Personality and sound: Fritz Zennheiser - victory that began with defeat
Initially, I wanted to coincide with the post to the birthday of a German inventor and businessman, but publishing an article about the German on May 9th would not be very correct due to the unpredictable reaction of some members of the Russian public. Thanks to this man, the world received one of the best radio engineering companies in the world producing professional and home audio equipment. Today it is difficult to imagine a person who is interested in audio, who one way or another would not know about the company that the hero of this post created.
The interesting life of the engineer and scientist Fritz Zennheiser was not always easy. Running a little ahead, I note that the creation of a company by chance was predetermined by the defeat of Germany in World War II. The ingenuity and fecundity of the engineer laid the foundation for a long and successful work. Today, the company created by him produces world famous headphones, microphones, communication systems, radio systems, aviation equipment and much more.
The following facts speak about the influence of the company created by Fritz Zennheiser on the world audio technology market: more than 100 types of products, average annual sales income of about 400,000,000 Euros, 2100 employees, every tenth headphones, and every 15th microphone in the world is released by this company .
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Fritz Zennheiser was born on May 9, 1912 in Berlin. Where he spent almost all his childhood and adolescence. Sennheiser attended Karlhorst County Gymnasium, which he successfully completed in 1932. Interest in electronics from the future inventor appeared in the school years.
In an interview, Zennheiser said:
Despite the successful amateur radio experience, Fritz did not dream of becoming an engineer or inventor. The real passion of young Zennheiser was landscape design. However, the harsh reality has made its own adjustments in the life of the young man.
The global financial crisis of 1929 changed Fritz's views on the future, the plight of Germany in the early 30s deprived landscape design of commercial and career appeal. And instead of the beloved, Fritz, assuming the demand for the profession of engineer, enters the Berlin Technical University.
After graduation, Sennheiser gets a job at the real “Mecca” of the European Telecommunications Research Institute of Hertz, where, under the guidance of Dr. Oscar Vierling, he writes his first dissertation.
Interestingly, by the year 1936, under the guidance of Zennheiser, a group of engineers at the Hertz Institute was developing an original reverb, which was first used to change the sound of a piano at the opening of the Olympic Games in Berlin. According to reviews of the instrument, the modified grand piano with Zennheiser reverb allowed to achieve the effect, which is today called the Large or big Hall (imitating the sound of the instrument in a large cathedral), while the sound resembled organ.
Having completed work on the "Olympic" reverberator and other projects, he holds the position of chief engineer at the Hertz Institute in Hanover, and a little later (in 1938), on his initiative, the Institute of Radio Frequency Engineering and Electroacoustics is created. As a director of this scientific research institute, the scientist will stay until May 1945. In 1940, Fritz Zennheiser defends his doctoral (PhD) dissertation in the Bologna system. In connection with the bombings of 1943, the building of a scientific institution in Hanover became unsuitable for further research, after which the Zennheiser group moved to another room in Venebostel, where the Zennheiser laboratory was based until the end of hostilities.
Hannover after the bombing in 1943
A number of sources mention that Fritz Zennheiser (and scientists from his institute) "was responsible for sending coded messages to the Nazi army during World War II," which is not entirely true. The coding system, which was engaged in a group of scientists at his institute was not completed and never used. After the victory of the Allies, the work was curtailed, and for some unknown reason they came under a strict ban, as the scientist himself noted, under the fear of the death penalty.
To Zennheiser’s credit, he was not a member of the Nazi Party, and he earned his career and authority in the scientific community as a researcher and inventor. Largely because of this, he avoided the painful processes of denazification and was able to quickly get on his feet after the crushing fall of the Third Reich, which financed his research before and during the war.
Ironically, the day of victory over Germany - May 9th - is the birthday of Fritz Zennheiser. It should be noted that Fritz did not long worry about the defeat and termination of the work of the institute. As an experienced pragmatist, he quickly realized that engineering and scientific experience could be a source of income. Already in June 1945, a team of seven engineers under the leadership of Zennheiser creates a small manufacturing company. It is symbolic that the office and production were based in one of the surviving buildings of the Hannover Technical University. At that time, the company was called Laboratorium Wennebostel (abbr. “Labor W”), in honor of the village to which the Zennheiser group moved after the bombings of Hanover.
