Journal of Bosch History Past and present 3 “More strings to the bow” The story of Bosch’s diversification Eyewitnesses 3 All in a good cause Bosch associates’ social commitment Milestones 3 “…nothing if not fateful” Bosch produces the first magneto ignition device

2012

2 | Journal of Bosch History

Preface Today’s Bosch Group is a globally networked supplier of technology and services whose many and varied areas of expertise and knowhow complement each other again and again. This year’s “Journal of Bosch History” examines how the company came to have such a broad-based footing. In its first phase of diversification in the 1920s and 1930s, Bosch moved into new areas of business that still define the company today, such as power tools, household appliances, and heating technology. Later, these were joined by automation technology and, a few years ago, by solar energy. But this diversification was never arbitrary. Instead, it was always focused, with the company expanding into areas of business that were a good fit with its core competencies. In the “Past and present” section, we show the reasons behind this strategy, as well as the milestones in its development. In particular, we look at the Packaging Technology and Security Systems divisions as examples of this “focused diversification.” Our “Eyewitness” is Marianne Waas-Frey, who explains why she and her colleagues founded the organization “Primavera – helping children in need” at the beginning of the 1990s. Whether in Brazil or in India, Primavera’s projects are managed exclusively by local Bosch associates. And our associates’ passion for working on other charitable projects is discussed in the article “All in a good cause.” This year is the first time our “Milestones” section has been able to present the 125th anniversary of a product. In 1887, Robert Bosch built his first magneto ignition device, and 25 years later, the first Bosch magnetos were manufactured in the U.S., at a new factory in Springfield, Massachusetts. Finally, we explain why, 75 years ago, our company became a GmbH, or close corporation. Cover: The factory of the U.S. subsidiary “Bosch Magneto Company” in Springfield, Massachusetts, c 1912

Dr. Kathrin Fastnacht

Contents | 3

Contents

Past and present 4

10

“More strings to the bow”

Eyewitnesses 18

All in a good cause

Milestones 24

“…nothing if not fateful”

The story of

Bosch associates’ social

Bosch produces the first magneto

Bosch’s diversification

commitment

ignition device

A mosaic of many tiles

22

Helping, not looking the

28

100 years of production

Looking back at

other way

in the United States

Bosch Security Systems

Interview with

Spark plugs from Springfield

Marianne Waas-Frey 14

Boxes, bags, bottles The history of

32

Bosch Packaging Technology

100 years of the Bosch Farm From peat to milk

34

75 years as a close corporation (GmbH) Guarantee of stability and success

36

50 years ago Eis-Fix conquers hearts and homes

38

Every picture tells a story

4 | Journal of Bosch History

Past and present

Current issues always have a history. Their roots often reach far back into the past. In “Past and present,” we trace the development of products and divisions, and, leaving the issue of anniversaries aside, take the opportunity to highlight fascinating events and episodes that happened along the way.

A Fernseh AG camera records the scene from the roof of a bus, 1932.

“More strings to the bow” The story of Bosch’s diversification

Past and present | 5

“My product is a flash in the pan. One

Robert Bosch diversified only within

10,000 ideas

day, an invention will come along to

the automotive business, he later

Until well into the 1920s, nearly all

make ignition devices obsolete, and

branched out into other sectors as

the products that Bosch had brought

how will I employ my staff then?”

well. His aim was to reduce the share

to market were automotive compo-

In her memoirs, Robert Bosch’s

of sales that was attributable to

nents – aside from the bicycle light.

daughter Margarete recalled her

automotive technology – an area his

This diversification within the auto-

father saying these words in 1905.

business seemed all too dependent

motive technology sector had also

The concern with “flashes in the pan”

on, especially in times of crisis. This

been a response to the demands of

was to remain with Robert Bosch all

is how Robert Bosch summed the

the period following the first world

his life. What if a new technology

situation up in 1927: “We ourselves

war, when opportunities for interna-

were to make his magneto ignition

are trying to move away from automo-

tional sales had shrunk drastically.

device obsolete? It was in response

tive work if we can, or, to be more

In order to make up for lost markets,

to this fear that engineers at the

precise, to add more strings to our

the company began to offer a wider

company began to develop additional

bow.”

range of products besides magneto

products. After a period in which

ignition devices and automotive

6 | Journal of Bosch History

From left to right: Bathroom helper: hot water courtesy of a Junkers W32E gas-fired bath water heater, 1930 Household helper: the round Bosch refrigerator, 1933 Production helper: Bosch power tool, 1938

lighting systems. This period saw the

From hair trimmer to Bosch hammer

first sales of windshield wipers, direc-

On occasion, this approach gave

tion indicators, and electric horns.

rise to unexpected products. For instance, experience gained while

But in the mid-1920s, just as busi-

developing the diesel injection pump

ness with these new products was

led to the “spinning pump.” Its area

booming, the German car market

of application could not have been

collapsed. So as to give “his people”

further from automotive technology:

work and to utilize capacity at his

the manufacture of artificial silk. But

production plants, Robert Bosch

this turned out to be only a brief

began to look into areas of business

adventure for Bosch. An area that

outside the automotive industry. A

grew to be much more significant

department created specifically for

was the design and mass production

this purpose studied over 10,000

of electrically powered tools. After

proposals for diversification. It was

all, “in times of crisis, the first thing

looking in particular for areas whose

you need is a designer,” as the then

technological basis was similar to

head of human resources, Otto Deba-

that of the company’s existing prod-

tin, wrote in his memoirs. It was the

uct range. There was no desire to

engineer Hermann Steinhart who was

reinvent the wheel; instead, the idea

responsible for making power tools

was that the company should be able

ready for series production. The path

to apply the technical know-how it

led from the Forfex hair trimmer in

had already gained. Even at this early

1928 to the Bosch hammer in 1932.

stage, Bosch sought above all to enter

Within a few short years, Bosch grew

fields that were related to areas in

to become “the largest power-tool

which its own developers had past

producer on the continent,” to quote

experience.

the “Bosch-Zünder” in 1938.

Past and present | 7

The first home television receiver

Car radios, refrigerators, and more

New business areas after the war

Between 1928 and 1938, this initial

As early as 1932, Bosch associates

During the second world war and

diversification drive brought about a

working in Stuttgart with engineers

the post-war reconstruction period,

radical change in the company’s

from Berlin’s Ideal-Werke had devel-

Bosch had other problems on its

range of products. At the end of the

oped Europe’s first car radio for

mind than diversification. It was only

1920s, two members of the Bosch

series production. This collaboration

once production was back in full

board of management, Karl Martell

soon led to the acquisition of Ideal

swing that the time seemed ripe

Wild and Erich Rassbach, traveled to

– and the creation of Blaupunkt-

not only to release new products in

London for a demonstration by the

Werke. Another acquisition, this time

existing areas of business but also

Scottish television pioneer John

of the Stuttgart-based company

to make a move into completely

Logie Baird. They were impressed by

Bauer, a producer of film and camera

new businesses once again. In

what they saw. The result was the

technology, was a good fit for this

1963, Bosch entered the market for

formation of Fernseh AG in Berlin,

new-look Bosch.

packaging technology. The acquisi-

a joint venture between Bosch, Baird,

tion of Erich Wetzel Verpackungs-

Zeiss Ikon, and Loewe. The aim was

But the company had also had con-

maschinen GmbH was the first of

to develop and market the technol-

sumer goods in its sights for a long

many in this field. At the same time,

ogy, which at this stage was still in

time. To speed up its entry into this

Bosch expanded its special-purpose

its infancy. Fernseh AG supplied the

business, Bosch bought the heating

machinery business, which had been

first all-electronic recording devices

systems business of Junkers in

established as a small unit in 1930. In

for the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The

Dessau in 1932. But for Bosch as a

the 1950s and 1960s, this unit

company introduced its first “home

brand, one product that had been

became more specialized and was

television receiver” in the same year,

developed in-house was to become

renamed the Industrial Equipment

bringing television into the living

especially important: at the Leipzig

division. Bosch had meanwhile also

room.

