Robur works

VEB Robur-Werke Zittau
legal form	publicly-owned business
founding	1946 (until 1957 as VEB motor vehicle factory Phenomenon Zittau )
resolution	1991
Seat	Zittau , German Democratic Republic
Branch	Motor vehicle manufacturer

The state-owned company VEB Robur-Werke Zittau was a commercial vehicle manufacturer of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in Zittau . He was the successor to the 1946 expropriated phenomenon-Werke Gustav Hiller AG and changed its name , first to 1957 as VEB automobile factory phenomenon Zittau .

history

1888-1945

Phenomenon logo

Phenomenon Bob 98 cc

100 RM shares of the Phenomenon-Werke Gustav Hiller AG from June 1929

Phenomenon 5.5 HP, 722 cm³ (year of construction 1907)

Phenomenon 10/30 (built in 1916)

Type plate on aphenomobile Zn 12 HP (built in 1921)

Small motorcycle phenomenon Ahoi (built 1940–1943)

Phenomenon 4 RL / K (built in 1928)

In 1888 founded Gustav Hiller a company for sales of which he invented in 1894 and patented textile machine for producing yarn balls (pompoms). Bicycle production began in 1889. He brought the exclusive import rights for Rover bicycles with him from a trip to Great Britain in 1890 . The license replica began a year later. He further developed the Rover bicycles and from 1894 sold them successfully under the “Phenomenon Rover” brand.

In 1900 the production of Phenomenon motorcycles started . The bikes were initially with Fafnir equipped engines, so since 1903 were single-cylinder four-stroke - gasoline engines own development blocked. With the engine change, the bike frame was strengthened and 26-inch wheels with 2.25-inch tires were used. Constant further developments and improvements also led to a new two-cylinder engine.

Series production of the inexpensive three-wheeled vehiclephenomobile began in 1905. The well-known two-cylinder engine from motorcycle production served as the basis for thephenomobile. The similarity of the structure with that of Hüttel in Erlau (Sachsen) developed and manufactured in Berlin Cyklonette resulted in patent disputes, especially since the designers Hüttel and Svetescu temporarily in the phenomenon works had been engaged. From 1910 a four-cylinder four-stroke gasoline engine cooled by two fans was used. Production ran until 1927.

The company, which was converted into a stock corporation in 1917, also offered four-wheeled passenger cars between 1912 and 1927 , which, however, could not prevail against the strong competition. Since 1922, car bodies have mainly been purchased from the Aug. Nowack AG car body factory .

In 1927 was mainly due to demand Imperial post for an inexpensive, yet secure and efficient vehicle of the lorry (truck) phenomenon 4RL with 0.75 up to 1 t payload released, which constituted the starting point of a successful commercial vehicle production. It is interesting that, as with the motorcycles and the Phenomobile, the four-cylinder engine of the Phenomobile was the basis for the 4 RL in this case. As the demand for trucks with a higher payload increased, the Granit 25 (payload 1.5 t) and 1936 the Granit 30 (payload 2.5 t) came onto the market. In the course of armaments production , the vehicle type range was essentially reduced to the Granit 1500 with 1.5 t payload (after the war, the Granit 27 phenomenon ).

All Phenomenon trucks, like the three-wheelers, had air-cooled engines. Only the four-wheeled cars were equipped with water-cooled engines. In 1930, the Phenomenon-Werke Gustav Hiller AG under director Rudolph Hiller (a son of Gustav Hiller) started producing light motorcycles with Sachs built-in engines. By 1945 there were at least 14 different light motorcycles at Phenomenon.

1945-1991

→ Main article : The granite phenomenon 27

→ Main article : The phenomenon of 30K granite

→ Main article : Robur LO 2500

→ Main article : Robur LO 3000

From May to July 1945, the machines and equipment were dismantled as reparations to the Soviet Union , the factory buildings and systems were saved from being razed by the Saxon trustee. With the referendum of April 30, 1946 on the law on the transfer of war and Nazi criminals' property to the people , the Phenomen-Werke AG was expropriated in June 1946 and became public property . From June 1946, the new company was named Phenomena Werke Zittau, Industrieverwaltung 17, Fahrzeugbau State-owned enterprise of Saxony . In 1948 the company was integrated into the IFA .

In addition to the production of urgently needed mass-produced items, around 1,000 Red Army vehicles were repaired. In 1948 the construction of stationary engines began. In January 1950, series production of the first truck, the Phenomenon Granit 27, began, which largely corresponded to the prewar type Phenomenon Granit 1500 . As early as 1949, the development work on an air-cooled vehicle diesel engine, which had been interrupted by the war, was continued. Series production of the diesel engine began in 1954 and was installed in the Granit 32 phenomenon . The gasoline engine was also modernized and its output increased step by step. It was installed in the Granite 30K phenomenon .

At the beginning of 1957 the company was renamed VEB Robur Werke Zittau after a successful lawsuit by the previous owners . The vehicle designation granite was also no longer allowed to be used and was replaced by Garant. The name Robur is Latin and means power or strength . The German oak also bears this name (Quercus robur). The new Robur logo was designed based on a crankshaft.