Due to the fact that at that time the Allies banned research in the field of radio electronics, the company began with the development and production of accurate voltmeters commissioned by Siemens. Siemens specialists evaluated the stable quality of voltmeters and in 1946 ordered a large batch of microphones from Zennheiser (1st Labor W microphone, created by order of Siemens - DM 1).
By 1947, Zennheiser and partners managed to bring a new model of DM-2 microphones to the market as an independent product, simultaneously selling them to Siemens.
Through the efforts of Zennheiser Labor W grew rapidly, and by 1955 the company had 250 employees, and the product range had expanded significantly and by the end of the 50s annual sales income reached 9 million marks. In the mid-50s, the company produced: microphones of various designs, geophysical equipment, microphone transformers, mixing consoles, miniature dynamic headphones. The first noise-canceling microphone (model DM4) was a special pride of this period of the company's development.
In 1958, the company changed its name, so there is a well-known brand Sennheiser electronic. During this period, Zennheizer continues to invest the lion's share of income in expanding production, improving the technological base, and most importantly in innovative research, in which he often participates personally. Interestingly, despite the company's active work, Professor Zennheiser continues to teach at the Hannover Technical University.
In the late 50s, early 60s, Sennheiser electronic begins production of amplifiers, intercoms, expands the range of headphones. In 1960, the MD-421 studio microphone, one of the most popular in the history, was created.
By 1962, the world's first MKH 104 condenser omnidirectional microphone and the original MDS-1 stereo microphone appeared in the Zennheiser innovation box.
The legendary Sennheiser HD 414 became a real triumph for Sennheiser and his company's engineers. These were the first open-type headphones . For all the time, more than 10,000,000 pairs of headphones of this type have been sold.
This model of headphones in 1973 was adopted by NASA and used as onboard at the Skylab orbital station. At the moment, they are recognized as the only household headphones that were included in the staff equipment of astronauts. It is believed that Sennheiser Electronic received the bulk of its revenue thanks to HD 414. Later, SONY will acquire a license for the production of open headphones from Zennheiser and will begin production of the Walkman with an open type of headphones.
In the 70s, the research laboratories created by Zennheiser contributed to the development of digital technology, it was there that the SI 406 transmitter and the HDI 406 receiver-stethoscope were released in 1976, which were used for the first time to transmit a digital audio signal via infrared.
In 1980, under the leadership of Sennheiser, the first wireless vocal microphone SKM 4031 was developed and produced.
In 1982, on the 9th of May, Fritz Zennheiser was 70 years old, on this day he decided to transfer the reins to his son Jörg. Leaving his post, a successful scientist, engineer and entrepreneur, not without regret, said:
The heart of the inventor stopped beating May 17, 2010, Fritz Zennheiser died at the age of 98 in Wedemark. For his long and fruitful life, the scientist received awards from the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (in 1987 “Scientific and Engineering Award”) for developing the microphone-gun MKH 816, the award of the Society of Sound Engineers in 1976, and honorary membership with the highest distinction - the AES Gold Medal Medal.
The scientist was an honorary professor at the University of Hannover, honorary chairman of the Association of German Manufacturers of Electrical and Electronics, and was awarded the medal of Karl Karmarsh Hannover High School and Hannover University. Leibniz, with the Rudolf Diesel Medal of the German Institute of Inventions. It is also known that Fritz Zennheiser rejected the Order For Services to the Federal Republic of Germany three times.
The following sources of information and graphic content were used to create the material: The New York Times, www.sennheiser.de , Wikipedia, www.peoples.ru
www.auduomuseum.org , www.proaudio.md , pult.ru, hightechhistory.wordpress.com, irvispress.ru
The interesting life of the engineer and scientist Fritz Zennheiser was not always easy. Running a little ahead, I note that the creation of a company by chance was predetermined by the defeat of Germany in World War II. The ingenuity and fecundity of the engineer laid the foundation for a long and successful work. Today, the company created by him produces world famous headphones, microphones, communication systems, radio systems, aviation equipment and much more.