Spring Fair in 1933, Bosch unveiled

created its pneumatics and hydrau-

a refrigerator, the first product of its

lics business units.

household appliances division.

A new packaging machine is tested at the Hesser plant, 1962.

8 | Journal of Bosch History

The process of diversification had

Success and setbacks

by now gone so far that the chairman

In the decades that followed, great

of the board of management, Hans

strides were made in diversifying the

L. Merkle, decided to address asso-

company, albeit with a few setbacks

ciates on this topic at the Schiller-

along the way. In 1989, Bosch set

höhe headquarters in Gerlingen on

up its Telecommunications business

February 10, 1971. He announced

sector, or Bosch Telecom for short.

that the share of overall sales attrib-

At first the business sector enjoyed

utable to automotive technology had

great success, for instance in connec-

fallen over the previous decade from

tion with the rapid expansion of the

around 70 percent to some 54 per-

communications infrastructure. For a

cent. He added that this was the

time, this meant Bosch Telecom sales

result of a corporate policy deliber-

growth was double the average rate

ately designed to spread risk.

for the company as a whole. This reduced the company’s reliance on

Left: Assembly line featuring a Bosch swivel-arm robot made by Automation Technology, 1986 Right: Two-way radios made by Bosch Mobile Communications in use by the fire service, 1986

Then Merkle made the following

automotive technology – a goal that

observation: “Diversification itself is

Bosch had been pursuing since the

not without risks. These risks are all

1930s. However, the telecoms indus-

the greater the further we stray from

try faced enormous pressures at the

the fields we know best, whether

end of the 1990s, both with the

technically or commercially. Admit-

opening up of national markets and

tedly, blindly following advice to

as a result of fundamental technologi-

‘stick to your knitting’ would be

cal change. It was the signal for

tantamount to succumbing to an

Bosch to exit this sector. In light of

outdated tradesman’s mindset. Even

the upheaval the communications

so, when entering new fields it is

industry later experienced, this

advisable to build on the body of

change in Bosch policy can, in hind-

experience gained in older ones.”

sight, be regarded as a judicious move.

Past and present | 9

More technology for environmental

A diverse, networked company

and climate protection

Once again, this was hardly an arbi-

But Hermann Scholl, then chairman

trary decision. Instead, it was an

of the board of management, did not

example of focused diversification. As

stop there. In the new millennium, he

Franz Fehrenbach, the current chair-

seized the opportunity to strengthen

man of the board of management,

Bosch decisively by means of acquisi-

says, “we keep a close eye on what

tions in the areas of capital goods

fits into our core competencies, and

and heating technology – first Rexroth

what does not.” To this end, it is

in 2001 and then Buderus in 2003.

important to systematically ask ques-

These brought Automotive Technol-

tions as strategic filters: “Do the

ogy’s share of sales, which had since

potential business activities fit the

1928

First Bosch power tool: Forfex

crept up beyond 70 percent, back

Bosch vision and values? Are we able

1929

Establishment of Fernseh AG

down to around 60 percent. The

to handle the critical success factors,

1932

company’s stated aim was still to

risks, and complexity involved? Would

Acquisition of the Junkers heating systems business

make use of every growth opportu-

the outcome be a model for lasting

1933

nity that presented itself in the auto-

success?” In everything it does,

Acquisition of Idealwerke (subsequently Blaupunkt)

motive business, while also seeking

Fehrenbach stresses, Bosch is guided

1933

First Bosch household appliance: refrigerator

to balance the overall risk profile.

by its strategic imperative “Invented

1934

Acquisition of Eugen Bauer GmbH

The biggest portfolio expansion of

for life.”

the last five years was also in keeping with this strategic objective of creat-

And what started out as concern

ing a balance among the business

over a flash in the pan has given rise

sectors. In 2008, Bosch acquired the

to a diverse and at the same time

solar cell manufacturer ersol, and

networked enterprise.

entered the photovoltaics business. This move underscored more than ever Bosch’s orientation toward technology for environmental and climate protection.

Right: Sun-tracking solar systems featuring crystalline modules made by the Solar Energy division, 2011

// Christine Siegel

Diversification timeline

1953

Market launch of Bosch hydraulic appliances

1963

Acquisition of Erich Wetzel Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH

1981

Acquisition of Telenorma Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH

2001

Assumption of industrial leadership of Mannesmann Rexroth AG

2004

Acquisition of Buderus AG

2008

Acquisition of ersol Solar Energy AG

10 | Journal of Bosch History

A mosaic of many tiles Looking back at Bosch Security Systems

What does a fire alarm have in com-

taken since then has been full of

Hanseatische Notruf AG was founded

mon with a camera on the rim of an

twists and turns. Unlike other Bosch

in 1920. It developed alarm technol-

active volcano, and what is the link

businesses, Security Systems did

ogy and acted as Hamburg’s emer-

between a taxi switchboard and an

not develop directly from a single

gency call center for the police.

emergency alarm for senior citizens?

nucleus. It is an area of expertise that

Around that time in the south of

How about the connection between

grew out of audio and video broad-

Germany, today’s parent company

optimizing business processes and

casting, telecommunications, and

Bosch was launching numerous novel

the sound emerging from the loud-

security alarm technology. In the

automotive products, such as the

speakers at South African World Cup

past, these technologies were scat-

electric horn, the direction indicator,

soccer stadiums? The answer is

tered across widely different Bosch

and the windshield wiper. But it was

Bosch Security Systems: a division

business areas.

to be a long time before the paths of

that is only ten years old, but with

the automotive supplier and the

roots that stretch far back into the

Hanseatic roots

alarm technology company would

company’s past. Its origins lie a good

The origins of Bosch Security Sys-

cross. Their product portfolios were

90 years back, and the path it has

tems lie in the north of Germany:

truly worlds apart.

Past and present | 11

In 1935, the Frankfurt-based com-

From Telenorma to Bosch Telecom

pany Telefonbau und Normalzeit

In the course of the gradual acquisi-

GmbH acquired Hanseatische Notruf

tion of Telenorma and ANT, a manu-

AG. It was as a result of this acquisi-

facturer of communications systems

tion that the first security technology

for aerospace, Bosch pooled all these

connection to Stuttgart would be

activities in 1989 to form Bosch

established. The reason being that in

Telecom. This was a fourth business

1981, Bosch acquired a majority

sector, equal in prominence to the

holding in the Frankfurt company,

three traditional business sectors

which had in the meantime changed

Automotive Technology, Industrial

its name to Telenorma.

Technology, and Consumer Goods and Building Technology. Its business

Broad existing experience in

was primarily in telephones and

communications technology

telephone systems, private and public

Looking back we can see that Bosch

networks, aerospace, and mobile

had by then already built up areas of

communication – car radios, naviga-

expertise that would be important for

tion systems, and cell phones. This

security technology. Through diversi-

new sector also featured a business

fication, the company had long since

unit by the name of security technol-

moved into new technologies beyond

ogy, which focused mainly on security

the automotive business. Without its

in buildings.

pioneering achievements in video and audio broadcasting, for instance,

While Bosch Telecom’s development

there would be no video surveillance

was initially positive, its future busi-

today. In 1929, together with partner

ness prospects worsened in the

companies, Bosch had made televi-

second half of the 1990s. The secu-

sion recording technology ready for

rity part of the business, however,

series production, and three years

was not affected. It launched major

later it was engineers in Stuttgart

new products during this period,

who developed Europe’s first car

including the UEZ universal emer-

radio. Bosch began supplying radio

gency center or the ViStar video

sets in 1954, and from 1985 these

recording and surveillance system.

were joined by car phones. The expe-

In addition, its business as a service

rience thus gained in communica-

provider, which had begun in 1985

tions technology was later to benefit

with a monitoring center in Frankfurt,

the security systems business.

was also growing. The first communi-

Page 10: The Golden Gate Bridge has spanned San Francisco Bay since 1937. Its pylons are over 200 meters tall and fitted with Bosch video surveillance cameras. Below, left: Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport, opened in 2012, is entirely equipped with Bosch security technology. Below, right: In 2010, Bosch developed a security concept for the 207-meter Heini Klopfer Ski Jump in Oberstdorf, Germany. The concept covers all the essential elements from fire protection to intruder-alarm technology.

