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Hans and Käthe Rosenberger on the day of their golden wedding anniversary

The success of the first years is due to their industriousness, their entrepreneurial courage and their straightfor- ward and understanding approach to everyone who had to do with the company. The personal example set by Hans and Käthe Rosenberger was at the root of the company‘s social climate: modesty and pioneering spirit, a friendly approach and discipline, making an effort and enjoyment of success are the characteristics which define the „We are Rosenberger“ feeling that exists to this day. Both of them were not able to experience the jubilee, but their life‘s work goes on. This chronicle is dedicated to them. 1958 Hans Rosenberger Maschinenbau founded

On January 1, 1958, following the cle boosted both companies so death of his father-in-law, Georg strongly that they engage even very New production at the Winzl, Hans Rosenberger takes small suppliers for the fi nishing of „Dumpe Works“ over his fi tter‘s workshop and parts in integrated subcontracting. founds his own company - Hans Th e Munich industrialist Dr.-Ing. Rosenberger Maschinenbau. For Th e opening accounts show just Günther Häberlein purchases the site a few years he continues working how small the beginnings of the near Pietling, where until December as production manager of the Alz- company were. But we can only 1951 the industrious businessman metall Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik make a guess at the diversity of Rolf Dumpe had constructed and and runs his own company in his jobs mastered by the few em- operated a factory producing fi ttings remaining spare time. ployees. In addition to the usual activities of a fi tter‘s workshop for heating systems. After the On the one hand, the newly like welding, forging, boring and spectacular bankruptcy - the biggest founded company continues the grinding, there are already milling fi nancial scandal in Bavaria at the business of the fi tter‘s workshop and polishing machines in action time since the war - no buyer had manufacturing stair railings, win- alongside a foundry furnace for been found for the factory for years. dow grates and metal gates for pri- casting aluminum parts. Häberlein, who runs an enterprise vate customers, and on the other, for manufacturing radio and measu- starts to focus on the manufacture Turnover equivalent in euros: ring instruments, which is well- of individual components for €0.024 million (+100%) known by experts, moves the major the engineering and automotive part of its production to Pietling and industries. Th e fi rst customers in manufactures coaxial connectors in this sector are Alzmetall and MAN particular. - the German economic mira-

Opening accounts: Very modest beginnings do not yet give any signs of the later development into a global enterprise.

Borgward 100,000 Goggomobils „Spatz“ production

Focke Kolibri In March, the 100,000th Goggomo- stopped bil runs off the production line. Th e Th e fi rst series-produced car with In January, the fi rst helicopter legendary microcar from the Hans plastic body was manufactured near Traunreut from 1955 to 1958. A to- developed in Germany after the war Glas engineering works in Dingol- fi ng is totally lacking in comfort, but tal of 1,600 units were produced. In is completed by the automobile ma- is so cheap that even average wage October, production is ceased when nufacturer Borgward in Bremen. earners can aff ord it. sales cannot be revived even via the Victoria-Zweirad-Union company. 1959 Growing with orders from MAN

With the modest earnings from his follow. The foundation stone for own company, Hans Rosenberger many years of cooperation is thus Crisis at BMW invests in new machines; one of laid. Even after the loss of its Eisenach car the first major procurements is factory, BMW (Bayerische Motoren- a KERN lathe for working large New machines and the skills and Werke) remains one of the largest castings. MAN has a long-term resourcefulness of the employees and most significant industrial demand for such parts for the are foundations on which the enterprises in Bavaria. In 1951, car booming truck industry and that future of the small company rests. production had started in Munich is the order that Hans Rosenber- The other part is more difficult to with model 501, known as the „V8“, ger was firmly counting on when grasp. It has to do with the per- which became famous in a televisi- he purchased the machine, as he sonality of the company founder on series as police car „Isar 12“. In gladly used to tell. But he does and his wife. They are modest, but 1955, construction of the microcar not get the order. MAN tries to ambitious; they are hard-working, Isetta starts. It is designed to pene- process the parts fully automatical- but foresighted; they are clever and trate the mass market, but despite ly in own production. Only after industrious to be competitive in the relatively high popularity of the months, when this attempt proves the power games of business life; front hatch car, BMW makes great to be uneconomical, Rosenberger they are persevering and honest losses. In December 1959, Daimler receives the first order. Accor- enough to win people‘s trust, the Benz, supported by a bank consor- ding to Hans Rosenberger, the trust of the employees, customers tium, wants to take over BMW and purchaser remembered his terribly and suppliers. The pioneering per- incorporate it into the enterprise, but disappointed face and that is why formance of the first years would the independence of the company he turned to him. not be conceivable without the is pushed through with spectacular personal example set by Hans and legal means at the shareholders‘ The complicated precision parts Käthe Rosenberger. meeting. for MAN turn out to be a stroke of luck. The skills of the lathe Turnover equivalent in euros: After capital write-down and workers permits them to achieve €0.036 million (+55%) acquisition of the available shares high piece-rate bonuses and the by Herbert Quandt, in the 1960s company is still able to manufac- BMW begins to grow into a leading ture cost-effectively. More orders provider of middle-class and premi- um cars.

Figure skating: European champions In February 1959, in Prague, Marika Kilius and Hans Jürgen Bäumler become European Champions in pairs figure skating.

Economy: Full employment In July 1959, for the first time since the end of World War II, the employment statistics of the Federal Republic of Germany show more vacancies than unemployed.

Armament: Starfighters The Federal Minister of Defense, Franz Josef Strauß, announces that 96 „Starfighter“ fighter planes have been ordered from the American MAN truck: MAN trucks with the „chubby cheeks“ design are a familiar sight at the time. The company‘s first orders are for machining parts for this successful series. manufacturer Lockheed. 1960 Running out of space

New machines. New orders. As of In his memoirs, Hans Rosenber- Professional training April, Hans Rosenberger devotes ger reports that at the end of his is an investment himself exclusively to his own time at Alzmetall he already had company. He has given up his 25 employees. The works are still in the future leading function in the produc- located in an outhouse of his own tion shop at Alzmetall. Now, he home (later the works are turned That is most certainly not what Hans no longer has to ask for time off into a double garage with the same Rosenberger would have said; he to visit customers and can check dimensions). „Of course, every- always abhorred manager phrases. that everything is all right in the thing was much too small, here But in the fall of 1960, he takes on workshop during the day. How in the house and in the hut, as three new apprentices who want to determinedly he does this is shown we lovingly called it,“ he reports. learn the profession of fitter. Two by the figures. In 1960, more In 1960, space has to be found of these stay with Rosenberger their money than the total turnover of for a Monforts automatic lathe, whole working lives and are section 1959 is spent on new machines. a copying lathe and a milling managers for decades as masters and The absolute values may seem machine. And for all that, new engineers. By the way, not only these modest today, but if you compare customers and new orders have to two; many of the managers started the wages and property prices, be drummed up. off as apprentices at Rosenberger and it becomes clear just how much moved into increasingly demanding entrepreneurial courage lies behind Turnover equivalent in euros: positions as the company‘s require- such a resolute expansion. €0.083 million (+126%) ments grew. „Learning by doing“ is what this kind of further training is called today; but of course the aspi- rants also invested personal energy in further training courses and the subsequent tests and exams.

Volkswagen privatized

On August 22, the Volkswagenwerk GmbH becomes the „Volkswagen- werk Aktiengesellschaft“. Prior to this, the Bundestag had passed with overwhelming majority the „law to hand over the partial ownership of the Volkswagenwerk GmbH to private investors“. 60 percent of the company capital is disposed of, 40 percent are retained initially by the Federal German Government and the Land concerned. Volkswagen shares for a total value of DM 360 million are issued at a price of DM 350 per share.

Liesl Karlstadt dies

On July 27, the famous and beloved German folk-play actress Liesl Karlstadt dies at the age of 67 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Today, she is still well remembered, not only by the Bavarian public, as the stage partner of the Bavarian comedian Monforts lathe: delivery of the heavy plant in the narrow lane of the old town and Karl Valentin. setting it up in the small workshop are a special challenge. 1961 Modest expansion

The 1950s are a time of radical changes. In an extremely short time, the mainly agricultural Ba- varia turns into an up-and-coming industrial region. Two technical goals are in focus at the time: nuclear power and space flight. But pioneering progress is being made in all sectors, including agriculture.

The agricultural enterprises come under enormous pressure through the migration of workers from ag- riculture to industry with its hig- her wages. Tractors and special ma- chinery have to be procured to be able to maintain production. One company that profits in particular from the demand for agricultural A wall divides Berlin: the construction of a wall through the middle of the capital city vehicles is the brake manufacturer is one of the pinnacles of the „Cold War“ that deeply affects Germans in the East and Knott in nearby Eggstätt. West.

The first orders for machining Construction of the wall Borgward brake drums go to Rosenberger, but to execute this work rationally in Berlin goes bankrupt - work that is best suited for the Ever since 1952, the GDR has On February 4, one of the most new Monforts automatic lathe - an guarded the inner German border spectacular insolvencies in the histo- immersion paint unit is needed. and secured it with fences and alarm The neighbor opposite has a large devices. The sector border between ry of the German economy comes tool shed in the garden and is West Berlin and East Berlin is the last to pass: The Land of Bremen blocks willing to sell it to Rosenberger. open loophole through which about a line of credit that had already That is where the brake drums are 47,000 people flee just in the first been promised to Borgward and painted. Three houses on a barn two weeks of August. In the night transforms the Borgward Works into can be purchased and used as a from August 12 to 13, units of the a joint stock company (AG). This warehouse. the National People‘s Army of the AG belongs 100% to the Land of GDR, the border police, the People‘s Bremen. Carl Borgward, the former Turnover equivalent in euros: Police and workers‘ militia groups sole owner, is immediately banned €0.10 million (+20%) start to seal off streets and railway from the works. and tram lines to West Berlin. Soviet troops are on standby. All the remai- The works of this major German car ning traffic connections between the manufacturer are liquidated. The two parts of Berlin are interrupted. brands of Borgward, Lloyd and Goli- ath disappear from the market. They were all milestones in the history Franz Josef Strauß of the automobile and had played a becomes head leading role in the mass mobility of of the CSU the young Germany. The Federal Minister of Defense, The bankruptcy rocks the still young Franz Josef Strauß, is elected chair- republic. In retrospect, it is seen man of the Christian Social Union as the beginning of the end of the political party in Bavaria as successor economic miracle. Until then, it was to Hanns Seidel. In this function, practically inconceivable in Germany Strauß will influence the political that things could get worse again af- culture of Germany for almost two ter the economic boom of the 1950s. decades and set priorities for the development of Bavaria. 1962 Rosenberger extends capacity

