|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RFT VEB Funkwerk Köpenick
|
 |
|
|
Formerly known as GEMA
VEB Funkwerk Köpenick was a publicly owned company (VEB) with its
headquarters in East-Berlin. During the Cold War, the company was
one of the most important manufacturers of
intercept receivers,
transmitters and communications technology in the DDR
(the former East Germany).
|
As the company was a member of VEB Kombinat Nachrichtenelektronik,
a consortium of some specialised communications companies,
some of its products were sold under the common brand name
Rundfunk- und Fernmelde-Technik (RFT).
At the time, the main production facilities at Wendenschloßstraße 142-154
in Berlin-Köpenick, employed more than 3000 employees.
In 2004, the new owner of the company, DeTeWe, moved production
to Ratingen, after which the factory was closed.
The image on the right shows part of
the company's production facilities in April 2009.
|
|
|
The company started life in 1930 as Gesellschaft für Elektroakustische
und Mechanische Apparate GmbH (GEMA) [1]. Initially the company produced
broadcast receivers (radios) for the domestic market. Towards the start
of WWII, the company started to develop and produce RADAR equipment,
like the well-known Freya Radar [7] that was used by the German Army
during WWII.
|
After WWII was over, GEMA came under control of the Soviet
adminstration and was soon re-established
as a manufacturer of Naval Control and Measurement Equipment,
resorting as a science bureau under the Soviet Ministry for Naval
Manufacturing [1].
On 15 December 1949, the company was given back to the DDR
and became a VEB
under the name Funktechnik Köpenick.
Over the years, the company specialised in communications systems,
such as broadcast transmitters, intercept receivers and portable
transceivers, some of which are covered here.
|
|
|
After the reunification of Germany in 1990, VEB Funkwerk Köpenick was
privatised again and went on as Funkwerk Köpenick GmbH.
In 1992, the company was taken over by DeTeWe and went on
as a full subsidary of DeTeWe under the name DeTeWe Funkwerk Köpenick GmbH.
|
In 2004, the new owner moved the company to a new premises in Ratingen
(Germany), whilst the production facilities in Köpenick were closed.
In 2009, the buildings at Wendenschloßstraße 142-154 in Berlin-Köpenick
were abandoned and most of them
have since been taken down
[5].
The image on the right shows an aerial picture
that was taken in 2009. In this image, most of the buildings have
already been taken down, but the building of the first image above is
still visible at the bottom.
The white building in the corner at the top was the main DeTeWe
office at the time.
|
|
|
This building, at the corner of Wendenschloßstraße and
Charlottenstraße, was later converted into a cafetaria,
whilst the name DeTeWe remained
prominently visible above the entrance
for a while.
After moving to Ratingen in 2004, DeTeWe subsidary Funkwerk Köpenick
concentrated on the development and marketing of digital trunking
systems like TETRA. Shortly afterwards, DeTeWe was forced to restructure
due to lack of orders, after the German Government kept postponing
their decision for new TETRA equipment.
In Janury 2005, Funkwerk Köpenick was sold and finaly in July of that year,
DeTeWe itself was taken over by the Canadian company Aastra
Technologies Ltd.
|
The following equipment from Funkwerk Köpenick is featured on
this website:
|
- Funkwerk Köpenick
Wendenschloßstraße 142-154
Berlin-Köpenick, Germany
|
|
RFT
|
|
Rundfunk- und Fernmelde-Technik
RFT is not a manufacturer, but a consortium of many different
electronics companies in the former DDR (East Germany) during the Cold War.
As such, RFT is often combined with the name of the actual manufacturer,
although in some cases equipment is sold exclusively under the RFT brand.
(More...)
(Wikipedia)
|
|
VEB
|
|
Volkseigener Betrieb
Publicly Owned Operation (i.e. state-owned enterprise).
Main legal form of industrial enterprises in the former DDR (East Germany)
during the major part of the Cold War. Immediately after the end of WWII,
many private companies in East Germany were nationalised and became VEBs.
After the reunification of Germany in 1990, many of the VEBs were privatised
again.
(Wikipedia)
|
-
Photograph via Panoramio.
-
Photographs reproduced here with kind permission from the author Matthias Grüntzig.
|
|
|
|
Any links shown in red are currently unavailable.
If you like this website, why not make a donation?
© Copyright 2009-2013, Paul Reuvers & Marc Simons. Last changed: Sunday, 10 August 2014 - 07:12 CET
|
 |
|
|
![Image by Langer_Johner [4] via Panoramio](img/fwk_01_raw.jpg "Image by Langer_Johner [4] via Panoramio")