12 | Journal of Bosch History

cation center was founded in 1997

From then on, the division deliber-

in Magdeburg – although at the time

ately expanded its know-how. In

it was still known as the “Bosch

2000, Security Systems was still

Telecom Service Center.” The service

mainly geared to the facilities busi-

provider business now employs more

ness in Germany. Since then, it has

than 4,000 associates in Europe,

come a long way – both organically

Asia, and South America. It carries

and through acquisitions.

out and optimizes business processes on behalf of international

Above all, it has purchased compa-

customers, and offers its services

nies in order to strengthen its know-

in more than 25 languages.

how in particular business areas and to expand the range of products

Bottom: As long ago as 1976, Bosch built a video traffic-surveillance system for the Hannover police. The system featured 19 swiveling cameras at major traffic junctions.

The birth of the Security Systems

Bosch Security Systems can offer.

division

The most important acquisitions

Although Bosch gradually began

include Detection Systems in 2001,

to move away from communication

Philips Communication, Security &

technologies from 2000, the com-

Imaging in 2002, Video Communica-

pany’s security technology business

tion Systems AG in 2004, ADC Tech-

enjoyed continuing success. However,

nologies International Pte Ltd in

it needed to be given a new organiza-

2005, TeleAlarm Group and Telex

tional frame. In 2002, this situation

Communications in 2006, and

led to the birth of the Security Sys-

Extreme CCTV Inc. in 2008. Today,

tems division.

Past and present | 13

Since 1980 Bosch has offered Home Service Call, giving vulnerable or sick people independence and security. The system ensures that help arrives quickly in an emergency.

the Bosch Security Systems division

Bosch security technology is a mosaic

is among the major suppliers in the

made up of many tiles. And Bosch

international product business, above

is a one-stop shop for all of them.

all in video surveillance, the indus-

Today’s systems competence is the

try’s fastest-growing segment.

product of decades of experience gathered in widely different areas

The strategy of systems integration

of expertise.

The strategy of Security Systems is

Security Systems timeline 1920

Establishment of Hanseatische Notruf AG (Hamburg)

1935

Establishment of Telefonbau und Normalzeit

1989

Establishment of Bosch Telecom GmbH

1997

Establishment of Bosch Communication Center Magdeburg

2001

Acquisition of Detection Systems Inc.

2002

Acquisition of Philips Communication, Security & Imaging

2002

Establishment of Bosch Security Systems division

one of systems integration, since this

This strategy of offering all-in-one

allows it to offer customers complete

systems in important product seg-

packages. For example, Bosch

ments and of relying largely on its

equipped the 2010 Soccer World Cup

own products is clearly part of the

stadiums in South Africa not only

company’s DNA. Even 110 years ago,

with audio systems but also with

Robert Bosch himself refused to

video recording and fire alarm sys-

rely on suppliers for spark plugs, the

2004

Acquisition of Micos GmbH

tems. The systems solution for the

key components of his high-voltage

2004

new Berlin-Brandenburg International

magneto ignition devices. Instead,

Acquisition of Video Communication Systems AG

Airport has gone even further, with

he preferred to manufacture them

2005

Bosch supplying the entire security

in his own factory.

Acquisition of ADC Technologies International Pte Ltd

2006

Acquisition of Telex Communications

2006

Acquisition of TeleAlarm Group

2008

Acquisition of Extreme CCTV Inc.

technology infrastructure: fire alarm system, electro-acoustic emergency warning system, escape door control, intruder detection system, video surveillance, access control, and building function controls.

// Dietrich Kuhlgatz

14 | Journal of Bosch History

Boxes, bags, bottles The history of Bosch Packaging Technology

Past and present | 15

In 1971 Bosch announced a new

Gladbach, Hamac-Hansella AG in

packaging machine – “the fastest in

Viersen, Friedrich Hesser in Stuttgart-

the world” – for automatically filling

Bad Cannstatt, Höfliger & Karg KG in

products into simple bags. This new

Waiblingen, and H. Strunck & Co. in

machine made the bags from a roll of

Cologne and Crailsheim. The Bosch

paper and filled them using high-

Packaging Machinery division was

precision scales. It was particularly

then set up in 1974.

suited to products that flow easily, such as sugar or salt, and produced

In the beginning there was the

240 units per minute. An automated

envelope

multiple unit packer was attached to

The first packaging machines were

the outfeed; this bound lots of ten

patented in the United States in

bags together before palleting them.

the 1850s. They produced paper envelopes and paper bags. In 1861,

Packaging technology at Bosch

Friedrich Hesser and his brother-in-

Bosch entered packaging technology

law set up a mechanical workshop

in 1963, when its subsidiary Eugen

in Cannstatt near Stuttgart and built

Bauer GmbH acquired Erich Wetzel

Germany’s first envelope-folding

Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH in

machine. The designer was soon after

Karlsruhe. A series of further acquisi-

called upon to apply all his expertise

tions soon followed and the new

when he was given the job of devel-

business area was developed. Just

oping a machine for packaging chico-

ten years later, in 1973, the Bosch

ry coffee, a coffee substitute. This

Group included the following German

machine was to be able to take a

companies: Höller GmbH in Bergisch-

sheet of paper, turn it into a cylinder,

Page 14: Flour-packaging machine made by Hesser and installed in the Rolandsmühle mill in Bremen, 1930 Below, left: It managed 28 to 30 bars per minute: the Hesser chocolate bar wrapping machine, 1921 Below, right: Workers at a Höflinger & Karg thermoforming machine manufacture blister packs for tablets, 1965.

16 | Journal of Bosch History

and seal its base. The first chicory-

inroads into coffee packaging,”

protection for delicate goods. Plas-

coffee packaging machine, produced

the anniversary publication stated

tics could be used in combination

in 1885, laid the foundation for auto-

proudly. From that point on, compa-

with paper and metal, and together

mated packaging machinery. Subse-

nies around the world used Hesser

with appropriate filling and sealing

quent machines could be adjusted for

equipment to package flour, salt,

equipment they gave rise to pioneer-

various shapes of package and tube.

soap powder, tea, tobacco, noodles,

ing packaging solutions. A great

Sales flourished and orders came

and many other products fully auto-

number of innovations came about

flooding in from around the world.

matically. But significant progress

above all in the area of pharmaceuti-

was also made with solid products.

cals, with its particular requirement

Full automation of packaging

Wrapping machines took on the task

for absolute sterility. Höfliger & Karg

Looking back at the years following

of packaging bars of chocolate, stock

had specialized in dry pharmaceutical

the turn of the century, the publica-

cubes, bars of soap, and razor blades.

tion marking Hesser’s 75th anniver-

products, and in the 1960s it built thermoforming machines for tablet

sary in 1936 observed: “The natural

Self-service and the application of

blister packs. Automatic filling and

progression was toward a full auto-

new materials

sealing machines for liquid medicines

mation of packaging, with the aim of

In the 1950s and 1960s there fol-

were offered by Strunck. Subsequent

not only producing empty packages

lowed a further wave of major tech-

decades were marked by numerous

but also filling and sealing them

nological breakthroughs in packaging

technological advances, such as the

immediately thereafter.” This was

machines. Local grocer’s stores were

rise of aseptic packaging techniques

finally achieved in 1911, when the

replaced by modern self-service

to dominate the market.

first “fully automatic Hesser packag-

stores. Personal advice became less

ing machine” was launched. Continu-

and less important to customers

Would you care for something

ous improvements culminated in new

during their weekly shop; the era of

sweet?

high-performance machines in the

carefully crafted, persuasive commer-

There is a long tradition of process-

1920s. “This machine has conquered

cial packaging had arrived. What’s

ing and packaging solutions for the

the entire sugar-packaging business

more, new packaging techniques

confectionery industry both within

in England and other countries, and

were adopted: easily shaped thermo-

Bosch Packaging Technology and

in the United States it has made great

plastics, for example, offered ideal

at its predecessor companies.