Yet another automatic lathe, a mil- ling machine and a thread milling North Sea storm tide Cuban Missile Crisis machine are squeezed into the The storm tide of 1962 along narrow workshop. Capacities have It begins with a local political action to be increased for new customers the German North Sea coast is a far away: the USA imposes a trade catastrophe that hits Hamburg in and more orders. embargo to bring the communist particular, where 315 people die. regime in Cuba to its knees. The Turnover equivalent in euros: In the night of February 16 to 17, Soviet Union counters this first with €0.14 million (+44%) cyclone Vincinette that originated in the Antarctic Ocean hits the German diplomatic means and then, when coast. Hurricane-force blasts of up to these fail, threatens the USA with 200 kilometers per hour and meter- military steps. This is no rhetorical high waves burst numerous sections threat. The Cold War between East of the dikes along the coast and in and West is at its pinnacle; on both the Lower Elbe and Weser regions. sides, the use of nuclear weapons is Worst hit by the flood catastrophe a normal military calculation; on is the city of Hamburg, which lies USA conquers space neither side has the senselessness of over 100 kilometers from the coast. The USA‘s space program achieves Whole areas of the city stand under mutual nuclear annihilation become three goals: the first orbit of the water. Over 60,000 inhabitants a political perspective. Earth of a manned spacecraft, the south of the Elbe are homeless. first active telecommunications The USSR begins installing medium satellite, Telstar 1, is put into orbit Electricity, gas and water supplies range ballistic missiles with nuclear and Mariner 2 is the first spacecraft fail practically everywhere in the to reach Venus. metropolis of Hamburg. war heads on Cuba; the USA blocks access to the island with 200 vessels; there are isolated skirmishes and one American aircraft is shot down. Literally at the last moment, the leaders, John F. Kennedy for the USA and Nikita Khrushchev for the USSR, come to an agreement to dismantle the missiles in Cuba in ex- change for a no invasion agreement and secret removal of the US missiles in Turkey. The world has just barely escaped a nuclear war.

First disturbances

In the Schwabing quarter of Munich there are violent clashes between youths and the police. Protests against the martial behavior of the police and the dismantling of demo- cratic rights - the political discussion about the Emergency Powers Act has just begun - are precursors of the so-

Storm tide hits Hamburg: the natural disaster that sweeps across wide areas of called student revolt of 1968. northern Germany and hits Hamburg particularly hard, triggers a wave of help and cooperation. Foto: Gerhard Pietsch 1963 Rosenberger faces a new challenge

In addition to the improved machinery, the building is also „Vogelfluglinie“ opens Pope John XXIII dies, modernized and a heating system A new rail and road route from Ham- Paul VI is crowned installed. Negotiations with the burg to Copenhagen is opened with Zahnradfabrik Passau bring the a big public ceremony. The name Pope John XXIII (born Angelo first orders and give rise to expec- of the route is the Vogelfluglinie Giuseppe Roncalli), revered well tations for long-term high volumes (Flying Bird Line) because it follows beyond the Catholic Church, dies on of orders for machining castings the migratory flight path of the gray June 1. Cardinal Giovanni Battista for truck axles. The requirement geese over Fehmarn Island. The core Montini is elected his successor; his for this is a boring machine - a of the route is the 963-meter steel papal name is Paul VI. On June 30, large investment for a small com- arch bridge over the Fehmarnsund, he is crowned. He is the last pope pany. It is ordered on the strength which is opened on April 30 by King to be crowned with the three-tiered of sustained cooperation. Frederik IX. of Denmark and Hein- Papal Tiara. rich Lübke, President of the Federal Turnover equivalent in euros: Republic of Germany. €0.17 million (+18%) Films and television John F. Kennedy: On April 1, the Zweites Deutsches „Ich bin ein Berliner!“ Fernsehen (Second German Televisi- On June 26, during his visit to Ber- on) starts broadcasting. In America, lin, the US president John F. Ken- the film „The Birds“ by Alfred nedy holds the memorable speech in Hitchcock is released. „The Silence“, front of the Schöneberg city hall and a psychodrama by Ingmar Berg- closes it with the German words „Ich man, has its premiere in Germany bin ein Berliner“. and provokes angry public protests Hardly 5 months later, on November because of two short sex scenes. On 22, John F. Kennedy is assassinated July 8, the sketch „Dinner for One“ in Dallas. is first broadcast in the live ARD TV show entitled „Guten Abend Peter Frankenfeld“ (Good Evening Peter Frankenfeld).

Boeing 727 takes off

The Boeing 727 opens a new chapter in civilian aviation. The jet era in air traffic between major cities had started five years earlier with the Boeing 707 and the Caravelle from Sud Aviation, but the Boeing 727 means that smaller airports can also be reached. The Boeing 727 is the first trijet to enter commercial flight service and is regarded as robust, reliable and versatile. Its designers had focused on airports with short landing and takeoff runways and even runways in poor condition, and the low takeoff and landing speeds also make the aircraft suitable for small airports. The first test flight is on February 6, and in the same year the aircraft is officially approved for commercial aviation. A total of 1,831 are built until the end of Talk of the town: it is a hard and toilsome task to push and unload the new drilling production in 1984. machine in the lane. The event attracts many onlookers. 1964 Greatest investment since the foundation

The horizontal boring machine ar- rives. Once again the small compa- ny has to cope with an investment worth half of the previous year‘s turnover. In addition, the coope- ration with ZF Passau demands a better milling machine. Just a few weeks after work starts, orders sud- denly stop. Due to miscalculation of the part of ZF, parts manufac- ture has to be started once again in the main works of ZF Passau in order to maintain employment. Luckily, another customer hears about the free capacity and the machines can be kept running at Rosenberger. The first serially manufactured product:the „Stüpfler“ is Rosenberger‘s first serial product. The three versions are used to stamp Bavarian bread rolls as so-called „Kaiser- Turnover equivalent in euros: semmel“, „Mohnsemmel“ or, as here, „Maurersemmel“. The rise of large-scale bakeries €0.20 million (+19%) in the 1960s makes the „Stüpfler“ superfluous.

The one-millionth End of the Awards

guest worker Khrushchev era The US American Cassius Clay, Mu- hammad Ali after his conversion to The economy of the FRG has been On October 14, the head of the Islam, becomes World Heavyweight growing continuously since the end Soviet Communist Party and Soviet Boxing Champion. Sidney Poitier of the war. Industry is booming, but premier, Nikita S. Khrushchev, is is the first black actor to receive an its need for workers cannot be met removed from office by the central Oscar. He wins the award for his domestically despite the fact that the committee of the CPSU. The acting performance in the filmLilies population has grown significantly growing conflict with China and economic failure are considered to of the Field. The civil rights activist in the 1950s thanks to the high birth be the background to this move. The Martin Luther King (1929-1968) rates („baby boom“) and movement new premier is the former deputy receives the Nobel Peace Prize for of refugees. Therefore, there is syste- prime minister Alexsei N. Kosygin his efforts to end segregation and matic recruitment of foreign labor. (1904-1980), the new party secretary racial discrimination through civil On September 10, the one-millionth is Leonid I. Breschnev (1906-1982), disobedience and other non-violent guest worker arrives in Cologne: Ar- the previous President of the Pre- means. Jean-Paul Sartre is awarded mando Rodriguez (1926-1981) from sidium of the Supreme Soviet and the Nobel Prize for Literature, but he Portugal. The Federal Organization former protégé of Khrushchev. declines it for „personal and objec- of German Employers‘ Associations tive reasons“. welcomes the special train of Portu- guese migrant workers with a brass Olympic year band and presents Rodriguez with a moped upon his arrival. The Winter Olympic Games were held in Innsbruck from January 29 to February 9. From October 10 to 24, over 5,000 athletes from 93 nations take part in the XVIIIth Mini skirt Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. The People‘s Republic of The fashion designer Mary Quant China, Indonesia, North Korea, presents the mini skirt which starts a North Vietnam and South Africa are „revolution in women‘s fashion“. At excluded from the games. For the the same time, the Beatles haircut, last time until 1992, the Germans the trademark of the Beatles pop participate as one nation; they take group, becomes the fashion standard home 10 gold, 22 silver and 18 for men. bronze medals. 1965 Rosenberger on the road to success

The massive investments of the year before have turned the local fitter‘s workshop into a well-esta- blished integrated subcontractor to the machine industry. Parts are finished or remachined for re- nowned customers on a job order basis. Nearby, the rear building of a former printing works can be rented; not exactly an indus- trial hall, but at least space badly needed for working. The versatile range of equipment and the highly motivated skilled workers can ful- fill the already high requirements for precision and quality. Custo- mer satisfaction is reflected in new orders. Thanks to good capacity utilization, a decent profit is made Foto: Sebastian Terfloth on the orders. At the end of the year, the company has no more debts to the bank. Telephoning via satellite Faster from Geneva to On April 6, „Early Bird“ (or Intelsat Turnover equivalent in euros: Turin 1), the first commercial communica- €0.30 million (+48%) tions satellite, is launched on a Delta On July 19, the Mont Blanc Tunnel D rocket from Cape Kennedy. On is officially opened. It is the then June 28, it is activated and from now longest tunnel in the world with a transmits television, telephone and length of 11.6km. Boring started in telefacsimile signals. Charges were 1959; the breakthrough in 1962 was levied for its services. „Early Bird“ with an axis variation of less than has a geostationary position, which 13cm. means that its orbit is synchronous to the rotation of the Earth and it thus appears not to move as seen from the Earth. It is designed to be Football active for only 18 months, but in fact remains in operation for four On September 26, the German years. The operator organization is football team qualifies for the 1966 a consortium of eleven countries World Championship in England founded in 1964 as the Internati- with a 2:1 win over Sweden. This onal Telecommunications Satellite is the first international match for Consortium. The name is changed in Franz Beckenbauer. 1973 to International Telecommuni- cations Satellite Organization with 80 member states and then to Intelsat Student protests in USA after privatization in 2001. On March 15, the USA launches an 200 kph by train operation for the sustained bom- bing of North Vietnam. Napalm As of June 26 and for the duration of Transport exhibition in Munich: the incendiary bombs are used for the the International Transport Exhibi- newly developed E 03 express train loco- first time on a bombing run against tion in Munich, a scheduled express motive is the star of the IVA (Internati- an ammunition depot in Phu Qui. train travels at speeds of over 200 onal Transport Exhibition). Exhibition As a consequence, there are mass kph on the stretch between Munich visitors can travel for the first time at and Augsburg. This is to present the demonstrations in the USA held speeds of over 200 kph in a scheduled new express locomotives of the DB mainly by students protesting against train between Munich and Augsburg. Class 103. the Vietnam War. © elektrlok.de 1966 Rosenberger steps in in Pietling

The „Dumpe“ works in Pietling:the 1950s-style architecture of the works no longer conforms with the ideal of a modern factory and two spectacular insolvencies are not good for the image - nevertheless to see the future of the company here is a courageous entre- preneurial decision.

