Balda factory
| Balda factory | |
|---|---|
| legal form | publicly-owned business |
| founding | November 20, 1908 |
| resolution | December 31, 1956 |
| Reason for dissolution | Incorporation into the VEB camera works in Niedersedlitz |
| Seat | Dresden , Germany |
| management |
|
| Branch | Optics manufacturer |
The Balda company was a German camera manufacturer in Dresden (Saxony) and a brand name for cameras that were manufactured there. Company founder Max Baldeweg left Dresden in 1945 and settled his company in Bad Oeynhausen , where the company became today's Balda AG .
history
Company founder Max Baldeweg was a trained mechanic and went to Dresden for his profession in 1897, where he later became a master. Since he was very interested in photographic accessories, he opened his own company on November 20, 1908, which from March 1, 1909 renamed the "Max Baldeweg photographic article factory".
His first products were shutter shutters, vignetting devices and film pack cassettes. His “Triumph” shutter lock was honored with a silver medal at the 1909 International Photographic Exhibition. Due to the growing demand, an expansion of the still small company was necessary. On March 12, 1912 Baldeweg opened a second company with the name “Factory of photographic articles Max Baldeweg”.
From 1913 the name "Balda" was registered as a trademark, which resulted in the change of name to "Balda-Werk Max Baldeweg". It was not until 1925 that Max Baldeweg began serial production of small amateur cameras. This expanded the company's spectrum from classic accessories to a supplier of complete cameras.
Max Baldeweg found that you could get young people excited about photography with the simplest cameras. The Balda boxing cameras were particularly popular with this target group.
In 1935 the company presented the “Baldina” 35mm camera and a year later the “Super Baldina”.
From 1940, the Balda factory had to interrupt everyday production and start armaments production, mainly producing altimeters and variometers . The factory was damaged by incendiary bombs in the subsequent bombing raids.
Reconstruction began in May 1945 with the new company name "Balda-Werk Max Baldeweg, factory for photographic apparatus, cassettes and supplies". Willibald Lauterbach was hired as director. Max Baldeweg remained the sole owner. On May 8, 1945, they started manufacturing tablespoons, ladles and children's toys. The remaining machines were then repaired. Because of allegations against Max Baldeweg and Willibald Lauterbach, both left the company and Dresden. With Balda AG, which today manufactures electronic products and plastic systems for medical devices, among other things, they settled in Bad Oeynhausen in East Westphalia . Shortly afterwards, the Dresden factory was expropriated on June 30, 1946. This was followed by a subordination to the new industrial administration 24 OPTIK in Niedersedlitz with the name "Camera Works Dresden, Operation of the industrial administration 24 optics". Due to confusion with another camera factory, the new company name “MECHANIK Balda-Werk VEB Dresden” was used on July 1, 1948. The new company name can be traced back to the “Association of state-owned MECHANICS of the photo and cinema industry”. The company was assigned to VVB OPTIK Jena and was given the new name "OPTIK Belca-Werk VEB Dresden". In 1953 all Dresden camera companies were subordinated to the Ministry of General Mechanical Engineering in Berlin .
In 1954, the Belca factory caused a sensation with the “Belplasca” stereo camera, which also generated international interest.
From December 31, 1956, the VEB Belca-Werk was no longer a legally independent company. He was subordinated to the VEB camera works Niedersedlitz .
Models
The company manufactured a large number of branded amateur cameras
- Baldina
- Super Baldina
- Belplasca
“Beplasca” stereo camera, 2 × 24 × 28 mm roll film, VEB Belca Werk, Dresden 1953 in the German Photo Museum
The Balda Baldessamat, produced from 1962 to 1966
The Balda CE35, produced from 1983 to 1989. The machines were then sold to China, where the model continued to be produced as the "Yangtze-Balda".
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literature
- Richard Hummel: SLR cameras from Dresden - history, technology, facts. Lindemanns, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-89506-127-1 .