Past and present | 17

Far left: A Strunck filling and sealing machine for eye drops, produced for a Japanese customer, with an impressive performance of 6,000 bottles per hour, 1960 Left: Candy on the cooling line following punching and embossing at the HamacHansella factory in Viersen, 1971 Right: Ultrasound sealing technology for flow wrapping products that are sensitive to temperature, steam, and oxygen, 2011

The successful Hesser chocolate

development, production, and sale

bar wrapping machine brought joy

of modules and systems for the

to those with a sweet tooth, as

pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, and

did Hamac-Hansella’s machines

confectionery industries. It works

for producing and packaging candy.

closely with customers to produce

The company was born with the

individual machines and all-in-one

construction of its first stamping

solutions for a wide variety of pro-

machine for candy in 1921 – and the

duction and packaging processes.

400 sweets it produced from a mass

Since 2003 the division has grown

of hand-kneaded sugar were certainly

to include further companies, such

impressive. Machines were produced

as Tevopharm in the Netherlands,

for stamping, drawing, and cooling

SIG Pack in Switzerland, Pharmatec

the sugar; then came candy boiling

Packaging Technology timeline 1963

Acquisition of Erich Wetzel Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH, Karlsruhe (D)

in Germany, Moeller & Devicon in

1964

Höller GmbH, Bergisch Gladbach (D)

machines, toffee machines, machines

Denmark, Paal and Hüttlin in Ger-

1966

Hamac-Hansella AG, Viersen (D)

for candy with fillings, and machines

many, and Manesty in the United

to package the finished candy. One of

Kingdom.

1967–77 Gradual acquisition of Hesser AG, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt (D) 1970

Bosch Packaging Technology’s latest “sweet” developments is the Starpac

The signs are that the coming years

600 HL. A world first, it can produce

will also see lasting and profitable

a single-wrap die-fold package with

growth.

Höfliger & Karg KG, Waiblingen (D)

1973–84 Gradual acquisition of Strunck, Cologne and Crailsheim (D) 1974

Establishment of the Packaging Machinery division, known since 2004 as Packaging Technology

1995

TL Systems Corporation, Minneapolis (USA)

Headquartered in Waiblingen, Bosch

2003

Tevopharm, Schiedam (NL)

Packaging Technology is now a lead-

2003–07 Moeller & Devicon A/S, Sandved (DK)

ing provider of all-in-one solutions for

2004

SIG Pack, Neuhausen (CH)

packaging and processing technology.

2007

Pharmatec GmbH, Dresden (D)

Its scope of services covers the

2008

Paal Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH & Co KG, Remshalden (D)

2011

Hüttlin GmbH, Schopfheim (D) and Manesty Ltd., Knowsley (GB)

hermetic seal. Well prepared for the future

// Bettina Simon

18 | Journal of Bosch History

Eyewitnesses

With their decisions, people shape the course of history and give it a human face. They witness events, and frequently also have a hand in them, and are, therefore, part of our company’s collective memory. The “Eyewitnesses” section lets these people have their say. Their firsthand accounts bring the company’s history to life.

Bosch apprentices present a minibus to Stuttgart’s charity for youth work, 1981.

All in a good cause Bosch associates’ social commitment

Eyewitnesses | 19

When it comes to helping others,

helped people associated with the

their mothers to offer advice and

Bosch associates repeatedly demon-

company – after all, many associates

assistance when it came to educa-

strate huge commitment, a good deal

were among the war dead, often

tion, choice of career, and appren-

of creativity, and not least organiza-

leaving widows and orphans in pov-

ticeships. Many Bosch associates

tional skills. They devote time and

erty. To reduce the suffering of the

rushed to take on a ward, and many

donate money to help people in need.

bereaved, the company set up the

showed great personal concern in

Social responsibility has always been

“Robert-Hilfe” charity, named for the

helping the child entrusted to them.

valued highly – and not only by the

deceased first son of Robert Bosch.

We know of one guardian who dog-

company, but also by its associates.

From the outset in 1922, the help it

gedly went from official to official

This is evidenced by countless exam-

offered was not restricted to financial

until he finally managed to secure a

ples from the past and the present.

support. Rather, the idea was that

carpenter’s apprenticeship for his

honorary guardians should cultivate

“protégé,” who had a maimed hand.

One early example is to be found in

and maintain a personal relationship

Two years after the end of the second

the years following the first world

with the needy children until they

world war, the guardianship scheme

war, when Bosch associates actively

were 18, and work together with

was reinstated at Bosch. From 1947

20 | Journal of Bosch History

on, Robert-Hilfe arranged more than

an alliance of Stuttgart-based compa-

100 guardians for nearly 200 war

nies that contributed the proceeds

orphans. The last guardianship for

from their sales at the Christmas

a war orphan ended in 1963.

market toward the funding of a minibus for Stuttgart’s charity for youth

Bosch apprentices have also always

work. And our apprentices’ enthusi-

shown a willingness to volunteer for

asm for Christmas charity drives and

social causes. In 1976, for instance,

for collaborations with other social

apprentices at the Feuerbach plant

support services has remained strong

came up with the idea to produce all

to this day.

sorts of useful items during their

For earthquake victims in Turkey, Bosch associates at the Feuerbach plant packed five metric tons of emergency provisions, 1991.

practical training sessions, and then

Searching for survivors

to sell them at the Stuttgart Christ-

Many a tear was shed in 1990 when

mas market, with the proceeds going

associates at the Ansbach location

to charity. It was a chance for them to

organized a Christmas party for the

apply all the basic metalworking skills

families of U.S. soldiers who had

they had learned during their appren-

been sent to the Gulf on the eve of

ticeship: with a little filing, bending,

the first Gulf war. The theme of the

drilling, and cutting, a candlestick is

lovingly organized party was “You

ready in no time.

are not alone!” Clearly moved by this

Apprentices also entered into part-

“We encountered lots of sympathy

nerships with other companies so as

everywhere we went in those weeks,

to raise even more money for good

but nobody was as friendly as the

causes. In 1981, for instance, they

Bosch associates.”

solidarity, a U.S. officer commented:

joined “Weihnachtsmann & Co KG,”

From left to right: Gündüz Özgüc (left), from the Bosch plant in Bursa, confers with representatives of the military and politicians on how to distribute emergency supplies to earthquake victims, 1991. For a few hours, the worries surrounding the husband who had been called up for active service were almost forgotten, Ansbach 1990. Built by Bosch apprentices: a climbing frame with slide for the playground of the special needs school in Vaihingen/Enz, 1981

Eyewitnesses | 21

When an earthquake struck Turkey

Helping during working hours

them building water wheels with

in 1999, killing thousands of people

At its Clayton location, Bosch’s Aus-

pre-school children and constructing

and leaving hundreds of thousands

tralian subsidiary took a completely

electric motors with elementary

homeless, a speedy response and

different approach to helping others

school children. Bosch also lends its

a good deal of organizational skill

in 2002. Associates were given the

support to organizations such as

were called for. The very next day,

opportunity to help in numerous

Primavera (see interview on pages

40 associates from Istanbul and the

ways – perhaps giving blood or mow-

22 and 23).

