German Office for Material and Goods Testing
The German Office for Material and Goods Testing (DAMW) was founded in 1950 in the GDR . It was based in Berlin and was initially subordinate to the Ministry of Planning, Science and Technology Department . The office's task was to improve the quality of industrial goods.
As early as 1946, the Soviet Military Administration (SMAD) introduced mandatory testing for industrial products. A materials testing institute was set up in what was then the Free State of Thuringia . In contrast to comparable pre-war facilities in the German Reich , this facility had the opportunity for the first time to avoid rejects by intervening in the manufacturing process.
The DAMW was structured like branches of industry. The respective technically oriented test centers were set up in the vicinity of the respective main production facilities for the goods in question, e.g. B. in Halle for chemical technology and in Freiberg for rubber, synthetic resins and leather. In 1951, the state racing collective was set up in the test and testing office for vehicle technology of the DAMW in Berlin-Johannisthal , which was entrusted with the development and use of racing cars, but was already affiliated with the vehicle construction industry association in the following year .
From 1955, the technical standards, quality regulations and delivery conditions (TGL) , which were developed by the GDR's Office for Standardization (AfS) , which was founded in 1954, were essential guidelines for the various testing activities .
In 1964 the DAMW was merged with the German Office for Metrology (DAM) to form the German Office for Metrology and Goods Testing and the abbreviation DAMW continued to be used for the new facility with expanded tasks.