The Federal Republic of Germa- ny experiences its first economic Haeberlein group Economic crisis recession; the drop in demand hits of companies bankrupt There is a sharp setback in econo- the engineering industry badly; mic activity between fall 1966 and orders are not forthcoming. New In February workers are still being summer 1967. In 1966, the growth customers are difficult to find and sought in the local newspaper for the rate of the gross national product it is worth considering every idea. assembly of devices in the Pietling sinks to 2.8 percent. In 1967, for A potential customer is looking Works; but by the first days of April, the first time in Germany‘s post-war for a manufacturer of toy cannons, the news is out that the group of history, there is no economic growth; but Rosenberger has no automatic companies of Dr. Günther Hae- the gross national product falls by lathes for such small parts. Actual- 0.2 percent. The rate of unemploy- berlein is insolvent. Also affected ly, Hans Rosenberger simply hopes ment rises from 0.7 percent in 1966 alongside the Pietling Works are to be able to purchase a machine to 2.2 percent in 1967. The causes from the bankrupt‘s estate when the headquarters in Munich, the of the crisis, which began to appear he gets in touch with the official Optische Fabrik Kilfitt and other already in 1965, lie in the drop in receiver. But when he sees the companies owned by the entrepre- private and public investment. Even works in Pietling, he realizes the neur. The group has debts to the in spring 1965, the drop in domestic chance of establishing a second tune of DM11 million. orders in the engineering branch is mainstay in the electronics sector noticeable and civil engineering con- to counter the heavy fluctuations The Pietling Works still has a tracts are on the decline since spring in the engineering sector. Alt- considerable backlog of orders; the 1966. More is being produced than hough the customers are not pre- 130 employees can continue to be sold, stocks are piling up, capacities pared to give any firm promises, occupied under the official recei- stand idle and workers are laid off. already in December Rosenberger ver, the lawyer Ralph Löser. The purchases a number of machines and continues part of the produc- aggrieved banks want to keep the Moon landing tion for his own account. factory and its large pool of skilled workers “alive”, hoping, as the local On February 3, the landing of the Turnover equivalent in euros: newspaper reports, for sales proceeds Russian Luna 9 in the Ocean of €0.35 million (+17%) of DM 3 to 4 million. Storms is the first ever soft landing of a probe on the moon.

First nuclear power Crash landing station in Germany The Inspector General of the goes onto the grid Luftwaffe reports to the Defense Committee of the Bundestag that in Germany‘s first commercially used 1965, a total of 26 Starfighter fighter nuclear power station goes onto the planes had crashed causing 15 pilots grid in Rheinsberg/GDR. to lose their lives. 1967 Success with high-frequency connectors

At the beginning, the new business Tittmoning. However, the limping sector brings more worry than economy is aff ecting the enginee- Concerted action joy. Although the industrial ring industry in particular and Upon the initiative of the German agent Joachim Philippi, who as the customers take contracted Federal Minister for the Economy, was responsible for the sales of work back into their own works Karl Schiller, representatives of em- the Haeberlein connectors, is to maintain their own workforces, ployee and employer associations and also operating for Rosenberger, the job order workers are hit even of the economic advisory council orders are slow in coming. More harder. At the very moment of come together for the fi rst time with machines and plant have to be greatest expansion (relatively spea- members of the German Federal purchased to keep operations king), there is suddenly no work. parliament for informal talks on the running, including electroplating. „Concerted Action“ that is designed Diff erent to the job order machi- Finally, the turnover with con- to fi ght the recession. ning of parts, stocks also have to nectors is almost as high as for be fi nanced. And customers want the machining of parts. Th e total to be courted, the products have only just tops the previous year‘s Heart transplantation to be well presented. Th e fi rst price fi gures, but the worst has been sur- list for high-frequency connectors vived, the name of Rosenberger is On December 3, Dr. Christiaan Bar- goes into print; the company, now soon to become established among nard performs the fi rst human heart „Hans Rosenberger Maschinenbau experts. transplant in Cape Town. Th e opera- – Feinmechanik – Elektronik“ gets tion is successful, but the patient dies its own logo. Turnover equivalent in euros: 18 days later of pneumonia. €0.39 million (+11%) Now the work is spread over two sites: in Pietling a greatly reduced 6-Day War team continues with the manuf- in the Middle East acture of connectors on premises leased by the offi cial receiver. Th e Th e 6-Day War between Israel and banks are still trying to sell the the Arab states of Egypt, Jordan and site, but the price is still unaff orda- Syria lasts from June 5 to June 10. ble for Rosenberger. Th e machi- Th is is the third Arab-Israeli war in ning of parts is still running in the Middle East confl ict after the War of Liberation (1948) and the Suez Crisis (1956).

Shah visit: demonstrator dies On June 2, riots break out in Berlin during a demonstration against the visit of the Shah of Persia. Upon the command of Berlin‘s Chief of Police to „draw truncheons and clear“, po- licemen start to beat demonstrators and onlookers arbitrarily in front of the „Deutsche Oper“ opera building. Th e 26-year-old student Benno Ohnesorg is shot by a policeman in the turmoil.

Color television Th e German television broadcasting companies ARD and ZDF enter the Th e fi rst Rosenberger price list for RF connectors: selling connectors for RF tech- era of color television. On August nology demands a diff erent corporate image to that for integrated subcontracting in 25, the live television show „Th e engineering. A separate trademark and a price list for the major series products are the Golden Shot“ is the fi rst program to beginning of successful sales activities. be broadcast in color. 1968 Rosenberger purchases Pietling Works

The works seen from above:nothing has changed much to the buildings since the aerial photograph from the early 1950s, just the trees have grown in the meantime. Purchasing the factory site is an enormous financial effort for the young company.

The factory premises are still for organization of operations and an sale; the space where Rosenberger office for receiving and processing Gold backing establishes a factory for the manuf- orders. Absolutely necessary is to of Western currencies acture of high-frequency connec- win more orders for the job order tors is leased with a week‘s notice. machining of parts for which a removed The chaos is hardly imaginable horizontal milling machine is if someone were to purchase the procured. On March 17, the central banks factory to manufacture a different of the Western countries formally product there. On the other hand, In October, the banks give up rescind their obligation to back their such a small company can hardly their hopes of getting a price of national currencies primarily with earn enough over a reasonable millions for the factory site. The gold. The gold standard is thus drop- period of time to pay the purchase major part of the site along with ped. On March 18, the US Congress price sought by the banks. the buildings already being used is passes a law removing the internal sold to Rosenberger. All the com- backing of the American currency After the stop in 1967, the eco- pany and private means have to be with gold. nomy begins to pick up again. mobilized and a loan taken from More investments are made in the bank, but then the factory is equipment, but initially only in standing on irredeemable land. what is absolutely necessary. These The new price list published on End of the are tools, chucking devices and August 1 already confidently bore Prague Spring testing instruments. Quality and the works address in Pietling. precision are the requirements for On August 21 and 22, military units winning and retaining the trust Turnover equivalent in euros: from five Warsaw Pact states inclu- and loyalty of customers. Also, ab- €0.50 million (+28%) ding the National People‘s Army of solutely necessary is the functional the GDR occupy the CSSR by force. This puts a violent end to the Prague Spring, an experiment in democra- tizing the party, state and economy Introduction of Supersonic in an Eastern bloc country. In spring value added tax passenger aircraft 1968, the Czechoslovak communist party under Alexander Dubček At the beginning of the year, the attempted to introduce a program of gross sales tax is replaced by the value On December 31, the first superso- liberalization and democratization. added tax in the Federal Republic of nic passenger aircraft, the Tupolew A rapidly developing critical public Germany. The rate starts off at 10%. Tu-144, makes its maiden flight, had influenced and supported these In addition, the income threshold for three months ahead of the French compulsory insurance is abolished Concorde. The Tu-144 first reaches attempted reforms. The designati- for salaried employees whereby their supersonic speed on June 5, 1969. on „Prague Spring“ is taken from pension insurance is adjusted to the the music festival bearing the same valid regulations for wage earners. name. 1969 Reaching capacity limits

1969 is a challenge for both need connectors, also those from on housings for the Zahnradfabrik engineering and radio frequency Pietling. Passau; a separate hall is needed technology. The production capa- for this and the previously unused cities of the engineering industry Investments are focused on former employees‘ community hall are at their limits, so the demand modernizing the buildings and of the Dumpe company, jokingly for external subcontractors that infrastructure and on improving known as the „opera house“, is can machine and finish parts is the manufacturing equipment. just the right size. Therefore, in correspondingly high. Increasingly In particular, production in the September, the remainder of the more large companies are imple- finishing of turned connector parts factory site is purchased from the menting computer systems for can be increased through auto- bankrupt‘s estate. processing their data; the com- mation and specialization and at puter families of IBM 360 and the same time the quality can be Turnover equivalent in euros: Siemens 4004 together with the improved. And there is a new op- €0.82 million (+64%) appropriate peripheral equipment portunity for the engineering unit also enable economic solutions for that has moved to Pietling in the business tasks. Computer centers meantime: finishing of transmissi-

A giant leap First Jumbo flight... for mankind... On February 9, the to date largest The USA win the space race: on July airliner, the Boeing 747 „Jumbo 20, the US American lunar module Jet“, makes its first test flight. It „Eagle“ makes a soft landing on the is designed initially to carry 385 Moon at 21.17 Central European passengers. Over the years, more Time. Over 500 million TV viewers than 1,500 747s were built in many around the world see live how the different versions. The current 747-8 US American Neil Armstrong climbs version is still being built today. down the steps a few hours later. On July 21, at 3.56 CET, he is the first man to set foot on the Moon. In ...and later start doing so he utters his famous phrase: „That‘s one small step for a man, one On February 5, the Federal Cabinet giant leap for mankind.“ of the FRG approves the Airbus pro- 20 minutes later Edwin Aldrin also ject. A mid-range, wide-body aircraft leaves the lunar module. Once the is to be planned and built together US flag has been hoisted, the astro- with France and Great Britain. On nauts set up a small research device May 16, the Munich company Messerschmidt-Bölkow GmbH of the EASEP (Early Apollo Scientific merges with the Hamburg company Experiment Package) on the Moon. Flugzeugwerke GmbH to form the Among other things, a seismometer aerospace company Messerschmitt- is intended to record data on tremors Bölkow-Blohm GmbH (MBB). on the Moon‘s surface. However, the device does not survive the first lunar night. A laser reflector on the surface Trade fair stand: permits precise measurement of the De Gaulle gives up presence at the „electronica“ exhibition distance between the Moon and the in Munich is part of the new company Earth. In addition, soil samples were The French president, Charles de image. Rosenberger has had a stand there taken and 21.6 kg of rocks collected. Gaulle, resigns from office follow- since 1967, which was initially shared The first walk on the Moon lasted ing his defeat in a referendum on with another Bavarian precision mecha- nics manufacturer to save costs. two and a half hours. governmental reforms. 1970 „The Uncompleted“ becomes production hall

When Rolf Dumpe erected a hea- ting system fittings factory in the open countryside a few years after the war and he was granted a gene- rous credit for his apparently flou- rishing business, he constructed a hall for the employees, 150 at the best of times. It was to be used as a meeting and dining hall, but also fitted with a large stage; it was his idea to hold guest theater produc- tions and concerts there and also show films. This dream was never realized, because the financial means were already exhausted by 1951 and Dumpe declared bankruptcy at the end of that year. The „opera house“ was finished except for the interior furnishings, but stood there unused even in the years under Günther Haeberlein.