Bosch plants in Bursa immediately

ing an elderly person’s lawn – during

got together to support efforts to find

working hours. This is nothing out of

Associates’ social commitment is as

survivors in the area affected by the

the ordinary in Australia, where it is

strong today as it ever was, whether

earthquake. “It was almost unbear-

normal for companies to promote

it is a case of working on long-term

able to witness so much human

corporate volunteering. Indeed, it is

projects or offering immediate help.

suffering,” one of the helpers remem-

in companies’ interest to do so, as

They also get a lot out of the experi-

bers. Other associates collected

they too stand to gain from acts of

ence. “There’s no better feeling than

money, clothing, and food. Or again,

charity on the part of their workforce:

to give other people unexpected joy,”

Bosch associates in Japan quickly

working together toward a common

said a Robert-Hilfe guardian in 1922.

provided support when an earth-

goal strengthens associates’ sense of

But whatever its motivation, such

quake and tsunami devastated the

belonging and motivation.

social commitment helps people in

north of the country in 2011. They

need – it’s all in a good cause.

canceled the planned celebrations

Bosch continues to this day to ac-

for the 100th anniversary of Bosch in

tively support its associates’ social

Japan, channeling the money into aid

commitment. For instance, each year

for the victims instead. And in their

the company encourages apprentices

free time, they volunteered to help

to take part in projects organized by

with clearing-up operations.

the “Knowledge Factory – Companies for Germany” initiative. This sees

// Vera Dendler

22 | Journal of Bosch History

Helping, not looking the other way Interview with Marianne Waas-Frey

Marianne Waas-Frey was the founder and chairperson of Primavera, and is today its honorary chairperson. She was born in Stuttgart on October 27, 1931. After studying law, history, and politics, she worked as a freelance journalist. From 1961 to 1974 she was an editor at the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten” newspaper, before moving on to Bosch in 1974. Here, as “ws,” she was a leading contributor to the “Bosch-Zünder” until 1991.

Nothing is as old as yesterday’s

Ms. Waas-Frey, what made you take

Yes, you’re right. I knew right from

newspaper. But as a journalist,

the decision to found Primavera?

the outset how things should be

Marianne Waas-Frey succeeded

I went to Brazil in 1989 to report on a

structured. We in Germany wanted to

all the same in creating something

Bosch anniversary. After my work

be responsible purely for collecting

lasting. Moved by what she saw

was finished, I spent an additional

funds for children in need, while all

on a trip to Brazil, she founded the

three weeks there on vacation. Sylvia

the work done locally should involve

organization “Primavera – helping

Leeven, the wife of a Bosch manager,

Bosch associates and be overseen

children in need” in 1990. In 2008,

traveled through the country with me

by them – that was a fundamental

this achievement brought her the

and showed me all our locations. She

requirement, and still is today.

badge of honor of the state of

also took me to see the favelas, the

But how were we to get the money

Baden-Württemberg “in honor of

slums near our locations. Going there

together? At first I had the idea that

many years of voluntary service.”

was an incredibly moving experience,

each associate should donate one

In the course of 20 years, this organi-

through not exactly risk-free. But

euro each year. But how do you go

zation, whose membership is open

Sylvia, who was socially very commit-

about that? It can’t be done without

solely to Bosch associates, has

ted, knew no fear. We went right into

a lot of paperwork. So I went to talk to

collected nearly four million euros

the middle of the slums, and spoke

my supervisor, Wolfgang Knellesen.

in donations. This money is now

with the people there. Then an old

He heard me out and passed the

helping 20,000 children living in

lady came up to me, took my hand,

matter on to the right people. Thanks

slums close to Bosch locations in

and begged me: “Help us, we need

to his intervention, we received

Latin America and in Asia. Marianne

water for our children, otherwise

permission from the board of man-

Waas-Frey has worked tirelessly and

they will die.” At that moment I knew

agement to use the Bosch organiza-

with immense dedication to give

I simply had to do something.

tion for our purposes. To get the

these children a chance of a brighter future. But it all began in Brazil.

money together, we published But it can’t have been easy to turn

appeals for donations in “Bosch

an idea like that into reality. Did you

Zünder.” This involved endless

receive help from Bosch in setting

amounts of painstaking work. First

things up?

I got in touch with the legal department, and they explained to me that

Eyewitnesses | 23

we had to found a registered non-

of Bangalore. They asked Primavera

children from the poorest families

profit association in order to be

for help, and we were happy to oblige.

off the streets and offers them not

legally entitled to process donations.

In fact, we discovered that there were

only food and medical care but also a

In no time at all we had the ten volun-

people at all levels who were open to

comprehensive educational program

teers we needed to be able to found

what we were doing and ready to do

in addition to their school lessons.

the “Primavera – helping children

whatever they could to support our

This work has even received interna-

in need” organization in 1990. The

cause. We had unbelievable amounts

tional awards.

association’s first committee pub-

of work. Many things involve a lot

lished its first charity appeal in the

more work than you might think:

How is it that a woman like you

“Bosch-Zünder” that same year. But

things like making requests. And I

is willing to devote so much time

even so, Primavera had a difficult

also did all the association’s public

and effort to the cause of helping

birth and modest beginnings. Two

relations work myself.

children in need? It may be in my genes. My whole

years after its founding, we had the idea of putting on summer festivals

So ideas for new projects always

family is the same; my mother was

on the grounds of the Robert Bosch

came from Bosch associates?

always helping other people and

House in Stuttgart to collect more

Yes, right from the start it was Bosch

lending a hand in emergencies. But

money. It was from that point on that

associates who initiated projects.

it’s also got something to do with my

people took notice of us, and the

They got in touch with us from many

personal values: I had a Christian

board of management also continues

different countries to tell us about the

upbringing and have managed to

to support Primavera to this day.

work they were already involved in.

hold on to my childhood faith, which

As soon as we had been presented

has always been a great help to me.

with proof that Bosch associates were

So you need values to live by, but

in other countries come about?

playing a leading role in a project, we

the most important thing is never to

When initial reports of our work in

were able to provide it with financial

look the other way!

Brazil reached India, they hit a chord,

support. And then Sylvia Leeven even

since the wives of Bosch managers

started up a project of her own. It’s

there were also already doing admi-

still our biggest: the Centro Promo-

rable work helping out in the slums

cional Tia Ileide in Campinas. It takes

How did Primavera’s projects

www.primavera-ev.de

24 | Journal of Bosch History

Milestones

The origins of groundbreaking developments in the company – whether in production, organization, or the structure of the company – can always be traced back to a certain point in history. In “Milestones,” we track these specific dates and commemorate their 125th, 100th, 75th, 50th, and 25th anniversaries.

Magneto ignition devices, produced by Bosch since 1887, were fitted to stationary engines such as this one from 1890. They served to ignite the fuel.

“…nothing if not fateful” Bosch produces the first magneto ignition device

Milestones | 25

“The encounter was nothing if not

he had laid the foundations for his

the royal couple Karl and Olga saw to

fateful.” This is how Robert Bosch’s

company’s rise to global prominence.

it that proper procedure was always

biographer, Theodor Heuss, des-

observed.

cribed that summer’s day in 1887

With official permission

when Bosch won an order for a

It all started in the fall of 1886. Work

A courtyard address with

magneto-electric ignition device for

on fitting out the “Workshop for

a telephone

a stationary engine. And rightly so:

Precision Mechanics and Electrical

The entrance to the workshop that

this product marks the beginning

Engineering” had been completed on

Bosch had leased could be found

of Bosch’s successful development.

