ||
===== Siemens AG up to the present day ===== | ===== Siemens AG up to the present day ===== | ||
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Siemens was active at this time in the telecommunications, microelectronics, computer technology, energy generation, medical engineering and transportation engineering sectors. | Siemens was active at this time in the telecommunications, microelectronics, computer technology, energy generation, medical engineering and transportation engineering sectors. | ||
The company group was constantly remodeling in the 1990s and early 2000s. The semiconductor division was spun off as Infineon Technologies AG in 1999, for example, while the Siemens Mobile mobile phone arm was sold to the Taiwanese company BenQ in 2005. Siemens concentrated increasingly on the industrial sector. As the final consumer product segments, the majority of shares in Osram were sold in 2013 and the complete shareholding in BSH Hausgeräte in 2015 | The company group was constantly remodeling in the 1990s and early 2000s. The semiconductor division was spun off as Infineon Technologies AG in 1999, for example, while the Siemens Mobile mobile phone arm was sold to the Taiwanese company BenQ in 2005. Siemens concentrated increasingly on the industrial sector. As the final consumer product segments, the majority of shares in Osram were sold in 2013 and the complete shareholding in BSH Hausgeräte in 2015. | ||
== Notes == | == Notes == | ||