With little conversion needed, the large hall is ideal for the effici- ent production of transmission housings. However, it is necessary Peace and quiet in the „hut“: after the engineering activities are moved completely to to build a power plant and install Pietling, peace and quiet returns to the old workshop. It is now used as a garage. a heating system and industrial infrastructure in the building. A parking lot and loading bay for trucks that are to arrive every day Terrorism in Germany Vietnam War extended with unfinished parts from Passau and leave again for Passau with On May 14, Andreas Baader is freed On April 30, Richard Nixon, Pre- finished housings are also needed. after being sentenced in October sident of the USA, commands the Yet another fortune is invested in 1968 for department store arson. special machines for the transmis- This crime is generally considered US troops to march into Cambodia sion housings. However, produc- to be the first act of terrorism of the from South Vietnam. The aim to cut tion starts in the very same year. „Red Army Fraction“ (RAF). Baader off the so-called Ho-Chi-Minh Trail was transferred to the German and weaken the FNL liberation front The connector business is running Central Institute for Social Affairs in is not achieved. well, but the development capacity Berlin, because the journalist Ulrike of the company is not quite up to Meinhof had given to believe that the expectations of the customers she wanted to write a book with him to ensure that they are included in on children from orphanages. On good time in new developments. this occasion he is freed by force of Death of Jimi Hendrix The growth in turnover is therefore arms. Georg Linke, an employee of carried by the engineering unit in and Janis Joplin the institute, is severely wounded. 1970. On September 18, the rock musician Turnover equivalent in euros: Death of Jimi Hendrix dies in London as €1.1 million (+37%) a result excessive consumption of Charles De Gaulle alcohol combined with sleeping pills. On November 9, the former French The 27-year-old is considered one of president Charles de Gaulle dies of a the best guitar players in the world heart attack at his country residence and a recognized rock idol. Janis in Colombey-les-deux-Églises/Lor- Joplin dies on October 4 from an raine. overdose of heroin. 1971 An important minor matter

Following the enormous invest- ments of the startup years, 1971 is comparatively quiet for Rosenber- ger; the economy as a whole is in fact going through a second slump since 1967, but thanks to its numerous customers in different sectors, Rosenberger‘s turnover is still enjoying two-figure growth.

Investments concentrate on modernizing the equipment and extending the range of tools. Elec- troplating is also adapted to meet the latest requirements; for the first time layer thicknesses can be measured non-destructively.

The procurement of the so-called Electroplating extended: without changing the exterior, the electroplating shop is data plan table for just DM 1,000 renovated and modernized to meet technical demands and environmental protection seems a minor matter, but behind regulations. it is the ever present striving to maintain an overview at all times Driving on the moon Floating on Earth of the company‘s entire logistics with the best available means. On July 26, Apollo 15 with astro- The minor matter also shows that nauts David Scott, Alfred Worden On May 6, the aerospace concern employees‘ ideas for improving and James Irwin takes off for the Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm transparency are understood and Moon. In the meantime, lack (MBB) presents the world‘s first encouraged by the management. of funds has reduced the Apollo magnetic levitation train on a test program from 20 to 17 flights. track near Munich. Turnover equivalent in euros: Compared to Apollo 14, the lunar €1.3 million (+19%) module LM-10 on this mission is greatly improved and permits a lon- ger stay on the Moon. Furthermore, Underground railway a lunar vehicle is also on board (LRV in Munich - Lunar Roving Vehicle). Thanks to the improved life-support systems (PLSS) of the space suits, astronauts On October 19, the Munich under- can stay in the vacuum of space for ground railway system starts opera- longer periods of time and cover ting on the first line, the U6 running large distances on the Moon. They 12 km between the Kieferngarten return with about 75 kg of lunar and Goetheplatz stations. Regular rocks for scientific purposes. underground railway operations were originally scheduled for 1974, but construction was accelerated because Nobel Prize of the Olympics. Munich thus becomes the third city in Germany for Willy Brandt to operate an underground railway On December 10, the Federal after Berlin (February 18, 1902) and German Chancellor Willy Brandt Hamburg (February 15, 1912). is awarded the Noble Peace Prize in Oslo. The chancellor‘s „Ostpolitik“ is considered to be a contribution Women‘s right to vote to overcoming the confrontation between the power blocks in Europe. Brandt is thus the first German to On February 7, a referendum grants receive the Nobel Peace Prize after women in Switzerland passive and World War II. active suffrage at national level. 1972 Time for a breather

For the first time since the com- The terrorists take eleven of the Isra- Cheerful games pany was founded, the turnover is eli delegation hostage, two of whom down, above all in the engineering – bitter end are shot at the very beginning. The section. Furthermore, amortization terrorists demand the release of 232 is higher than investments that are TheXX Olympic Games are held in Palestinians held in Israeli prisons primarily for modernization of the Munich from August 26 to Septem- and also the release of the German equipment. Business continues to ber 11, 1972. Most of the competi- terrorists Andreas Baader and Ulrike run profitably, debts are paid off. Meinhof. When the German autho- tions are held in the Olympic Park in rities, who are completely overwhel- Munich where the Olympic Stadium Turnover equivalent in euros: med, make a rescue attempt at the €1.2 million (-12%) is the central arena. The Munich military airport of Fürstenfeldbruck, games set up a new record with 122 all the remaining hostages, five terro- participating teams and more than rists and one German police officer 7,000 athletes. are killed. The Olympic events are suspended for one day after the Nobel Prize They are meant to be cheerful death of the Israeli athletes. After for Heinrich Böll games. Security is toned down on a memorial service in the Olympic Stadium, the IOC president Avery purpose in order to demonstrate On December 10, Heinrich Böll re- Brundage has the games continued the positive change in Germany ceives the Nobel Prize for Literature with the phrase „The games must go since the Olympic Games of 1936. in Stockholm. The Nobel Prize for on!“. On the morning of September 5, a Peace is not awarded this year. group of eight Palestinian terrorists The outstanding athlete of the games of the Black September organization is the US American swimmer Mark Spitz who wins seven gold medals. Watergate Affair break into the Olympic Village. The gymnast Karin Janz from the They are armed with semi-automatic German Democratic Republic is On June 17, police apprehended weapons and without any effort the most successful German athlete five men attempting to break into overpower the Israeli athletes in their winning two gold, two silver and one the Democratic party offices in the lodgings. bronze medal. Watergate Hotel in Washington. All the men were either directly or indirectly employees of Republican President Richard M. Nixon‘s reelec- tion committee. In the course of the „Watergate Affair“ more and more employees of the US president come under political pressure and finally Nixon himself.

Waldheim Secretary-General of the United Nations

On January 1, Kurt Waldheim becomes Secretary-General of the United Nations. Waldheim, Doctor of Laws, was previously a diplomat in Paris, Toronto and New York and the Foreign Minister of Austria from 1968 to 1970. After serving as Secre- tary-General from 1972 to 1981, he is elected President of Austria despite sharp criticism of his role in the Olympics city of Munich: the sporting event is to present Germany as a modern, cosmopolitan, successful and at the same time friendly country. Third Reich. 1973 Weak economy

In this year, too, the growth in the connector business cannot quite balance out the recession in the precision mechanics and enginee- ring sections. However, the neces- sary investments can be made and the workforce retained apart from unreplaced fluctuation. While the Germany economy slumps into its first lasting recession as a result of the oil crisis, there is already a renewed increase in demand for connectors.

Turnover equivalent in euros: €1.2 million (-3%)

Oil crisis

On October 17, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Coun- tries (OAPEC) increases the price of Manufacturing in crowded space: a view of the machine group in the new works crude oil by 70% (from about US$ shows that working space is rare here too. 3 to over US$ 5) in order to apply pressure against the pro-Israel poli- Yom Kippur War Military putsch in Chile tics of the western nations. Two days later it imposes an oil embargo on all The „Yom Kippur War“ begins on Military putsch in Chile: the nations with pro-Israel leanings. This democratically elected government October 6, the most solemn and im- means that the USA and the Nether- of Salvador Allende falls victim to a portant of the Jewish holidays, with lands are no longer supplied with military putsch led by Augusto Pino- a surprise attack by Egypt and Syria crude oil and the Federal Republic chet and initiated and supported by of Germany only receives 75% of in the Sinai and Golan Heights, cap- the CIA, the foreign secretive service of the USA. Allende commits suicide previous amounts. tured by Israel six years before during on September 11 in the Presidential the Six-Day War. The Egyptians and On November 23, the Federal Repu- Palace that is being bombarded by Syrians advance during the first 48 blic of Germany stops recruitment the Chilean air force. The military hours, after which momentum of the of guest workers from non-EU carrying out the putsch arrest and war begins to swing in Israel‘s favor, kill about 3,000 Chileans alone in countries. The decision is justified by the first days of the putsch. the „employment crisis arising from who first have to mobilize their the oil crisis“. troops. By the second week of the war, the Syrians have been pushed On November 25, following the En- Vietnam War ends entirely out of the Golan Heights. ergy Saving Law passed on Novem- In the Sinai, the Israeli armed forces On January 15, upon orders of US ber 9, an order banning driving on President Richard M. Nixon, the advance across the Suez Canal (the Sundays and imposing speed limits USA cease all acts of war against old ceasefire line). A United Nations comes into force. For the first time, North Vietnam. The last US troops cars and trucks are no longer allowed ceasefire ends the fourth Arab-Israeli are evacuated from Vietnam by to drive without special permission. war on October 24. March 29. 1974 Radio frequency overtakes engineering

A sharp increase in connector business ensures good capaci- ty utilization despite a further drop in the engineering section. The machining of transmission housings for Zahnradfabrik Passau also proves to have a stabilizing effect in weak years. For the first time, routine business tasks are performed by computer and orders transmitted by telex. In November, the first connector catalog with Rosenberger order numbers is issu- ed, already with the collaboration of Hans Rosenberger jun.