November 11. Robert Bosch and his

in the courtyard behind 75 B Rote-

When, in 1897, he succeeded in

plant manager and apprentice were

bühlstrasse, only a few hundred

redesigning the device so that it

all set up to go into business. But

yards southwest of the center of

could be applied to a motorized

one decisive thing was still missing:

Stuttgart. It comprised two work

three-wheeler, he had created the

Bosch had not yet received official

rooms and a small office. Rotebühl-

first workable ignition system for

permission to operate a workshop. In

strasse was an avenue lined with

automobiles. And in the process

the small kingdom of Württemberg,

plane trees. People reaching the

26 | Journal of Bosch History

From left to right: Robert Bosch in a portrait from 1888. The simplicity of his attire is just as typical of the young entrepreneur as his wide-brimmed hat and full beard. Anna Kayser was from nearby Untertürkheim. She and Bosch were engaged by letter in 1885, and were married in 1887. The children Paula, Robert, and Margarete (from left to right) in 1896. When they were born, their father’s small workshop was still in its difficult early phase.

street from the workshop would see

could earn around 80 marks a month

the church of St John on the other

at Bosch. So it was an expensive piece

side of the road. This church had

of equipment.

been completed eleven years before and stood beside an idyllic lake, the

Just another order

Feuersee, that had been created as a

When a customer approached Robert

fire pond. The workshop was located

Bosch in the summer of 1887 and

in an area typified by three- and four-

asked him to build a magneto ignition

story residential buildings facing the

device for a stationary engine, it was

street, with trade workshops in the

essentially just another order. Bosch

courtyards behind them. It was a bus-

did not yet have a clearly defined

tling little world of dozens of small,

area of work, but installed, repaired,

ambitious businesses just like Robert

carried out maintenance and service

Bosch’s workshop. From the outset,

work, and built whatever equipment

the young entrepreneur did not shy

his customers wanted. His only condi-

away from making investments if they

tion was that the work should be in

promised a return in the long run. For

the field of either precision mechan-

instance, he rented a telephone for

ics or electrical engineering. This is

an annual fee of 150 German marks.

how Bosch described his area of

By way of comparison, a skilled worker

work in a newspaper advertisement

Right: Robert Bosch’s beginnings were very modest, as shown by this view of the courtyard at 75 B Rotebühlstrasse, where his first workshop was located. Far right: In 1896, to mark the production of the thousandth magneto ignition device, the boss invited his workforce on an excursion. Back then, there was still space at a single table for all the associates.

Milestones | 27

in February 1887: “Telephones, home

sixth came from “fabricated items,”

– years that had often led him almost

telegraphs. Professional testing and

as the magneto ignition devices were

into bankruptcy, and which he him-

installation of lightning rods. Installa-

called in the Bosch ledgers. By 1891,

self was later to describe as a “sham-

tion and repairs of electrical appli-

they made up some 60 percent of

bles.” Interestingly, it is not the

ances and precision mechanical work

sales totaling 25,000 marks. At first

magneto ignition device for stationary

of all kinds.”

glance, the product seemed to have

engines that was responsible for this

become a sound basis for the com-

turnaround, but rather the growing

pany’s business.

installation business. Although cel-

The contract for the magneto ignition

ebrated today as the first major

device came from Schmehl & Hespelt, a company based in Möckmühl in

And yet business developments

milestone in Bosch product history,

Württemberg. The stationary engine

continued to be marked by ups and

magneto ignition devices only really

that needed the magneto ignition

downs. While Bosch had built up a

came into their own later, once Bosch

device was the type commonly used

customer base, orders were simply

had succeeded in applying them to the automobile in 1897.

in those days to power lathes and

too unpredictable. In 1892 he had to

other manufacturing machinery or to

make all but two of his 24 associates

generate electricity. These engines

redundant. The following year he was

From that time on, developments

were in widespread use, so produc-

able to re-employ a large number of

took a completely different course.

tion of magneto ignition devices held

them, but the company still had to

All the ups and downs were now a

out the promise of being a staple line

struggle to survive, and it was with-

thing of the past. Business went so

of business, especially once word of

out doubt only the founder’s stub-

well that Robert Bosch could afford

the reliability of Bosch’s device had

bornness that prevented him from

to have a factory built as early as

got around.

giving up in the face of all these

1901. And some ten years later, when

difficulties.

the millionth magneto ignition device rolled off the production line, the

Small successes and failures The price of the first device was a

Out of the woods

company had grown to nearly 5,000

hefty 216 marks and 50 pfennigs, and

Bosch celebrated the completion

associates. But who knows? Without

it was to be the only one produced in

of the thousandth magneto ignition

that minor order from Möckmühl in

1887. But the devices gradually

device in 1896 with a visit to a restau-

the summer of 1887, none of this

became modestly successful: of

rant in the Rems valley to the east of

might ever have come to pass.

1889’s total annual sales of some

Stuttgart. Now at last, Robert Bosch

9,000 German marks, around one-

had put the hardest years behind him

// Dietrich Kuhlgatz

28 | Journal of Bosch History

100 years of production in the United States Spark plugs from Springfield

Page 29: View of the tools department of the newly built factory in Springfield, 1912

It all started with the construction

United States. Particularly in the

of an ultramodern factory: in 1910,

United States, more and more cus-

the first construction workers found

tomers wanted to have Bosch ignition

themselves on a brownfield site

systems. Although Bosch Magneto

Below, left: Exterior view of Bosch Magneto Company in Springfield, 1912

covering nearly three hectares in

Company had already set up modest

Springfield, Massachusetts. This

manufacturing operations at its New

was where Bosch Magneto Company,

York City location, this was nowhere

Below, right: Factory manager Karl Martell Wild turned the Springfield plant into a “model factory.” This picture of him was taken in 1932.

the Bosch subsidiary founded in New

near enough to serve the fast-growing

York City in 1906, planned to build a

North American market over the long

four-story factory – its first purpose-

term.

built manufacturing plant. More than 1,000 associates began manufactur-

“Model factory” with 2,000 associates

ing spark plugs there in January

The design of the factory was based

1912. And it was not only the manu-

on the Bosch plant in Stuttgart,

facturing process that was state of

Germany. From there, the young

the art: the lighting and ventilation

engineer Karl Martell Wild was sent

were also exemplary. A new factory

to Springfield as a kind of project

had become necessary because the

manager to oversee the construction

company’s German sites were no

and fitting out of the factory and

longer able to keep up with demand.

subsequently to be plant manager.

It also allowed Bosch to circumvent

In this he was successful, and the

the high protective tariffs in the

Springfield plant was soon regarded

Milestones | 29

as a “model factory” in U.S. profes-

Joining forces

1929. Just days later, the stock

sional circles. Some 226,000 spark

Bosch’s U.S. property and patents

exchange on Wall Street crashed

plugs left the factory in 1913, and

were acquired at the end of 1918 by

and the world was plunged into one

by 1916 more than 2,000 associates

a group of investors. Headed by the

of its gravest ever economic crises.

were employed at the site. By this

businessman Martin E. Kern, this

“American Bosch” also found itself in

date, oilers based on the models

group had production continue under

great difficulty as a result of rapidly

made in Feuerbach were also being

the Bosch name. This was economi-

falling share prices. Bosch in Ger-

produced in Springfield. When the

cally disastrous for the former parent

many seized this opportunity and

automotive lighting system and starter

company in Germany. In 1921, Bosch

began buying shares until “German

were launched in 1914, Bosch ac-

founded a new subsidiary, Robert

Bosch” owned 77 percent of the

quired a factory – Rushmore Dynamo

Bosch Magneto Company, in New

stock of “American Bosch.” In 1930,

Works – in Plainfield, New Jersey,

York City. During the 1920s, repre-

“American Bosch” and Robert Bosch

to manufacture starters. The North

sentatives of Bosch in Stuttgart and

Magneto Company merged to form

American business was tremendously

of “American Bosch,” as the expropri-

United American Bosch Corporation.

successful for Bosch, but only until

ated company was now called, met

And so the factory in Springfield, still

1917, when the United States

several times in U.S. courts. Above

a major manufacturing site, came to

declared war on Germany and its

all, their dispute centered on who

belong to its former owner once

allies. Bosch in the United States was

was allowed to use the Bosch name,

more.

placed under military administration

and how. The two parties finally

and expropriated shortly thereafter.

