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BSH Corporate Archives: Difference between revisions
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The history of BSH goes right back to 1967. This year saw the foundation of Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH (BSHG, later renamed BSH) as a joint venture between Siemens AG and Robert Bosch GmbH. BSH was initially tasked with coordinating the home appliance business of the two companies involved in the joint venture. The strategy was that the Bosch and Siemens brands known worldwide should continue to be perceived as independent entities on the market. | The history of BSH goes right back to 1967. This year saw the foundation of Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH (BSHG, later renamed BSH) as a joint venture between Siemens AG and Robert Bosch GmbH. BSH was initially tasked with coordinating the home appliance business of the two companies involved in the joint venture. The strategy was that the Bosch and Siemens brands known worldwide should continue to be perceived as independent entities on the market. | ||
The employees initially remained employees of their original parent companies, with only a small number working directly for BSH. Closer integration of the two home appliance businesses was a gradual process. In 1978, BSH took over the appliance manufacturing plants from Bosch and Siemens, and purchased further well-known brands (such as Neff and Gaggenau) over the course of the following years. In 2015, Bosch acquired all shares previously held by Siemens, with the result that BSH is now a 100% subsidiary of the Bosch Group. | |||
remained employees of their original parent companies, with only a small number working directly for BSH. Closer integration of the two home appliance businesses was a gradual process. In 1978, BSH took over the appliance manufacturing plants from Bosch and Siemens, and purchased further well-known brands (such as Neff and Gaggenau) over the course of the following years. In 2015, Bosch acquired all shares previously held by Siemens, with the result that BSH is now a 100% subsidiary of the Bosch Group. | |||
Up to 2014, BSH had no corporate archive of its own. Due to BSH’s close links with the two mother companies, many of the documents relating to its history landed up in either the Bosch or Siemens archive. The result was that the Bosch and Siemens corporative archives were the first ports of call for those researching into the history of BSH and its products. Although BSH was an independent company, it didn’t have an internal archive that took care of archiving tasks. | Up to 2014, BSH had no corporate archive of its own. Due to BSH’s close links with the two mother companies, many of the documents relating to its history landed up in either the Bosch or Siemens archive. The result was that the Bosch and Siemens corporative archives were the first ports of call for those researching into the history of BSH and its products. Although BSH was an independent company, it didn’t have an internal archive that took care of archiving tasks. | ||
[[file:C02-P0004 1971.jpg|thumb|523x523px|Siemens, | [[file:C02-P0004 1971.jpg|thumb|523x523px|Siemens, 1985 (Source: BSH Corporate Archives, C02-P0004)]] | ||
The upshot of this was that there were large gaps in the historical records. Because it was becoming ever more difficult for the personnel in the Bosch and Siemens corporate archives to cope with requests for information about BSH and home appliances in addition to their own work, the idea of creating a separate BSH Corporate Archive began to gain popularity. | The upshot of this was that there were large gaps in the historical records. Because it was becoming ever more difficult for the personnel in the Bosch and Siemens corporate archives to cope with requests for information about BSH and home appliances in addition to their own work, the idea of creating a separate BSH Corporate Archive began to gain popularity. | ||
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[[file:1260 55 Constructa+Model+Kind 1200dpi.jpg|thumb|423x423px|left|Constructa, 1955 (Source: BSH Corporate Archives)]] | [[file:1260 55 Constructa+Model+Kind 1200dpi.jpg|thumb|423x423px|left|Constructa, 1955 (Source: BSH Corporate Archives)]] | ||
Unsurprisingly, there were no trained archivists working in BSH’s corporate communications unit, so the decision was made to call on the expertise on an external service provider. To build up a picture of the possible candidates in Germany, various professional archivists were asked for their opinion. A short list of four prominent service providers was drawn up, and these were then invited to attend separate interviews in Munich. The project managers finally opted for Neumann & Kamp Historische Projekte based in Munich. There were good reasons for choosing a local service provider – the successful candidate was able to guarantee speedy response times and charged no travel expenses. The archive was officially established in May 2014, and the process of filling it rapidly picked up pace. Archivists at Bosch and Siemens were involved and clear divisions drawn between the different areas of responsibility. The main objective was to identify documents belonging to BSH at the various locations and transfer these to the archive. | Unsurprisingly, there were no trained archivists working in BSH’s corporate communications unit, so the decision was made to call on the expertise on an external service provider. To build up a picture