Paul Gossen

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Paul Friedrich Karl Gossen (born December 13, 1872 in Stargard in Pomerania , † June 30, 1942 in Nuremberg ) was a German entrepreneur and engineer in the field of electrical engineering .

Life

After attending grammar school in Stettin , Paul Gossen initially worked as a precision mechanic and then studied at the Technical University of Berlin-Charlottenburg (today: TU Berlin ). He then worked as an engineer. In 1903 he moved to the company Reiniger, Gebbert & Schall in Erlangen , from which the Siemens-Reiniger-Werke later emerged. From 1908 until his conscription to the military (1916) he worked as an X-ray engineer in Nuremberg . On September 1st, 1919 he founded the "Paul Gossen Co. K.-G., Factory of electrical measuring devices" in Baiersdorf . A year later the company moved to Erlangen.

Main building of the former Gossen company in Erlangen, 2012

Here Gossen developed devices for the new medium of broadcasting , which are characterized by great accuracy and operational reliability. The first major sales success was the “Mavometer” (Multi-Ampere-Volt-Meter) “UVA” presented in 1926, a measuring device developed primarily for radio hobbyists. In 1933 Gossen brought out the world's first photoelectric exposure meter, "OMBRUX". Before this groundbreaking innovation, photographers had to estimate the exposure values ​​themselves. The basis of this invention was the first use of the photoelectric properties of selenium . In 1934 he bought a factory building. Gossen not only did research in his own company, but also worked on the rules and regulations in the Association of German Electrical Engineers ( VDE ). Due to the success of his work, the company continued to develop; at the end of his life he employed almost 1,000 people in three plants.

In addition to his entrepreneurial activity, Gossen was also culturally involved. He was a sponsor of the Erlanger Kunstverein. For the design of the company headquarters built between 1939 and 1943, he generously commissioned local artists. Christian Wrede made the relief decorations for the entrances . The building is now a listed building . From 1935 he formed the Gossen factory band from members of his workforce.

After his death, P. Gossen & Co GmbH developed the Gossen-Tippa portable typewriter from 1948 , the manufacturing rights of which were sold to Adlerwerke in autumn 1956 . By the end of the 1950s, the number of employees rose to over 2000. His successors sold the company to Siemens in 1963 and in 1992 it merged with Metrawatt to form Gossen Metrawatt , with Gossen Foto- und Lichtmesstechnik GmbH becoming independent again in 1997.

In 1957 a street and a bridge were named after him in Erlangen. In December 2015, an S-Bahn station was given the name of the street dedicated to it. The Erlangen city band emerged from his work orchestra.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Tubes, history, accessories
  2. ↑ on: www.fen-net.de
  3. ↑ Experience and tradition. GOSSEN Foto- und Lichtmesstechnik GmbH, accessed on March 24, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Leonhard Dingwerth: Medium and small manufacturers . In: The history of the German typewriter factories . tape 2 . Delbrück 2008, ISBN 978-3-921913-39-0 , pp. 292 ( excerpt from Google book search).
  5. ↑ Erlangen City Chapel

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Gossen, Paul
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gossen, Paul Friedrich Karl (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German entrepreneur
DATE OF BIRTH December 13, 1872
PLACE OF BIRTH Stargard in Pomerania
DATE OF DEATH June 30, 1942
Place of death gain