Other production facilities were added to the company, including the Bautzen bodywork , the Winter bodywork in Zittau, the Halle bodywork , the Görlitz fire extinguishing equipment plant and the Kamenz engine plant . In the latter, Robur-based diesel engines with 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 cylinders were developed. Plant II was located in Seifhennersdorf, where exhaust systems and dashboards were manufactured. There was also a paint shop on the site. Some of the buildings of the former Plant II are used by other companies today, some halls as well as the former administration building and the dining house are left to decay. While the smaller engines were used for stationary purposes and forklifts, the six- and eight-cylinder with up to 110 kW did not get beyond the development stage. They were intended for a planned large series of trucks, the realization of which was politically prevented in the course of the division of production within the Comecon countries .

In the GDR's rather hesitant development of the vehicle industry, Robur-Werke took a leading position right from the start. The annual output rose rapidly, exports flourished, and there were new and further technical developments in quick succession. This situation was to persist until the mid-1960s - the year 1966 marked a high point with 7,000 trucks manufactured, 4,500 of which were exported.

The successful Garant was followed in 1961 by the Robur LO 2500 , the design of which corresponded to current international development trends. The modern forward control truck with a payload of 2.5 t was equipped with the air-cooled petrol engine of its predecessor, which had been increased to 70 hp. The Robur LO 1800 A was created as an all-wheel drive variant with 1.8 t payload . Robur trucks were not only used in the Comecon area, but also overseas. The Robur Safari program was created for these export markets and was adapted to the specific climatic and geographical conditions of the target countries. The series production of the vehicles O 611 / O 611A and D 609 was not permitted by the government, it could only previous models to be developed.

Robur LD 3004

In the course of the 1970s, the investment backlog in the GDR vehicle construction also became increasingly noticeable in the Robur plant. The annual output leveled off at 5,000 to 6,000 vehicles. In the 1980s it was no longer even possible to maintain the previous quality of the products due to worn production facilities. At the time of the political change in 1989/1990, the plant was in a hopeless state and was considered a particularly macabre example of the failure of the central planned economy of the time . Thousands of employees had to stop working. Even the slightly modified LD 3004 with a Deutz diesel engine and a new look could not prevent the brand from going under . The production of the formerly important manufacturer was stopped in 1991.

A total of around 250,000 Phenomenon / Robur vehicles were built between 1950 and 1990.

From 1995

In 1995 Robur-Fahrzeug-Engineering GmbH was re-established and acquired the entire know-how of Robur-Werke Zittau. In 1999 FBZ GmbH Zittau was founded with 17 employees. FBZ stands for vehicles - assemblies - supplies . The plant in Bautzen was converted into an industrial park. There are around 1100 employees in various companies. In 2012, the FBZ renamed Robur-Fahrzeug-Engineering-Zittau GmbH under a new owner.

Rundfunk-Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb) has been using a blue Robur bus for the Robur reporting format of the program Brandenburg aktuell since 2015 .

Models

Phenomobile / phenomenon car models

Type	Construction period	cylinder	Displacement	power	V max
Phenomobile 4/6 HP	1907-1912	2, V-engine	887 cc	6-9 PS (4.4-6.6 kW)	50 km / h
Phenomobile 6/12 HP	1912-1920	4, in- line engine	1548 cc	12 HP (8.8 kW)	60 km / h
Phenomenon 8/18 hp	1910-1914	4, in-line engine	1909 cc	18 hp (13.2 kW)
Phenomenon 10/28 hp	1912-1919	4, in-line engine	2597 cc	28 hp (20.5 kW)	80 km / h
Phenomenon MTC 10/30 HP	1920-1924	4, in-line engine	2612 cc	30 HP (22 kW)	65 km / h
Phenomenon MTC 16/45 HP	1920-1924	4, in-line engine	4219 cc	45 hp (33 kW)	75 km / h
Phenomobile type V (6/12 HP)	1920-1927	4, in-line engine	1548 cc	12 HP (8.8 kW)	55 km / h
Phenomenon type 412 (12/50 hp)	1924-1927	4, in-line engine	3132 cc	50 HP (37 kW)	100 km / h

Phenomenon truck models

Type	Construction period	cylinder	Displacement	power	V max
4RL phenomenon	1927-1931	4, gasoline engine	1540 cc	18 PS (10.8 kW)
Granite phenomenon 25
Granite phenomenon 30
Granite phenomenon 1500
Granite phenomenon 27	1949-1953	4, gasoline engine	2700 cc
Phenomenon Granite 30K (from 1956 as Robur Garant 30K)	1953-1961	4, gasoline engine	3000 cc	60 hp (44 kW)	80 km / h
Phenomenon Granit 32 (from 1956 as Robur Garant 32)	1953-1961	4, diesel engine	3200 cc