The following facts speak about the influence of the company created by Fritz Zennheiser on the world audio technology market: more than 100 types of products, average annual sales income of about 400,000,000 Euros, 2100 employees, every tenth headphones, and every 15th microphone in the world is released by this company .
')
The beginning of the way - a landscape designer goes to radio electronics
Fritz Zennheiser was born on May 9, 1912 in Berlin. Where he spent almost all his childhood and adolescence. Sennheiser attended Karlhorst County Gymnasium, which he successfully completed in 1932. Interest in electronics from the future inventor appeared in the school years.
In an interview, Zennheiser said:
“As an eleven-year-old boy, I witnessed the beginning of the radio era. (at this age - auth.) I created my own receiver from the simplest components: coil, tungsten rod, quartz and a 20-meter radio antenna ”
Despite the successful amateur radio experience, Fritz did not dream of becoming an engineer or inventor. The real passion of young Zennheiser was landscape design. However, the harsh reality has made its own adjustments in the life of the young man.
The global financial crisis of 1929 changed Fritz's views on the future, the plight of Germany in the early 30s deprived landscape design of commercial and career appeal. And instead of the beloved, Fritz, assuming the demand for the profession of engineer, enters the Berlin Technical University.
After graduation, Sennheiser gets a job at the real “Mecca” of the European Telecommunications Research Institute of Hertz, where, under the guidance of Dr. Oscar Vierling, he writes his first dissertation.
Father of the Olympic Reverend and the “main” radio-cryptographer of the Third Reich
Interestingly, by the year 1936, under the guidance of Zennheiser, a group of engineers at the Hertz Institute was developing an original reverb, which was first used to change the sound of a piano at the opening of the Olympic Games in Berlin. According to reviews of the instrument, the modified grand piano with Zennheiser reverb allowed to achieve the effect, which is today called the Large or big Hall (imitating the sound of the instrument in a large cathedral), while the sound resembled organ.
Having completed work on the "Olympic" reverberator and other projects, he holds the position of chief engineer at the Hertz Institute in Hanover, and a little later (in 1938), on his initiative, the Institute of Radio Frequency Engineering and Electroacoustics is created. As a director of this scientific research institute, the scientist will stay until May 1945. In 1940, Fritz Zennheiser defends his doctoral (PhD) dissertation in the Bologna system. In connection with the bombings of 1943, the building of a scientific institution in Hanover became unsuitable for further research, after which the Zennheiser group moved to another room in Venebostel, where the Zennheiser laboratory was based until the end of hostilities.
Hannover after the bombing in 1943
A number of sources mention that Fritz Zennheiser (and scientists from his institute) "was responsible for sending coded messages to the Nazi army during World War II," which is not entirely true. The coding system, which was engaged in a group of scientists at his institute was not completed and never used. After the victory of the Allies, the work was curtailed, and for some unknown reason they came under a strict ban, as the scientist himself noted, under the fear of the death penalty.
To Zennheiser’s credit, he was not a member of the Nazi Party, and he earned his career and authority in the scientific community as a researcher and inventor. Largely because of this, he avoided the painful processes of denazification and was able to quickly get on his feet after the crushing fall of the Third Reich, which financed his research before and during the war.
From defeat to victory - Zennheiser time
Ironically, the day of victory over Germany - May 9th - is the birthday of Fritz Zennheiser. It should be noted that Fritz did not long worry about the defeat and termination of the work of the institute. As an experienced pragmatist, he quickly realized that engineering and scientific experience could be a source of income. Already in June 1945, a team of seven engineers under the leadership of Zennheiser creates a small manufacturing company. It is symbolic that the office and production were based in one of the surviving buildings of the Hannover Technical University. At that time, the company was called Laboratorium Wennebostel (abbr. “Labor W”), in honor of the village to which the Zennheiser group moved after the bombings of Hanover.
