Funkwerk Köpenick

Funkwerk Köpenick was a major East German state-owned enterprise (VEB) specialising in communications electronics, radar, sonar, broadcast transmitters and radio equipment. It traced its origins to the GEMA company founded in 1934, which became one of Germany's leading radar development firms during the Second World War. After the war the plant was expropriated and placed under Soviet military administration, then transferred to the newly founded German Democratic Republic on 15 December 1949 and converted into a Volkseigener Betrieb (VEB). Two successor operations, the VEB Zentrallaboratorium für Signal- und Sonderanlagen and the VEB Funkwerk Köpenick, were merged in 1951 under the Funkwerk Köpenick name. The company's product range grew to include measuring instruments, railway and mining safety technology, control engineering, industrial high-frequency heating, radio broadcast transmitters and receivers, television transmitters and receivers, and military and police radio equipment. It built high-power medium-wave, long-wave and short-wave transmitters, supplied the complete UHF broadcasting equipment for the Berlin Fernsehturm at Alexanderplatz, and at its peak employed up to 3,000 people. Its engineers also developed the first working mobile telephone network in Latin America (the URTES network) and one of the earliest practical mobile telephones. From 1 July 1986 Funkwerk Köpenick was the lead plant of the VEB Kombinat Nachrichtenelektronik, headquartered in Leipzig, and was subordinate to the Ministry for Electrical Engineering and Electronics until October 1990. After German reunification it was converted into a GmbH. In 1992 DeTeWe Deutsche Telephonwerke und Kabelindustrie AG acquired the company and renamed it DeTeWe Funkwerk Köpenick GmbH. As part of DeTeWe's restructuring the Köpenick site was closed in 2004, with fewer than 100 remaining employees losing their jobs. A partial operation was taken over by Rohde & Schwarz and continued from September 1992 as FTK Funktechnik Köpenick GmbH.

The origins of Funkwerk Köpenick lie in the Gesellschaft für elektroakustische und mechanische Apparate mbH (GEMA), founded in 1934. During the Second World War GEMA was one of the leading firms in radar development and also worked on sonar systems and ship controls. In September 1937 the company moved its headquarters and production to Wendenschloßstraße 154 in Berlin-Köpenick. After the Second World War the GEMA plant was expropriated and placed under Soviet military administration. Some remaining technical equipment was dismantled, but the production facilities were preserved and the development and manufacture of ship control systems and electrical measuring instruments resumed. The enterprise now operated as the Scientific-Technical Bureau of the Ministry of the Shipbuilding Industry of the USSR (MSP). On 15 December 1949 the MSP was handed over to the recently founded GDR and converted into a Volkseigener Betrieb (VEB). In 1949 two successor operations existed: the VEB Zentrallaboratorium für Signal- und Sonderanlagen and the VEB Funkwerk Köpenick. Both were merged in 1951 under the name VEB Funkwerk Köpenick. Initially the main areas of development and production were measuring instruments, safety technology for railways and mining, control engineering and industrial high-frequency heating. In 1951, on behalf of the GDR Ministry of Mechanical Engineering, the company began manufacturing radio broadcast transmitters and receiving equipment. In June 1952 the first high-power medium-wave transmitter built there, with 250 kW output, went into operation. With the contract to modernise the former Deutschlandsender in Königs Wusterhausen, development and production expanded into long-wave technology, resulting in a 750 kW long-wave transmitter; a prototype entered service in Zehlendorf in 1960. Another large transmitter, a 100 kW short-wave transmitter with a rotatable and swivelling directional antenna, was erected in Nauen for the overseas broadcasting service. From 1953 the company also produced equipment for VHF radio and television transmitters, initially for the VHF band and from 1960 for the UHF range. VEB Funkwerk Köpenick supplied the complete UHF radio equipment for the new television tower at Alexanderplatz, which enabled the broadcast of the GDR's second television programme. The development of simple and high-quality television receivers was also a task of the Funkwerk. At times up to 3,000 employees worked there. In July 1970 the first in-house mainframe computer, a Robotron 300 system, was commissioned; it was replaced in December 1982 by an ESER EC-1035 system. Funkwerk Köpenick achieved a remarkable and often underestimated pioneering feat in the history of wireless telephony: its engineers developed the first working mobile telephone network in Latin America (the URTES network) and one of the earliest functional mobile telephones for everyday use. On 1 July 1986 VEB Funkwerk Köpenick became the lead plant of the VEB Kombinat Nachrichtenelektronik, whose administration was based in Leipzig. From that time until October 1990 the plant was also subordinate to the Ministry for Electrical Engineering and Electronics. After the Wende, the VEB was converted into a GmbH and operated as Funkwerk Köpenick GmbH. Management modernised the product range. In 1992 DeTeWe Deutsche Telephonwerke und Kabelindustrie AG acquired the company and renamed it DeTeWe Funkwerk Köpenick GmbH. As part of DeTeWe's restructuring, the Köpenick site was abandoned in 2004; the last fewer than 100 employees lost their jobs. At the new Ratingen site, the DeTeWe subsidiary developed and sold digital trunked radio technology and exported analogue technical equipment. A partial operation was taken over by Rohde & Schwarz and continued from September 1992 as FTK Funktechnik Köpenick GmbH. From the 2010s the former site was put to new uses.