Turnover equivalent in euros: €1.5 million (+31%)

Setback in the economy

In 1974, Germany has to pay about DM 17 billion more than the year before for its oil imports. This oil The first catalog:for the first time, the whole range of products is shown in an illus- price shock results in a reduction in trated catalog with own product numbers. The products are now designated with the economic activity. The rate of infla- trademark RT that stands for „Rosenberger Tittmoning“. tion rises in all western countries; Germany‘s 7 percent is still relatively Nixon resigns Collapse of the small. The fear of rising prices On August 9, the US American pre- Herstatt Bank leads to excessive wage agreements; sident Richard M. Nixon announces for example, after a strike of civil his resignation as a consequence of On June 26, the Federal Banking servants, the Bundestag (German the „Watergate Affair“. He is succee- Supervisory Office in West Berlin parliament) granted a pay rise of ded by Gerald R. Ford. withdraws permission to continue 11 percent backdated to January 1. banking operations from the private The Federal German Bank reacts by Cologne banking house of Iwan hiking key interest rates. Attempts by Resignation of German D. Herstatt. High losses in foreign other countries to counter inflation Chancellor Willy Brandt exchange trading and fraudulent through trade restrictions lead to activities of managers have led to the reduced growth in the economy, On May 6, the Federal German biggest bank failure since the econo- dissatisfaction in the population and Chancellor Willy Brandt resigns mic crash of 1929. The collapse of the bank and the associated savers‘ an unstable political climate. Rising suddenly under the pressure of the Guillaume affair. Shortly before, loss of trust in private banking prices and interest rates coupled with on April 24, Günter Guillaume, organizations adversely affects many stagnating performance erode the personal assistant to the chancellor, more banking houses. high pay rises and the term stagflati- is exposed as East German spy. In his on is coined for this state. letter of resignation Brandt explains that he accepts full responsibility „for The oil crisis and the following Germany becomes the acts of negligence“ in connection slump in the economy mark the end with the affair. A chancellor must not world football of economic miracle. Subsequently, be „open to blackmail“. On May 16, champion previously almost unknown pheno- the Federal German parliament elects mena arise: short-time work, unem- Helmut Schmidt Federal German A 2:1 victory over The Netherlands ployment, increased social spending, Chancellor. The social-liberal coaliti- in the Munich Olympic Stadium inflation, national debt, strikes and on is continued. The new vice chan- assures the hosting German team the spectacular bankruptcies. cellor is Hans-Dietrich Genscher. title of world football champion. 1975 Progress in all areas

The oil crisis and its consequences Also in radio frequency techno- Turnover equivalent in euros: is overcome, the order situation is logy, Rosenberger is gradually €1.7 million (+13%) improving rapidly in engineering, being recognized as a supplier and in particular in the machining of already nearly 1% (!) of orders are transmission housings. from abroad.

Works excursion to the Wachau: the works excursion is on the annual Rosenberger agenda until the mid-1980s when five buses are no longer enough for all the employees. A particularly popular destination is the Wachau, Austria, which was visited with enthusiasm three times.

Terror and terrorist trial remaining hostages and arrest the Ozone hole terrorists. Although Germany has yet to await According to US American scientists, On May 21, the trial of the leading the strangest attacks of the terror the Earth‘s ozone layer is in danger. groups centered around the „Red members of the „Baader-Meinhof The ozone layer protects against the Army Fraction“, 1975 is dominated Gang“, Ulrike Meinhof, Andreas ultraviolet rays of the sun, which can by the rule of law‘s fight against Baader, Jan Carl Raspe and Gudrun terrorism. On February 27, the Ensslin begins in Stuttgart-Stamm- cause skin cancer. In the long term, chairman of the West Berlin CDU, heim. As leaders of the first genera- destruction of the ozone layer can Peter Lorenz, is kidnapped by the tion of the Red Army Fraction, they cause climate changes. In particular, „June 2 Movement“ in the middle of are responsible for 4 murders and it is the propellant gas in spray cans the election campaign for the office 54 attempted murders. The trials that depletes the ozone layer. of mayor of Berlin. The kidnappers are held before the Higher Regio- demand the release of five members nal Court Stuttgart. For the trials, of different terrorist groups. For the first and last time demands are met a court building is built for DM and the five prisoners are flown out 12 million on the Stuttgart prison End of the Franco to the People‘s Republic of Yemen. grounds. Lorenz is released on March 5. dictatorship in Spain On April 24, the Germany embassy Five DMark coins On November 20, the Spanish in Stockholm is attacked by terrorists head of state, General Francisco of the „Holger Meins Commando“. made of steel Franco, dies in Madrid at the age of The aim is to free 26 imprisoned 82. Franco‘s death ends 36 years of members of the Red Army Fraction. The material for the production of dictatorship in Spain. The successor, The Federal German government the 5 DM coin is changed from silver refuses to meet the demands. Two to a steel alloy, because the produc- Prince Juan Carlos, has been appoin- members of the embassy are then tion costs were higher than the actual ted ever since 1969. On November killed. The police is able to free the value of the coin. 22, he is proclaimed King of Spain. 1976 New markets

Computer centers in large enter- prises, increasingly more computer workplaces even in small and medium-sized companies, nume- rical control of industrial plant, digital switching in telephony, miniaturization through semi- conductor technology - a whole series of pathfinder developments present connector technology with new tasks. Slot cards enable the construction of devices with different functions on one uniform backplane; a mixed card-edge con- nector is needed for simultaneous transmission of high-frequency Connector generation DIN 41626: Rosenberger participates with several customers and low-frequency signals and in the development of mixed card-edge connectors in compliance with DIN 41626. for high-load power conductors. The characteristic spring ring is a manufacturing challenge. A new system featuring high connection reliability, stability and diversity is made standard New start Death penalty in compliance with DIN 41612. for democracy in Spain reinstated in the USA Rosenberger is involved in the development of the coaxial com- In July, King Juan Carlos I charges The Supreme Court once again ponents for this system through Adolfo Suárez with forming an permits the death penalty in the several customers. interim government and dismantling USA after it had been abolished in 1972 because of insufficient legal Not only technical new ground the structures of the Franco era. The regulations in individual states. wins new orders. Contacts to po- largely unknown politician pushes tential customers abroad smooth through the admission of trade uni- the way for future growth. Whilst ons and political parties, obliges the still a student, Hans Rosenberger military to hold back and proposes jun. flies to Sweden for the first a democratic constitution that is ac- Push-button telephones time to awaken the interest of po- cepted by referendum in December. tential customers for Rosenberger in Germany products. On June 15, 1977 free elections are held in Spain for the first time since On November 15, the German Turnover equivalent in euros: 1936, which Suárez wins with the Federal Post Office presents the first €1.9 million (+14%) center-right formation of the Unión push-button telephones in West Ber- de Centro Democrático. lin. They are to replace the conven- tional rotary dial telephones in the Federal Republic of Germany. Pol Pot reign of terror in Cambodia

On April 4, the leader of the radical Seveso disaster communist Khmer Rouge, Khieu On July 10, an explosion in a Samphan, replaces Prince Noro- chemical plant in Seveso, Upper dom Sihanuk as head of state in Oetker kidnapping Italy, turns into one of the greatest Cambodia. The residing Secretary environmental disasters of the cen- General of the Khmer Rouge, Pol The brutal kidnapping of the indus- tury. Highly toxic TCDD (dioxin) Pot, is appointed prime minister. It is released, which even in small trialist son Richard Oetker causes a is estimated that up to two million amounts causes chemical burning of commotion. On December 16, Oet- people are killed during the course the skin, damage to internal organs, ker is released for a record ransom of of the ensuing radical reformation of damage to unborn life and induces DM 21 million. the state and society. alteration of genes. 1977 Rationalization in the office

The procurement of a Nixdorf expanding connector business and computer with peripheral equip- the engineering unit, which is now „German Autumn“ ment for multi-user operation is also manufacturing motorcycle A series of abominable terrorist the big investment of the year. parts for Zündapp-Werk, make attacks carried out by groups from Accounting and payroll accoun- this expensive purchase necessary. within the circles of the „Red Army ting and other routine business Fraction“ rocks Germany, but the tasks can now be handled in a Turnover equivalent in euros: state is no longer as vulnerable as in modern, efficient way. Both the €2.3 million (+23%) 1972. The events:

On April 7, the Chief Federal Prosecutor, Siegfried Buback, is shot along with his driver on the streets of Karlsruhe.

On July 30, Jürgen Ponto, the head of Dresdner Bank, is assailed in his Taunus villa and because he resists his attempted kidnapping he is shot by the terrorists Christian Klar and Brigitte Mohnhaupt.

On September 5, Hanns-Martin Schleyer, then president of the Con- federation of German Employers‘ Associations and president of the Federation of German Industries, is kidnapped by terrorists in Cologne. Schleyer‘s driver and three security Nixdorf terminal and Apple II: mainframe computers as found at the headquarters officers are shot. The kidnappers of major concerns are unaffordable for medium-sized businesses and the first personal dispatch video tapes of the their computers are not yet ready to take on the multiple tasks. This is the big era of Nixdorf prisoner to the press and demand computers. Nixdorf also moves in at Rosenberger. the release of eleven imprisoned terrorists. Neckermann no longer Apple PC On October 13, Palestinian terrorists hijack the Lufthansa airliner „Lands- makes it possible for the desktop hut“ to Mogadishu (Somalia) with The American company „Apple“, the aim of reinforcing the demands On July 1, at the last shareholders‘ founded on April 1, 1976 by Steve of the Schleyer kidnappers for the meeting of Neckermann KGaA, the Jobs and Steve Wozniak, launches release of the imprisoned members mail order house, which had become the „Apple II“ on the market, the of the RAF. Five days later, the GSG an icon of the German economic first personal computer that comes 9 special unit of the Federal German miracle with its slogan „Neckermann complete with keyboard and mo- Border Guard succeed in storming makes it possible“, is taken over nitor. the „Landshut“ in Mogadishu and by Karstadt and is thus saved from free the hostages. On the same day, insolvency. The drastic decline in three of the terrorists sentenced to demand for consumer goods after life imprisonment - Baader, Ensslin the oil crisis and unfortunate entre- and Raspe - commit suicide in the preneurial decisions have driven the Stuttgart-Stammheim prison. concern deep into losses. On October 19, Hanns-Martin Schleyer is found dead in the trunk Jimmy Carter of a car in Mulhouse (Alsace, France) president of the USA after receipt of a letter from the kidnappers claiming responsibility. A On January 20, the democrat James dragnet operation is launched in the Earl Carter is sworn in as 39th presi- Federal Republic of Germany for 16 dent of the USA. He replaces Gerald known terrorists accused of murde- Ford in office. ring Buback, Ponto and Schleyer. Foto: Marcin Wichary 1978 Ready for large-scale production