Robur truck models

Type	Construction period	cylinder	Displacement	power	V max
Robur LO 2500	1961-1968	4, gasoline engine	3345 cc	70 hp (51.1 kW)	85 km / h
Robur LO 1800 A	1961-1968	4, gasoline engine	3345 cc	70 hp (51.1 kW)
Robur LD 2500	1964-1968	4, diesel engine	3927 cc	70 hp (51.1 kW)	80 km / h
Robur LO 2501	1968-1973	4, gasoline engine	3345 cc	70 hp (51.1 kW)	85 km / h
Robur LO 1801A	1968-1973	4, gasoline engine	3345 cc	70 hp (51.1 kW)
Robur LD 2501	1968-1973	4, diesel engine	3927 cc	70 hp (51.1 kW)	80 km / h
Robur O 611 (A)	prototype	6, gasoline engine	3357 cc	105 PS (77 kW)	- / -
Robur D 609	prototype	6, diesel engine	3357 cc	90 hp (66 kW)	- / -
Robur LO 3000	1973–1985	4, gasoline engine	3345 cc	75 PS (55.2 kW)	85 km / h
Robur LO 2002A / LO 2202A	1973-1990	4, gasoline engine	3345 cc	75 PS (55.2 kW)	80 km / h
Robur LD 3000	1982-1985	4, diesel engine	3927 cc	68 hp (50 kW)	80 km / h
Robur LD 2002A / LD 2202A	1982-1990	4, diesel engine	3927 cc	68 hp (50 kW)	75 km / h
Robur LD 3002	1982-1990	4, diesel engine	3927 cc	68 hp (50 kW)
Robur LD 3001	1985-1990	4, diesel engine	3927 cc	68 hp (50 kW)	80 km / h
Robur LD 3004	1990-1991	4, diesel engine	3927 cc	72 hp (54 kW)
Robur LD 2004 WD	prototype	4, diesel engine	3927 cc	72 hp (54 kW)	- / -

• 

  4 RL / K, built in 1930

• 

  Granite 1500A

• 

  Granite 30

• 

  Granite 27

• 

  Guarantor 30 K

• 

  Guarantor 32

• 

  Special vehicle 1

• 

  Robur LO 2002

literature

• Konrad Brüchmann: Shaping the future, preserving the past. The oldtimers of Deutsche Post introduce themselves. Deutsche Post AG - Corporate Purchasing, November 2001 (available in the museum depot of the Museum for Communication in Heusenstamm )
• Heinz Grobb: The VEB Robur-Werke Zittau. An economic-geographic study. The textile industry, a location-defining factor for mechanical engineering in the Zittau Basin. In: Sächsische Heimatblätter ( ISSN  0486-8234 ), 13th year 1967, issue 1, pp. 18-23.
• Heinz Grobb: The VEB Robur-Werke Zittau. An economic-geographic study. Part II. In: Sächsische Heimatblätter , 13th year 1967, issue 2, pp. 67–72.
• Frank-Hartmut Jäger: IFA phenomenon and Robur in Zittau. The history of fire engines on granite, Garant and LO. (= Fire brigade archive. ) Verlag Technik, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-341-01322-9 .
• Hartmut Pfeffer: Phenomenon / Robur. History of a motor vehicle factory and documentation of its products 1888–1991.
  • Volume 1: 1888 to 1945. Thon, Schwerin 2002, ISBN 3-928820-35-4 .
  • Volume 2: 1945 to 1991. Thon, Schwerin 2002, ISBN 3-928820-36-2 .
• Rudolf Richter: Motor vehicle construction in Zittau from 1888-1991 from the Phenomenon-Phenomobile to the Robur-LD 3004. In: Sächsische Heimatblätter , 47th year 2001, issue 4/5, pp. 251–260.
• OKW : regulation D 605/23 light motorcycle 125 cm³ phenomenon type Ahoi, device description and operating instructions. 1942.
• OKW: Regulation D 605/24 light motorcycle 125 cm³ phenomenon type Ahoi, spare parts list. 1942.

Web links

Commons : Vehicles by Robur  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Commons : vehicles of phenomenon  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• last Robur (LD 3004) after the turn at Autobild
• Robur.de - a homage to the ELLO
• PHENOMENON Company history up to 1945 of the Upper Lusatian vehicle veteran community
• Phenomenon / Robur Company history from 1945 of the Upper Lusatian vehicle veteran community

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Trucks and air-cooled combustion engines from Zittau. In: Motor Vehicle Technology 10/1964, pp. 374–378.
2. ↑ Helga Koch: Work for 1 100 people at the former Robur site. In: Saxon newspaper . October 2, 2003, archived from the original on September 3, 2012 ; Retrieved May 2, 2011 . 
3. ↑ Thomas Mielke: How a Robur bus came back to Zittau. In: Saxon newspaper. March 15, 2016, accessed January 23, 2018 . 
4. ↑ Hartmut Pfeffer: Phenomenon / Robur. History of an automotive work and documentation of its products in 1888 - 1991. Volume 2: 1945 to 1991. Thon, Schwerin 2002, ISBN 3-928820-36-2 .