of the possible candidates in Germany, various professional archivists were asked for their opinion. A short list of four prominent service providers was drawn up, and these were then invited to attend separate interviews in Munich. The project managers finally opted for [https://www.historische-projekte.de/ Neumann & Kamp Historische Projekte] based in Munich. There were good reasons for choosing a local service provider – the successful candidate was able to guarantee speedy response times and charged no travel expenses. The archive was officially established in May 2014, and the process of filling it rapidly picked up pace. Archivists at Bosch and Siemens were involved and clear divisions drawn between the different areas of responsibility. The main objective was to identify documents belonging to BSH at the various locations and transfer these to the archive. | ||
The archiving project commenced with a review of all documents of archival value to be found at company headquarters, leading to an initial estimate of how extensive the archive material might be. As part of this process, information meetings were arranged, primarily with heads of BSH divisions. As well as hearing about the plans for the new corporate archive, the participants were requested to sift through the material in their basements (aided by a particularly knowledgeable employee from their unit) to identify documents worthy of archiving. All in all, around 70 such meetings took place around Germany. In the space of only three months, just less than 150 linear meters of archival material were identified, including BSH business records, large collections of Bosch and Siemens advertising material and the archives of well-known brands such as Neff and Gaggenau. | The archiving project commenced with a review of all documents of archival value to be found at company headquarters, leading to an initial estimate of how extensive the archive material might be. As part of this process, information meetings were arranged, primarily with heads of BSH divisions. As well as hearing about the plans for the new corporate archive, the participants were requested to sift through the material in their basements (aided by a particularly knowledgeable employee from their unit) to identify documents worthy of archiving. All in all, around 70 such meetings took place around Germany. In the space of only three months, just less than 150 linear meters of archival material were identified, including BSH business records, large collections of Bosch and Siemens advertising material and the archives of well-known brands such as Neff and Gaggenau. | ||
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How does the new BSH Corporate Archive collaborate with the corporate archives of the original mother companies? The principal factor linking the Bosch corporate archive and the BSH Corporate Archive is the archiving software itself. In order to obtain access to the documents about Bosch home appliances in the Bosch corporate archive, the BSH Corporate Archive had to be granted authorization to use Bosch’s archiving software. This software solution was developed internally by Bosch and originally based on a document management system. This was the topic on which the most frequent contact took place, particularly during the system changeover. After several coordination meetings, the BSH Corporate Archive was allowed to use the Bosch intranet to access an approved range of materials in the Bosch archive – particularly photos and brochures – and utilize the digital copies stored there. | How does the new BSH Corporate Archive collaborate with the corporate archives of the original mother companies? The principal factor linking the Bosch corporate archive and the BSH Corporate Archive is the archiving software itself. In order to obtain access to the documents about Bosch home appliances in the Bosch corporate archive, the BSH Corporate Archive had to be granted authorization to use Bosch’s archiving software. This software solution was developed internally by Bosch and originally based on a document management system. This was the topic on which the most frequent contact took place, particularly during the system changeover. After several coordination meetings, the BSH Corporate Archive was allowed to use the Bosch intranet to access an approved range of materials in the Bosch archive – particularly photos and brochures – and utilize the digital copies stored there. | ||
[[file:1961 Neff Arcus | [[file:1961 Neff Arcus.jpg|thumb|550x550px|left|Neff, 1961 (Source: BSH Corporate Archives)]] | ||
Objects are a further important area of collaboration, with both Bosch and Siemens. Because the BSH Corporate Archive doesn’t have its own collection of objects, any offers or requests regarding such items, either external or internal, have to be passed on to the corporate archives of Bosch or Siemens. These archives check if the object in question is already part of the collection. If not, they decide whether or not it is interesting enough to be added or acquired. | Objects are a further important area of collaboration, with both Bosch and Siemens. Because the BSH Corporate Archive doesn’t have its own collection of objects, any offers or requests regarding such items, either external or internal, have to be passed on to the corporate archives of Bosch or Siemens. These archives check if the object in question is already part of the collection. If not, they decide whether or not it is interesting enough to be added or acquired. | ||