Th e technical and business prepa- ratory work begins to take eff ect. Companies like Siemens and Ericsson are ordering a signifi cant percentage of their annual require- ments for specifi c connectors from Rosenberger. Production is geared up to large-scale production. Th e fi rst Tornos six-spindle automatic lathe is procured and a burring and electropolishing plant, an automatic counting weigher plus a complete range of measuring and monitoring tools speed up produc- First advertisements tion processes. In addition, a waste in Sweden: water purifi er is added to the elec- Rosenberger adver- troplating decontamination plant. tises for the fi rst time Th is fulfi lls all the environmental in a trade journal requirements for the time being. in Sweden. Th e miniature connectors For the fi rst time, a great part are presented in of the connector deliveries are a convincing size abroad; exports in general go up comparison with the from 1% to 11% of the total tur- common housefl y. nover. An advertisement appears in a trade magazine in Sweden for the fi rst time. Domestic sales are grow- „Three-pope year“ Argentina becomes ing strongly too and the Zündapp world football business is increasing to such an On August 6, Pope Paul VI dies in extent that it largely compensates Castel Gandolfo. On August 26, the champion the drops in the other engineering Patriarch of Venice, Cardinal Albino On June 26, the host nation Argenti- areas. Luciano, is elected his successor as na wins the fi nal of the world football Pope John Paul I. After just 34 days championship in Buenos Aires. Title- holder Germany is not among the last Turnover equivalent in euros: in offi ce, Pope John Paul I dies sud- €2.8 million (+21%) four after losing 2:3 to Austria. denly on September 28. His pontifi - cate is the shortest in the history of the Roman Catholic church. Rumors „The Greens“ that John Paul I is possibly victim of become a political party a conspiracy or even assassination are On July 11, the environmental expert denied by the Vatican. According the Herbert Gruhl leaves the CDU/CSU doctors, John Paul I died of a heart fraction and on July 13 founds the ecological party „Grüne Aktion Zu- attack. On October 16, the Polish kunft“ (GAZ) or „Green Campaign Cardinal Karol Józef Wojtyła, Ar- Golf pushes out for the Future“. In the Bavarian state chbishop of Krakow, is elected new elections, together with regional al- the Beetle pope. Pope John Paul II is the fi rst ternative groups, the GAZ campaigns On January 29, the last VW „Beetle“ non-Italian pope for 455 years. for the fi rst time as „Th e Greens“. to be manufactured in Germany runs off the line in the Emden Austria votes works. On April 10, Volkswagen AG Frequency bands opens an assembly plant in Westmo- against nuclear power reland County (Pennsylvania), which reshuffl ed In a referendum held on November builds the Rabbit model (the export 5, Austria decides by a slim majority On November 23, the Geneva version of the Golf) from supplied of 50.47% against the commissio- parts. VW is thus the fi rst foreign Frequency Plan enters into force for ning of the Zwentendorf nuclear automobile company to build cars in aligning radio broadcasting in the power plant that is standing ready the USA. long and medium wave bands. for operation. 1979 Cultivating the image

Over the years, the old buildings of the Dumpe Fittings Factory are gradually modernized and fitted and furnished appropriately to meet demands. Now, two sales and manager offices receive a prestigious facelift to give a stylish welcome to visitors wishing to get a picture of the works‘ capacities. The equipment continues to be upgraded for large-scale produc- tion.

Turnover equivalent in euros: €3.1 million (+9%)

Trade fair stand: since the mid-1970s, Rosenberger has had its own separate stand at the „electronica“. It is designed with the trademark and the same group of connectors as on the catalog.

Islamic Revolution Europe On January 16, the Shah of Persia, begins to take shape Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, leaves Iran On March 13, the European after reigning for almost 38 years. At Council puts the European Currency the end of 1978, the dissatisfaction System (ECS) into effect. All the EU of the people with the autocratic partners with the exception of Great system of rule escalates to mass de- Britain participate in the monetary monstrations and rioting reminiscent union with fixed exchange rates of civil war. Statute of limitations within agreed limits. From June 7 to On February 1, Ayatollah Ruhol- 10, members of the European Parlia- no longer applies lah Khomeini comes out of exile ment are elected directly for the first to murder and returns to Teheran where he is time. The Socialists are the strongest received by millions of enthusiastic fraction with 112 seats followed by On July 3, the Bundestag abolishes Iranians. In the eyes of many Shia the Christian Democrats with 106, the statute of limitations for murder Muslims he is the God-sent savior the Conservatives with 63 and the thus enabling newly discovered Nazi of the nation. After initial internal Communists with 44 seats. war criminals to be pursued. conflicts and fighting, the army declared itself neutral and paved Doubts about the Margaret Thatcher the way for a new form of state. Khomeini asserts his concept of state safety of nuclear power is Prime Minister elaborated in exile - the „rule of the After the accident at the Three Mile Supreme Leader“ in accordance with of Great Britain Island nuclear power plant near the concept of Guardianship of the On May 3, in the elections for the Harrisburg/Pennsylvania on March Islamic Jurists - against supporters of British House of Commons, the 28, when there is a partial core a secular democracy. On March 31, a Conservatives win a landslide victo- meltdown in Unit 2 of the nuclear referendum is held and an overwhel- ry. Their party chairperson Margaret power plant and about one third ming majority accepts the constituti- Thatcher becomes the first woman of the reactor core is destroyed, the on that appoints Khomeini Supreme prime minister of Great Britain. German Federal Cabinet decides to Leader and constitutes the theocratic check the safety concept for German Islamic Republic of Iran. Saddam Hussein nuclear power plants. Prior to this On November 4, Revolutionary Gu- there are large-scale demonstrations is President of Iraq ards occupy the American Embassy by opponents of nuclear power; in On July 16, Iraq‘s President Ahmad in Teheran and take embassy diplo- Hanover at least 40,000 demons- Hasan al-Bakr resigns from office. mats hostage. The occupiers demand trators protest against the planned Saddam Hussein succeeds him. extradition of the toppled Shah. nuclear waste depot of Gorleben. 1980 Sales

The Commercial Administration Department:from the very beginning, Frau Käthe Rosenberger is responsible for the accounting and order processing. Her two daughters, Christa (not shown) and Beate (in front in photo on the right) successfully completed their commercial apprenticeships in the company under the tutorship of their mother. Christa later goes on to be a teacher and Beate runs her own company. In the background of the running and quality are the priorities. To operations, a far-reaching change meet them, (quite considerable) Russia steps up is coming: Hans Rosenberger jun. investments are concentrated Afghanistan War is becoming increasingly more in- on automation of the finishing volved in the sales and marketing processes, high precision machines The Soviet military launches a major of radio frequency connectors alt- for manufacturing cutting tools, offensive in Afghanistan. This was hough he is still working towards a new compressed air unit and completing his studies at the same extension of the electroplating preceded by a civil war between time. The industry representative plant including decontamination, the Moslem Mujaheddin and the who was responsible for domestic recuperation of metal and preven- „Democratic People‘s Party of business even during Günther tion of water pollution. Afghanistan“ that had taken over Haeberlein‘s time is now no longer the government in 1978 and wants needed. Now Mr. Rosenberger 1980 is also a good year for the meets customers and appears at engineering section. The capacities to bring Afghanistan closer to the trade fairs himself, makes note of achieved during the previous years Eastern bloc. The secularization and technical developments, inquires through constant modernization the expulsion of former privileged about current projects, deals with are now producing record turnover groups had fired broad resistance complaints personally, makes without any spectacular purchases supported by the CIA. The occupa- contacts and engenders trust. Cu- being necessary. stomers‘ expectations are reflected tion is condemned by Western and in the further development of Turnover equivalent in euros: Islamic nations. It overshadows the the factory: precision, cleanliness €3.8 million (+24%) Summer Olympic Games of 1980 (Moscow/Tallinn), which are boy- Bomb attack Iran conflict escalates cotted by many states including the Federal Republic of Germany. at the Oktoberfest On April 25, US president Carter On September 26, a bomb attack at announces the failure of a military the Munich Oktoberfest kills 13 and action. Eight people die in the un- injures 219. The suspected assassin, a Export giant Japan right-wing extremist, also dies. successful attempt to free 53 hostages held by radical Moslem students With 5.46 million vehicles built in Strauß does not become in the US embassy in Teheran. On the first half of 1980, the Japanese September 12, the revolutionary topple the USA from the first place Federal German leader of Iran, Khomeini, announces as manufacturer of automobiles Chancellor the conditions for release of the worldwide. Japan also shocks the In the elections for the 9th Federal hostages: handover of the fortune competition with enormous export German parliament held on October of the ex-Shah Mohammad Resa figures: over half of the low-cost, 5, the CDU/CSU (Conservative par- Pahlewi, who died on July 27; release low-consumption vehicles are ma- ty) wins 44.5% of the votes, the SPD of the Iranian accounts frozen in the nufactured for export. In Germany, (Socialist party) 42.9% and the FDP USA and the USA‘s renunciation of the work ethic and low unit labor (Liberal party) 10.6%. The challenger Franz Josef Strauß therefore does not political and military interference in costs in Japan are viewed with con- become Federal German Chancellor. internal Iranian affairs. cern about competitiveness. 1981 New part numbers

Introduction of the „talking“ part number that defines the shape and version of a connector. This mea- sure gradually clears the confusion of UL and MIL designations, and old numbers and new numbers through systematic replacement with Rosenberger numbers.

Thanks to good exports, the connector turnover can almost completely pick up the slack of the engineering section.

Turnover equivalent in euros: €3.8 million (-1%)

Powerful colors: these are modern in the 1980s. The new, enlarged trade fair stand follows the current trend.