Due to the fact that at that time the Allies banned research in the field of radio electronics, the company began with the development and production of accurate voltmeters commissioned by Siemens. Siemens specialists evaluated the stable quality of voltmeters and in 1946 ordered a large batch of microphones from Zennheiser (1st Labor W microphone, created by order of Siemens - DM 1).
By 1947, Zennheiser and partners managed to bring a new model of DM-2 microphones to the market as an independent product, simultaneously selling them to Siemens.
Through the efforts of Zennheiser Labor W grew rapidly, and by 1955 the company had 250 employees, and the product range had expanded significantly and by the end of the 50s annual sales income reached 9 million marks. In the mid-50s, the company produced: microphones of various designs, geophysical equipment, microphone transformers, mixing consoles, miniature dynamic headphones. The first noise-canceling microphone (model DM4) was a special pride of this period of the company's development.
In 1958, the company changed its name, so there is a well-known brand Sennheiser electronic. During this period, Zennheizer continues to invest the lion's share of income in expanding production, improving the technological base, and most importantly in innovative research, in which he often participates personally. Interestingly, despite the company's active work, Professor Zennheiser continues to teach at the Hannover Technical University.
In the late 50s, early 60s, Sennheiser electronic begins production of amplifiers, intercoms, expands the range of headphones. In 1960, the MD-421 studio microphone, one of the most popular in the history, was created.
By 1962, the world's first MKH 104 condenser omnidirectional microphone and the original MDS-1 stereo microphone appeared in the Zennheiser innovation box.
The legendary Sennheiser HD 414 became a real triumph for Sennheiser and his company's engineers. These were the first open-type headphones . For all the time, more than 10,000,000 pairs of headphones of this type have been sold.
This model of headphones in 1973 was adopted by NASA and used as onboard at the Skylab orbital station. At the moment, they are recognized as the only household headphones that were included in the staff equipment of astronauts. It is believed that Sennheiser Electronic received the bulk of its revenue thanks to HD 414. Later, SONY will acquire a license for the production of open headphones from Zennheiser and will begin production of the Walkman with an open type of headphones.
In the 70s, the research laboratories created by Zennheiser contributed to the development of digital technology, it was there that the SI 406 transmitter and the HDI 406 receiver-stethoscope were released in 1976, which were used for the first time to transmit a digital audio signal via infrared.
In 1980, under the leadership of Sennheiser, the first wireless vocal microphone SKM 4031 was developed and produced.
Honorable old age and international recognition
In 1982, on the 9th of May, Fritz Zennheiser was 70 years old, on this day he decided to transfer the reins to his son Jörg. Leaving his post, a successful scientist, engineer and entrepreneur, not without regret, said:
“I prepared for retirement, although I have to admit that I would be happy if I continued, just because I liked it, and, of course, because we were always successful. In the end, it took me two and a half years to get used to the fact that I can no longer make decisions. ”
The heart of the inventor stopped beating May 17, 2010, Fritz Zennheiser died at the age of 98 in Wedemark. For his long and fruitful life, the scientist received awards from the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (in 1987 “Scientific and Engineering Award”) for developing the microphone-gun MKH 816, the award of the Society of Sound Engineers in 1976, and honorary membership with the highest distinction - the AES Gold Medal Medal.
The scientist was an honorary professor at the University of Hannover, honorary chairman of the Association of German Manufacturers of Electrical and Electronics, and was awarded the medal of Karl Karmarsh Hannover High School and Hannover University. Leibniz, with the Rudolf Diesel Medal of the German Institute of Inventions. It is also known that Fritz Zennheiser rejected the Order For Services to the Federal Republic of Germany three times.
The following sources of information and graphic content were used to create the material: The New York Times, www.sennheiser.de , Wikipedia, www.peoples.ru
www.auduomuseum.org , www.proaudio.md , pult.ru, hightechhistory.wordpress.com, irvispress.ru
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/373455/
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