The P. Gossen & Co. measuring instrument factory

Founded by Paul Gossen in Baiersdorf in 1919 and relocated to Erlangen in 1920, the company worked exclusively in the field of measuring instruments well into the post-war period. Fostered by increasing electrification and a boom in broadcasting technology, the first great successes came in the mid-1920s. 'Mavometer', the first German multimeter and manufactured from 1926 onwards, was enthusiastically received by experts. With the emergence of amateur photography, Gossen turned its attention to the new field of measuring light intensity. Pioneering achievements (such as the 'Ombrux' exposure meter from 1932 and the 'Sixtus' from 1936) earned the company its market leadership also in this area.

During the Second World War, the company expanded further to participate in the arms industry. Funds from the Luftwaffe (air force) special construction programme enabled the newbuild on Nägelsbachstraße, which had been in the planning stage for some time.

After currency reform, production capacity was again expanded on several occasions. With 2.5 million units sold, the 'Sixtomat', produced between 1949 and 1974, became the world's best-selling exposure meter. Control systems for electrical installations, which became established in the industrial and electrical power supply sectors alongside increasing automation, developed into another new, expanding field of activity. Around 1960, Gossen was Erlangen's second largest employer, with almost 2000 employees.

The transition to microelectronics, changes in world markets, and a failure to modernise led to a decline in production in the 1980s. After merging with Metrawatt GmbH Nuremberg, the Gossen factory in Erlangen shut down in 1993.

Arms industry

As early as 1934, the Nazi regime initiated arms industry programmes to build up the Wehrmacht. With war starting in 1939, the entire economy was submitted to serve the war effort. Government control measures led to the swift reallocation of production capacities in favour of 'war-relevant' industries.

Three large Erlangen enterprises in particular benefited from arms contracts. The Georg Friedrich Hoffmann company in Bruck ('Frieseke & Hoepfner' from 1944) had been manufacturing air defence systems for the Nazi administration's Ministry of Aviation since 1936. Apart from electro-medical devices for the Wehrmacht, the Siemens-Reiniger-Werke AG also manufactured specialised equipment for the Luftwaffe (air force) in a custom production facility exclusively used for this purpose. Around 45 percent of all foreign workers in Erlangen were deployed at SRW.

The third large 'Wehrbetrieb' ('defence operation') was the Gossen company. It also worked for the Luftwaffe and received funds from its special construction programme to erect the new factory on Nägelsbachstraße. As a result of the arms contracts, the workforce tripled to around 1550 employees between 1939 and 1944, while turnover grew from 6 to 12.5 million RM in the same period.