reached a compromise in October

30 | Journal of Bosch History

Production boomed, but the second

Diesel components from South

relocated to Broadview, near Chicago,

world war brought these develop-

Carolina

where a large plot of land stood

ments to a sudden end. Once again,

But even this second setback in the

vacant in the immediate vicinity of

Bosch property in the United States,

United States did not dishearten

the major U.S. agricultural machinery

including patents and the rights to

Bosch. Nonetheless, making a fresh

manufacturers. In addition to sales

the name, was expropriated. In 1948,

start in 1945 proved to be difficult.

and application engineering, engi-

it was sold. A clause in the purchase

Once again, there was the issue of

neers carried out testing on diesel

contract stated that only U.S. inves-

the right to use the Bosch name.

equipment on site. The aim was

tors were allowed to buy shares in

After long-winded legal proceedings,

above all to win market share in the

American Bosch Corporation. This

Bosch achieved a settlement under

original equipment business for

meant the parent company in Stutt-

which its products manufactured

diesel-powered commercial vehicles.

gart had no way of ever getting the

outside the United States should

Just a few years later, in 1973, came

factory in Springfield back. It was

carry the suffix “Bosch Germany”

the next step in this direction, when

used as a production site by other

or “Robert Bosch” when sold in the

a factory was built on a 48-hectare

companies for many decades, and

United States, while products manu-

site on the edge of Charleston, South

burned to the ground in 2004. Two

factured by the expropriated com-

Carolina. The following year, some

pieces of masonry from the Spring-

pany should be marked “American

300 associates began producing

field factory, on which the old Bosch

Bosch.” Following this agreement,

diesel injection systems there, and

logo can still be seen, today stand in

Bosch once again opened a small

three years later production was ex-

Farmington Hills and Plymouth, Michi-

sales office in New York City in 1953.

panded to include injection nozzles

gan, outside buildings belonging to

The activities of this new company,

for electronically controlled gasoline

Bosch’s U.S. subsidiary.

Robert Bosch Corporation, remained

injection.

small-scale at first. In the 1960s, it

Milestones | 31

Millions invested in Charleston

gasoline injection systems. In the

For the following decade, the chair-

following years, Bosch also built up

man of the board of management,

capacity at other U.S. locations

Hans L. Merkle, set the objective of

through numerous acquisitions. In

significantly increasing sales in the

total, Bosch today has more than

United States. The first Bosch power

22,000 associates at over 100 loca-

tools to be manufactured in the

tions throughout North America.

Page 30: Robert Bosch Corporation associates adjust gasoline injection pumps in Broadview, Illinois, 1986.

United States rolled off the production line in New Bern, North Carolina,

In 2011, its U.S. subsidiary

in 1981. An application engineering

announced that it will be investing

center was set up in Farmington Hills,

125 million dollars at the Charleston

near Detroit, in 1983 and that same

location over the next five years,

year Bosch finally – after almost 40

creating 300 new jobs. Once again,

years – managed to buy back the

Bosch will be building an ultramod-

expropriated rights to its brand

ern production facility in the United

name. Three years later, Bosch made

States – just as it did 100 years ago.

further investments in South Carolina. The company built a facility in

// Christine Siegel

Anderson to produce components for

Associate in a Bosch Thermotechnology plant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where electric heat pumps are produced

32 | Journal of Bosch History

100 years of the Bosch Farm From peat to milk

Aerial photo of the Bosch Farm, 1935

Milestones | 33

Cover of a flyer advertising milk from the Bosch Farm, 1936

Filling line for cooled milk on the Bosch Farm, 1930

“In the year 1912 I bought peat

Then, on a trip through Argentina in

the industrial company. “The Bosch

moors and farms in Upper Bavaria

1921, Robert Bosch was introduced

Farm’s best cow is in Stuttgart”

(…). I want to drain the moors and

to silage fermentation. Back in Ger-

is said to have been a well-known

use them for agriculture,” Robert

many he had silos built, and these

phrase at the time. After Robert

Bosch wrote in his memoirs in 1921.

were to revolutionize the production

Bosch’s death in 1942, his wife

He had originally planned to use

of silage not only on his farm but also

Margarete continued to operate

the peat to produce fuel, but that

across the entire region. In addition,

the farm for a long time with various

came to nothing, as the process

Robert Bosch began draining the

managers. Again and again, its agri-

he intended to apply was immature

moors, thereby expanding the useful

cultural operations were scaled back,

and uneconomical. But the land

agricultural area. Large orchards

and in 1976 they were abandoned

had become dear to Robert Bosch.

were planted and a market garden

completely. The forestry business

His ambition roused, he decided

and modern poultry farm set up.

was maintained.

to build a model agricultural estate

Because it used biological pest con-

at Mooseurach in Upper Bavaria.

trol, the Bosch Farm developed into

The land once wrested from the moor

He aimed to apply the principles of

a haven for bird life.

has been undergoing a process of

his industrial activities to agriculture.

renaturalization since 1986. Robert

Robert Bosch wanted to use modern

At the start of the 1930s, there were

Bosch’s grandson Christof Bosch,

techniques to produce high-quality

300 people working on the farm in

who holds a doctorate in forestry,

farm produce and sell it across the

total. Just as in his industrial com-

now runs a small organic farm on

region. “Back then, it seemed to

pany, Robert Bosch placed great

the site. The Bosch Farm continues

me a great feat to transform a mere

importance on good working condi-

to be a haven for bird life, and it is

bog into a land of milk and honey,”

tions, building housing for his farm

still home to rare species such as the

Robert Bosch said in 1921.

workers in Mooseurach, for instance.

black stork and the stonechat.

He also built a house for himself and Dairy farming and orchards

his family.

That was the birth of the Bosch Farm – a merger of seven previously sepa-

“The best cow is in Stuttgart”

rate farmsteads. The peat processing

Despite having its own sales outlets

plant had a direct rail link and became

in nearby Munich and novel farming

a distribution center with its own

methods, the Bosch Farm remained

dairy, large repair shops, and admin-

dependent on subsidies, and was

istrative offices.

financed out of revenue generated by

// Dr. Kathrin Fastnacht

34 | Journal of Bosch History

75 years as a close corporation (GmbH) Guarantee of stability and success

“It’s a shame there are no Bosch

bling him for some time. In 1917, he

stock corporation was causing him

shares. We would gladly buy some.”

had believed the answer lay in turn-

more problems than it solved. Years

These were the words of Boris

ing the company into a stock corpora-

later, Robert Bosch was to describe

Schmidt, editor at the Sunday news-

tion. Robert Bosch gave his most

the establishment of a stock corpora-

paper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonn-

important associates shares in the

tion as one of the most momentous

tagszeitung in June 2011. Bosch had

company and wanted them to hold a

decisions of his life.

recovered from the global economic

majority of the shares after his death.

and financial crisis surprisingly

The intention was to keep the com-

Close corporation instead of stock

quickly. This so impressed the jour-

pany in the hands of men who had a

corporation

nalist that he and his colleagues

close connection with it and felt a

That is why he gradually bought back

would gladly have had a share in the

sense of responsibility for its long-

all the shares over the course of the

company. But there are no Bosch

term success. But events took a

1920s and 1930s. Finally, a change in

shares for sale, as the company has

different turn. A number of board

German company law in 1937 led him

long been a close corporation, or

members and shareholders died

to transform the company’s legal

GmbH in German.

unexpectedly early, including Gottlob

form that same year. It was easier in

Honold. Although the shares were

legal terms to run a close corporation

The stock corporation era

neither traded on the stock exchange

than a stock corporation. For in-

When Robert Bosch decided in 1937

nor freely available for sale, Robert

stance, the rules governing owners’

to transform the company into a

Bosch now found himself in a posi-

resolutions and the publication of

close corporation, he was driven by a

tion where they were in the hands of

financial results were less strict than

number of different motives. First, he

the deceased board members’ heirs,

for a stock corporation. The new

had just turned 76, and the question

who had no connection to the com-

company law also strengthened the

of how his company should be run

pany. So the decision taken in 1917

position of a stock corporation’s

following his death had been trou-

to transform the company into a

board of directors in dealings with

Milestones | 35

the shareholders. But Robert Bosch,

Independent and successful

as the owner and chairman of the

The transformation into a close cor-

supervisory council, wanted to keep

poration has proved to be a guaran-

this control over company matters for

tee of stability and success for the

himself and his family. This was just

company. A further guarantee fol-

the first step; the next came a year

lowed in 1964. Since then, its major-

later. In 1938, he drew up his will.