Stagflation and getting the Western military chiefs Europe now a worried. At the same time, people peace demo everywhere in Europe and the USA community of ten On January 1, Greece joins the Eu- The carefree days of the Germany are mobilizing in large-scale de- ropean Community as 10th member economy are over. Oil prices rise monstrations of more than 100,000 state. The ECU (European Currency steeply as a result of the increasingly participants against armaments and Unit) is introduced as a forerunner violent war between Iran and Iraq. nuclear power. The West can no to the euro for the member states Similar to 1973/74, this sets the longer be ruled with old recipes. of France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, prices moving in general, and this The Netherlands, Luxembourg, the time it is not the fault of the issuing United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark banks; they are keeping the interest Ronald Reagan and Greece. rate high to cut out the risk of two-figure inflation rates again. To becomes the 40th keep the German mark attractive for president of the USA Alternative energy on oil-exporting countries, the Federal the rise Bank of Germany under Karl Otto On January 20, Ronald Reagan is On May 15, work begins on Pöhl lets the interest rate increase to sworn into office. On the same day, constructing the wind power plant record levels in the FRG: up to 12% based on an agreement made with GROWIAN in the Kaiser-Wilhelm- interest has to be paid for mortgages Iran, the hostages are released from Koog on the North Sea coast near and up to 18% for short-term loans. the US embassy in Teheran after 444 Marne. On July 7, a light aircraft Building owners are driven to the days in captivity. takes off from Paris and is the first to brink of ruin, the construction cross the English Channel powered industry falls into a deep recession by solar energy. and pulls the steel and engineering industries down with it. Concerns China after Mao‘s with high debts like the already lame Cultural Revolution AEG have problems. Consumers try to pay off loans and cut back on The verdicts fall in the trial of the spending. spokespeople of the ultra-left wing The economic crisis is not the only of the Chinese communist party, the problem facing politics. Whereas the so-called Gang of Four. Even Jiang wars in the Middle East are still only Quing, the widow of Mao Zedong, threatening the supply of oil and is sentenced to death. The sentence is the exchange of goods, the growth commuted in 1983 to life imprison- of China into a third world power is ment. 1982 A new chapter

When, after his stay abroad and completed studies as Master of Business, Hans Rosenberger jun. takes up his duties in the pater- nal concern, this does not mean a change of generation. Already during his studies, Hans Rosen- berger jun. was active in sales and played his role in making manage- ment decisions and even now, the father remains the sole owner and head of the company. However, the open-minded, customer-ori- ented view of the junior and the company-oriented view of the father, matured through practical Business trip: Hans Rosenberger jun., who has recently joined the company, follows work, complement each other and his intuition for new markets to Finland among other places, where interesting each can learn from the other and ­business opportunities are on the rise. so they develop plans and perspec- tives of the company together. Falklands War „Neue Heimat“ crisis

New machines for the large-scale On April 2, Argentine armed forces After a report published in the news series production come into the occupy the British crown colony magazine „Der Spiegel“, it is discove- red that Albert Vietor, the chairman works. These include another of the Falkland Islands to which of the board of management of the six-spindle automatic lathe and Argentina claims sovereignty. The union-owned house construction modern finishing machines, as British government servers diplo- well as an automatic washing unit concern „Neue Heimat“, and two matic relations to Argentina and for cleaning parts after lathing. other members of the board have Everything still has just about on April 5, resolves to deploy naval been embezzling on a large scale. enough room in the narrow units to the islands. On May 21, They are fired on the spot. The losses buildings from Dumpe‘s time, but British troops land. After fighting are so great that the company has to be liquidated in the next few years. these are certainly not ideal for the with heavy losses, the commanders production processes. of the Argentine troops sign a decla- ration of unconditional surrender to The general economic state of Social-liberal coalition the British. On June 20, the British affairs has hardly improved, but ends it is still worth pushing for sales. government declares the Falklands The connector business is growing War to be over. The FDP terminates its collaboration considerably, even the engineering with the SPD in the Federal German business is running better; unfor- parliament and on September 20, tunately Zündapp is in trouble Lebanon War starts coalition talks with the CDU/ and ceases to be a customer during CSU. On October 1, Chancellor the course of the year. On June 6, the Israelis, under the Schmidt is brought down by a then head of government Menachem constructive vote of no confidence Turnover equivalent in euros: Begin, launch an attack on Lebanon. and Helmut Kohl is elected 6th €4.6 million (+18%) Chancellor of the Federal Republic The military chief of staff of Israel of Germany. is the Minister of Defense, Ariel Scharon. The declared aim is to destroy the military PLO Organiza- AEG goes bankrupt tion by marching into Beirut, from where the PLO coordinates its opera- On August 9, AEG Telefunken, the second largest electrical concern in tions. In West Beirut, the Israeli the Federal Republic of Germany, troops surround about 10,000 PLO applies for legal insolvency procee- fighters and force them to capitulate. dings. It is the greatest collapse of a Southern Lebanon remains occupied company in the history of post-war by Israel until 1985. Germany. 1983 Anniversary year with loyalty bonus

At the beginning of the year, Hans Rosenberger jun. becomes head of corporate finance and head of sales of the Radio Frequency Techno- logy business unit. In October, after gaining his laurels in the sector at the measuring instrument manufacturer Wilton in the USA, Bernhard Rosenberger brings his 26.5 GHz network analyzer and builds up the RF laboratory and development group. The new generation takes over the respon- sibility, whereby it is only natural in the family that decisions are discussed and made in agreement. Data networks: the IBM and Siemens mainframes can already handle data exchange with multiple workstations. The video display terminals are connected directly to the In the 1970s, the operations gra- central processing unit via bipolar cables. The „Twinax“ connector is the standard dually filled the initially oversized connector in all data networks for many years. works covering about 3 hectares and with about 25,000 cubic Holes in the social net AIDS recognized meters of converted space. Buil- dings that stood empty during the On January 1, the budgeting mea- as a threat Haeberlein times have been reno- sures of the new government come After appearance of the „Spiegel“ vated and occupied by production into force. These include cuts in article „Deadly epidemic AIDS: The mysterious disease“ on June 6, the units. The workforce grows again child benefits and cost sharing for German public becomes aware of to 150, which is the highest mark stays in hospital and health resorts, the immune deficiency ailment. On of the predecessor firms. In the and higher premiums for pension June 13, the Federal Department meantime, the implementation of and unemployment insurance. After machines and plant has risen enor- of Health sets up a commission his re-election, Chancellor Helmut mously. The first new construction of 15 professors to research AIDS Kohl lists among other things red- is a hall for the engineering unit. (Acquired Immune Deficiency uction of unemployment, regaining Syndrome). On September 23, the This creates space for more lathes of economic growth and restructu- German AIDS assistance group and finishing is extended and ring of the Federal finances as the (deutsche AIDS-Hilfe e. V.) is modernized. The office area is government‘s main aims in the new founded. enlarged, a new central compu- period of legislation. ter unit is procured and an RF „Strauß billion“ laboratory is installed. All the units do their bit for growth in turno- Height of the for the GDR ver with the RF sales abroad way peace movement On June 29, after a cabinet decision, ahead. The export quota jumps to the Federal German government 28%. At the Christmas party Hans On September 1, the blockade of stands surety for a bank loan of DM Rosenberger sen. gives a review of the US military depot in Mutlan- 1 billion to the GDR. The help given the 25 years of successful work and gen by prominent supporters of by the Premier of the State of Bava- announces an anniversary bonus disarmament is the start of protests ria, Franz Josef Strauß, in arranging for the employees. against the deployment of Pershing the loan reaps criticism even from his own party. II missiles in the FRG. On October Turnover equivalent in euros: €5.9 million (+27%) 22, during the peace movement‘s campaign week, demonstrators form Forest dieback a human chain of 108 km between According to an inquiry publis- Neu-Ulm and Stuttgart. Hundreds hed on October 18 by the Federal of thousands gather in the Hof- German government, one third of garten in Bonn to demonstrate in German forests is ailing. Agriculture support of disarmament. A total of minister Kiechle states that damage 1.3 million people participate in the has increased fourfold compared campaign. with 1982. 1984 Jumps in growth with telecommunications

There are sudden and fundamen- is the first marketing company. tal changes to the telephone in Against this background it is easy Capitalism ensured in the 1980s. After the push-button to understand why an already high Hong Kong telephone come wireless devices turnover can be increased by more and fax machines, and designer than 50%. On September 26, Great Britain and telephones from different provi- China initial an agreement about ders are permitted alongside the Many new machines and also the Hong Kong: as of June 30, 1997, „official“ models from the Federal space for them are required to pro- the Crown Colony is to be governed German Post Office. The number cess the orders. Since the begin- by China. China is bound to sustain of telephone connections rises ning of the year, Peter Rosenberger the capitalist system of economy for dramatically, by 1990, 96% of is the production manager; he too another 50 years. households in the FRG have a tele- turns to the parents‘ company phone. The self-dial exchanges are after completing his studies in overloaded, modernization and ex- engineering. The renewed and 35-hour week tension are required. The demand extended finishing processes are for telephone network connectors concentrated in a spacious newly demanded grows immensely. built hall instead of in a narrow old building. This provides space Arbitration fails in a dispute about The sales efforts and improvements in turn for additional machines in the 35-hour week in the West in quality bear fruit and increa- the existing lathe shop and for an German printing industry. On April singly more Rosenberger connec- extended parts store with paterno- 12, strikes are held at major points tors are officially authorized. Fur- ster shelving system. A two-storey in the sector. On May 10, strikes in thermore, the customers appreciate extension to the office block is support of the 35-hour week begin the pioneering spirit and speed of started, which will house the in the metal industry. The automo- the developers. A new catalog con- assembly unit and provide offices tive supply industry and later the cept is implemented whereby each on the top floor. automotive manufacturing industry series of connectors is represented come to a standstill. Towards the end in its own brochure. This means Turnover equivalent in euros: of the month, employers respond that customer-specific priorities €8.7 million (+48%) with lockouts. It is only on July 1 can be taken into account and that the industrial action ends in the the separate data can be updated metal industry and a core working much quicker. Presence abroad is time of 38.5 hours per week is agreed improved. RoDan in Denmark upon along with certain exceptions. On July 6, the industrial action also ends in the printing industry and adopts the compromise met in the metal sector.

Zündapp bankrupt

On August 10, the Zündapp Works in Munich declare bankruptcy. This leads to insolvency proceedings and the complete works and plant are sold to an investor in China in October.

Private cable television

On January 1, private television starts in Germany; PKS (later Sat1) begins to broadcast from a basement studio in Ludwigshafen am Rhein. Finishing on a large scale: a large part of the turned parts still has to be sent to the RTL plus starts broadcasting on finishing department for slotting, milling, drilling, soldering and soft annealing. The January 2 from Luxembourg. sheer number of employees makes it temporarily the largest department in the works. 1985 Foreign sales double

The modernization of communica- tions networks is moving much fa- ster in other parts of Europe than in Germany. Here, too, Rosenber- ger wins points with innovative solutions, quality and rapidity. Expertise in development projects and competence in negotiations are further plus points. Rosenber- ger establishes its first own sales office in France - Rosenberger France SARL.