• 2004

  Köpenick site abandoned as part of DeTeWe restructuring; fewer than 100 employees lose their jobs.

• 1992

  DeTeWe acquires the company and renames it DeTeWe Funkwerk Köpenick GmbH; Rohde & Schwarz takes over a partial operation as FTK Funktechnik Köpenick GmbH in September.

• 1990

  VEB converted into a GmbH after the Wende; ministry subordination ends in October.

• 1988

  KFC1300 transmitter supplied for the Antarctic Georg-Forster-Station.

• 1986

  On 1 July VEB Funkwerk Köpenick becomes lead plant of VEB Kombinat Nachrichtenelektronik.

• 1982

  Robotron 300 replaced by an ESER EC-1035 system in December.

• 1970

  First in-house mainframe, a Robotron 300, commissioned in July; UHF radio and TV equipment supplied for the Berliner Fernsehturm.

• 1965

  Transmitter supplied to Jakarta.

• 1960

  Prototype 750 kW long-wave transmitter enters service in Zehlendorf; UHF range production begins.

• 1957

  TV transmitter supplied to Budapest.

• 1953

  Production of VHF radio and television transmitter equipment begins; workers' uprising on 17 June with strike leader Siegfried Berger.

• 1952

  First 250 kW high-power medium-wave transmitter goes into operation in June.

• 1951

  VEB Zentrallaboratorium für Signal- und Sonderanlagen and VEB Funkwerk Köpenick merged under the name VEB Funkwerk Köpenick; production of radio broadcast transmitters and receivers begins.

• 1949

  MSP handed over to the GDR on 15 December and converted into a Volkseigener Betrieb; two successor operations exist.

• 1937

  Company moves headquarters and production to Wendenschloßstraße 154 in Berlin-Köpenick.

• 1934

  Gesellschaft für elektroakustische und mechanische Apparate mbH (GEMA) founded.

State-owned East German technology flagship for communications electronics, radar and broadcast transmission, known for pioneering mobile telephony and high-power transmitter engineering.

• 250 kW medium-wave transmitter

  First high-power medium-wave transmitter built at the plant, operational June 1952.

• 750 kW long-wave transmitter

  Developed for the modernisation of the former Deutschlandsender in Königs Wusterhausen; prototype operational in Zehlendorf in 1960.

• 100 kW short-wave transmitter

  Erected in Nauen with a rotatable and swivelling directional antenna for the overseas broadcasting service.

• UHF broadcasting equipment for Berliner Fernsehturm

  Complete UHF radio equipment enabling broadcast of the GDR's second television programme.

• URTES mobile telephone network

  First working mobile telephone network in Latin America, developed by Funkwerk engineers.

• U600/U700 vehicle radio systems

  VHF equipment systems for mobile and fixed use.

• UFT series handheld radios

  Handheld radio models UFT 422, UFT431, UFT721, UFT727.

• KN1-E short-wave transmitter

  Embassy radio short-wave transmitter.

• Microphones, headphones, oscilloscopes

  Additional product lines of the Funkwerk.

• Remote controls for television receivers

  Remote control units produced by the Funkwerk.

1. 1Funkwerk Köpenick – Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Funkwerk Köpenick – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3DeTeWe history pagedetewe.de