ity shareholder has been a non-profit

In addition to safeguarding the com-

foundation, Robert Bosch Stiftung

pany’s long-term future and its devel-

GmbH. However, Robert Bosch

opment potential, his main concerns

Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial

were that lasting ties should be

trust, holds 93 percent of voting

maintained with his descendants,

rights. So the entrepreneurial owner-

and that a proportion of the com-

ship functions are carried out by the

pany’s profits be used for charitable

trust. This special ownership struc-

and social causes. It was his heart’s

ture means that even in times of

desire to secure for his business

economic crisis, Robert Bosch GmbH

activities “not only their bare exist-

has been unaffected by the short-

ence, but also a strong and meaning-

term interests of the capital markets

ful development to ensure their

and of share-holders, leaving it free

continuance through the inevitable

to plan over a longer time horizon

difficulties and crises of the future.”

than other companies and to make investments for the future. // Dieter Schmitt

What is a GmbH? The abbreviation “GmbH” stands for close corporation (literally “company with limited liability”), and is a very common legal form for companies in Germany. As the name implies, liability for debts is limited to the assets of the company, and shareholders are not personally liable.

Page 34: Typically thrifty: in 1937, printed stationery was recycled, not thrown away. Below: The main entrance to “Robert Bosch AG” was a popular place to take photographs, in this case of the transatlantic pilot Hermann Köhl, 1928.

36 | Journal of Bosch History

50 years ago Eis-Fix conquers hearts and homes The Bosch Eis-Fix – a popular and welcome gift.

In 1962, a new, futuristically designed household appliance first appeared in the market: the handy Eis-Fix ice cream maker. Now ice cream could be made at home more quickly and easily. Un gelato per favore Bosch’s new Eis-Fix ice cream maker brought a touch of Mediterranean “dolce vita” to German homes. Consumers could use it to quickly and effortlessly prepare ice cream themselves to spoil their families or impress their friends with their homemade delicacies. Especially on hot summer days, when swimming pools and ice cream parlors were full to overflowing, it was possible to enjoy a refreshing home-made ice cream either in the cool indoors or out on the balcony or porch. With its matt silver sheen, the very appearance of the flat, round container made of pure aluminum was a promise of cool modernity. Measuring 223mm in diameter and 85mm in height, it would fit into the freezer compartment of most refrigerators. Unlike conventional ice cream makers at the time, the Eis-Fix stirred the ice cream with no need for extra ingredients. The liquid mixture for the ice cream – then as now, ice cream makers came with a whole list of tempting recipes – was simply poured into the stirring compart-

Milestones | 37

Left: Made of pure aluminum. Handy, robust, and easy to maintain. Right: Thanks to the thought that went into its dimensions, the Eis-Fix fits into every freezer.

were invented around the middle

salt, which meant it needed a ready

and placed in the freezer. Supplying

of the 19th century but still relied

supply of ice cubes. So the Eis-Fix,

the machine with electricity was a

on the cooling mixture, had to be

which needed neither salt nor ice

little trickier: the machine’s power

worked with a hand crank. If the ice

cubes, made it much easier to pre-

cable had to be fed through the seal

cream was to have a delicate, creamy

pare ice cream. It was only at the end

of the refrigerator door and plugged

texture, it was very important to stir

of the 1970s that new technology

into a wall socket. The Eis-Fix would

it during freezing, as this worked

made the Eis-Fix redundant. The

then stir continuously until the ice

tiny air bubbles into the mixture and

Bosch MUZ ice cream maker, an

cream was ready. It could be taken

prevented large ice crystals from

attachment for the MUM 4 food

out of the freezer compartment after

forming.

ment, then the appliance was sealed

processor, featured a liquid refrigerant inside the double wall of its

about half an hour. The machine could make up to three-quarters of a

The principle of ice cream prepara-

stirring bowl. Once the attachment

liter of delicious ice cream – enough

tion – mixing, stirring, cooling –

has been thoroughly cooled in the

for a family or good friends.

remained unchanged for centuries.

freezer, the food processor can be

Even the ice cream attachment for

used to prepare fresh ice cream.

From luxury delicacy to mass

the Bosch “Neuzeit I” food processor

For many years, the Eis-Fix was

product

in the 1950s relied on the cooling

a much-loved appliance in many

Ice cream itself is said to have been

effect of a mixture of ice cubes and

homes, as well as a sought-after gift.

known in ancient China as well as in Greek and Roman Antiquity. Snow

// Angelika Merkle

would be brought down from glaciers by runners and taken to the royal court to be mixed with honey and fruit, and was regarded as a luxury delicacy. Much later, in the 13th century, Marco Polo brought the secret from China to Europe: using the cooling effect of the reaction between water or snow and saltpeter – known as the cooling mixture – it was now possible to bring “ices” of fruit juices or sweets to the tables of nobility. By the 17th century at the latest, ice cream was being sold in Europe’s coffee shops, to the great pleasure of their patrons. Ice machines, which

Vanilla ice cream – the original recipe from the 1962 instruction manual: 2 egg yolks, 70g sugar, the contents of a quarter of a vanilla pod or 1 packet of vanilla sugar, 1/8 liter milk or 1/8 liter cream. Cream the eggs, sugar, and vanilla together, add the milk or cream, stir well, immediately pour into the Eis-Fix, and freeze.

38 | Journal of Bosch History

Every picture tells a story Off to Africa

Left: Trade fair in Nigeria in 1974: exhibitors each found themselves a free space and presented their products directly in the desert sands – and Bosch was no exception. Right: At Automechanika in Johannesburg in 2011, Bosch received the Platinum Award for the best trade fair stand.

“If we don’t hear from you, we’ll know everything‘s going well!” These were the words of encouragement to Klaus Noetzel in 1970 when Bosch sent him on an assignment to Ghana. His task was to sort out the service station run by the Bosch representative in Accra. At the time, this particular repair shop was being run by “Briscoe Motors Dept.” – along with lots of other businesses. Noetzel managed to persuade the owner to part ways with Bosch. He then began straight away to build a new repair shop. He also presented Bosch at automotive trade fairs, for instance in Accra in 1974. This fair was one of the first ever auto shows in Ghana, and so presenting products there called for creativity and improvisation. It was a challenge that Noetzel and his associates took up with a passion. They quickly came up with the idea of presenting Bosch products “in situ” on a kind of car. In just one meeting, Noetzel and his team designed a car made exclusively out of plywood, except for its Plexiglas windshield. The whole thing was painted yellow and red, the Bosch livery at that time. This wooden car allowed Noetzel and his team to present Bosch products. They were evidently proud of the result, and saw no reason to contact Stuttgart... Bosch’s presence in Africa, which began back in 1906 with a sales office in Johannesburg, still required lots of improvisation decades later. Today there is a subsidiary in South Africa, representative offices in Morocco and Egypt, and over 200 Bosch Car Service repair shops spread across the entire continent. // Vera Dendler

Every picture tells a story | 39

Cut from the right stuff: with obvious pride, Klaus Noetzel (right) and his sales team of Mr. Brown (left) and Mr. Oppong (middle) present the Bosch car they put together in Accra in 1974.

Published by: Robert Bosch GmbH Historical Communications (C/CCH) Postfach 30 02 20 70442 Stuttgart Germany Phone +49 711 811-44156 Fax +49 711 811-44504 Director: Dr. Kathrin Fastnacht Website: history.bosch.com Additional copies of this report can be ordered from: [email protected] © March 2012