The office building is completed. A new generation of Nixdorf RF laboratory: Bernhard Rosenberger smilingly calls the RF laboratory the „most computers is installed, which apart expensive square meters in the works“, where as head of development he defines the from basic business functions also technical status of the connectors. The signal transmission quality is now an integral enables warehouse management. component of own product development, whereas initially it depended on customers‘ Practical furnishings and friendly judgement. rooms provide a pleasant atmos- phere despite high tension. The RF „The Greens“ are in the „Rainbow Warrior“ laboratory receives fitting quarters. government sunk A new hall is also started and quickly completed for the lathe On October 16, after more than On July 10, the ship of the envi- shop. Now machine groups can three weeks of coalition talks, an ronmental organization Greenpeace be arranged so that the tool setters agreement is reached between the en route to a demonstration in the only have short distances to cover. SPD and The Greens in Hesse. On Mururoa Atoll is sunk by the French Bar loaders for automatic fitting of December 12, Joschka Fischer (The machines reduce idle times. Nu- secret service in the New Zealand merically controlled machines can Greens) is sworn in as Hesse‘s Mini- port of Auckland. One photographer produce even complicated parts ster for the Environment and Energy. is killed during the operation. without the need for finishing. Initially, this is a solution for small series that had previously cost a lot Europe grows together Beginning of struggle of time and effort. On March 29, after eight years of over the nuclear Engineering orders are however on negotiations, the member states of reprocessing plant in the decline. Many customers have the European Community agree invested in automatic machining to the entry of Spain and Portugal Wackersdorf centers in view of the high piece on January 1, 1986. On June 12, On February 4, the Deutsche Gesell- rates and are recalling outsourced Spain and Portugal sign the treaties schaft für Wiederaufbereitung von work. The numerically controlled for their entry to the EC. On June Kernbrennstoffen (German Corpora- machines keep the engineering 16, the states of France, Belgium, tion for Reprocessing Nuclear Fuels) unit technically up to date and The Netherlands, Luxembourg and competitive. decides that Wackersdorf in Bavaria Germany conclude the Schengen Ag- is to be the site of the first commer- reement that will gradually abolish Turnover equivalent in euros: cial reprocessing plant in the Federal internal border checks. €13 million (+45%) Republic of Germany. On Septem- ber 27, the Bavarian Ministry for the „Titanic“ found Environment issues the first partial construction permit. On October On September 1, a team of French 12, tens of thousands of anti-nuclear and American researchers find the power protesters demonstrate against wreck of the „Titanic“ at a depth of the project in Munich. On Decem- 4,000 meters. The British passenger ber 11, clearing starts under massive steamship sank off the coast of New- protest of the population and heavy foundland in 1912. police protection. 1986 CAD pushes out the drawing board

An important step into the future RoDan, the Danish agency is secu- ny. A new electroplating hall is is the introduction of computer- red by capital investment. In The planned. aided design (CAD). Considering Netherlands, the company wins an the prices at the time, a substantial agency with good connections to Turnover equivalent in euros: budget is required for hardware, the domestic telephone compa- €13 million (+5%) programs and employee training. The RF laboratory is upgraded and an environmental laboratory created. The lathe shop receives a complete group of long lathes and modern precision NC machines are bought.

Chernobyl disaster

On April 26, the reactor core of the nuclear power plant of Chernobyl, north of Kiev/USSR, melts after in- Designing on the computer: right at the very early stages of CAD (Computer Aided correct shutdown of the reactor. An Design), Rosenberger invests in the new technology and works towards integration of uncontrolled chain reaction causes design, production and quality assurance. a nuclear explosion and, because of a hydrogen leak, an oxyhydrogen Glasnost in the Resistance to the explosion at the same time. As a re- Soviet Union nuclear reprocessing sult, the graphite core burns for three days. According to official sources, a On February 25, at the 27th Party plant grows total of 50 million curies of radioac- Conference of the CPSU, Secre- On January 7, several thousand tivity are released, about 50 times the tary General Mikhail Gorbachev police officers clear the hut village amount released by the atomic bomb demands „Glasnot“ in the country that opponents to the Wackersdorf explosion over Hiroshima in August - more freedom of speech, opinion nuclear reprocessing plant have 1945. Increased levels of radioacti- and press. erected in the Taxöldner Forest. At vity are also measured in the Federal Whitsun (May 17 to 19), more than 100,000 people demonstrate; over Republic of Germany. The „super“ 300, including 157 police officers MCA (maximum credible accident) Construction of the are injured during rioting at the of Chernobyl is seen as the biggest Euro Tunnel starts construction site fence. On June disaster in the history of the peaceful 28, the Bavarian state government On January 20, France‘s head of use of nuclear power, although the refuses entry to 322 Austrians who state François Mitterrand and the explosion of a temporary store in want to take part in a demonstrati- British Prime Minister Margaret the Russian nuclear center of Majak on. On July 26 and 27, a peaceful Thatcher announce in Lille, in nort- in 1957 released significantly more „Anti Nuclear Madness Festival“ is hern France, that the Anglo-French held near Burglengenfeld. Numerous radioactivity. On May 14, in the consortium „The Channel Tunnel prominent German rock musicians first official statement on the reactor Group Ltd./France-Manche SA“ has perform before a crowd of about accident in Chernobyl, the Soviet been charged with the construction 100,000 spectators. The groups on party leader Gorbachev requests of a railway tunnel under the English stage include BAP, Udo Lindenberg international cooperation in matters Channel. Construction work is and Herbert Grönemeyer among of nuclear power. completed in 1994. many others. 1987 Foreign beats domestic

Rosenberger is now represented Success demands more success, in the following countries that otherwise it would not be finan- Private enterprises are important for telecommuni- ceable. in Russia cations: Finland, Sweden, The Netherlands, Belgium, USA and Turnover equivalent in euros: On January 22, the first private café France. In most cases these are €15 million (+16%) opens in Leningrad. According to still not subsidiaries, but they do the news agency TASS, cafés and speak the local language. And they are understood in Pietling. In the Willy Brandt confectioner‘s shops, repair and meantime, there are also compe- tailor‘s workshops are to follow tent answers to their demands. gives up chairmanship throughout the Soviet Union. The RF laboratory receives its first of the SPD phase network analyzer. Produc- tion is monitored by statistical On March 23, Willy Brandt resigns Kohl remains chancellor process control (SPC). An order as chairman of the SPD after not center responds to all requests being able to impose his will in a On January 25, in early elections for and order processing is compute- staffing matter. He is later appointed the 11th Federal German Parlia- rized. The fax takes over from the honorary chairman for life. ment, the CDU/CSU win 44.3%, telex. A new electroplating plant is built: a hall meeting the latest SPD 37%, FDP 9.1% and The requirements in technology and Greens 8.3% of the votes. This is the safety. It is fully equipped and Amateur pilot lands worst result for the CDU/CSU since has a decontamination and water on the Red Square 1949. Nevertheless, the Christian purification system in the base- Union/Liberal coalition still main- ment, which for the first time has in Moscow tains a clear majority. On March 11, a closed water recirculation loop parliament reelects Helmut Kohl as and almost complete recuperation On May 28, the German amateur of all metals. All this demands pilot Mathias Rust lands a Cessna Federal German Chancellor. enormous investments. 172 on the Red Square in Moscow. He had just flown through more Parts manufacturing has to gear up than 800 kilometers of Soviet Uwe Barschel Affair to new dimensions: there are now airspace without being detected. As connectors of which over 1 million a result, the Defense Minister Sergej On October 11, a journalist manages units are sold per year. This also Sokolov is sent into retirement and to gain access to the room of Uwe demands new machines. Rising the Head of Air Defenses Alexander Barschel in the Geneva hotel „Beau turnover also ties up capital in Koldunov is fired. Rust is sentenced Rivage“ and finds him dead in the stores and accounts receivable. to four years in a work camp, but is bath. On September 25, Barschel re- pardoned in August 1988. signed as premier of Schleswig-Hol- stein after admitting to having his electoral opponent Björn Engholm spied on. The circumstances of his death remain unclear even today.

First Red-Green coalition collapses

On February 9, the Greens leave the coalition formed in December 1985 with the SPD in Hesse. No agreement is found in the discussion over the authorization for the Alkem plutonium plant in Hanau. One day Presence abroad: trade fairs are decisive for early participation in customers‘ develop- later, the Premier of Hesse, Holger ment projects. For this, Rosenberger has to be present in all the countries important for communications technology. Denmark is still one of the European leaders. Börner, hands in his resignation. 1988 Presence abroad reinforced

Polyglot: a practical advantage when the sales manager can negotiate with customers in their own language. This skill is instrumental in the success of business abroad.

End of the „Cold War“ – Eastern Bloc crumbles

On June 29, at a press conference chaired by party leader Mikhail Gorbachev in Moscow, leading Soviet politicians and economics experts demand substantial reforms The biggest project this year is the in politics and business to spur on completion and equipping of the Franz Josef Strauß dies electroplating plant. The machi- the process of democratization in On October 3, Franz-Josef Strauß, ning of transmission housings is the USSR. Foreign observers are optimized; the „opera house“ is chairman of the CSU and premier astonished about how radical some extended for the portal milling of Bavaria, dies of heart failure. The of the demands are. On July 3, the machines. The freed up building new premier is Max Streibl and party All Unions Congress of the CPSU, is renovated completely and chairman is Theo Waigel. the first party congress of this sort to equipped for the manufacture be held for 47 years, approves propo- of precision parts for metrology. sals for fundamental reforms to the Modernization of machines and End of the political institutions. On October equipment continues in all units. An own subsidiary, Rosenberger Afghanistan War 1, party leader Gorbachev is elected Microwave Ltd., is founded in chairman of the Supreme Soviet and On February 8, Mikhail Gorbachev England and Rosenberger Svenska thus head of state. As leader of the announces the withdrawal of Soviet AB is founded in Sweden. Agenci- state and party he can increase his troops from Afghanistan, which they es are also established in Spain and inner political power and reinforce have been occupying since 1979. Australia. the policy of reform by making On April 14, after almost six years of changes at the head of the party. On negotiations, the foreign ministers of Turnover equivalent in euros: October 28/29, at a conference held the USA, the Soviet Union, Pakistan €19 million (+22%) in Budapest, the foreign ministers and Afghanistan sign the agreement of the Warsaw Pact states propose to solve the Afghanistan conflict in more measures of disarmament after Geneva. It provides for the complete withdrawal of all medium range withdrawal of Soviet soldiers and missiles, and the return of about ballistic missiles. Postal reform clears five million refugees to their home On February 19, in Vilnius, capital country. the way for privatization of the Soviet Republic of Lithuania, about 100,000 people demons- On May 11, the Federal German End of the Iran-Iraq War trate for political reforms and the government passes a reform of the independence of their country from German Federal Post Office, which On August 20, a ceasefire comes into the Soviet Union. On February 24, a divides the post office into three force in the First Gulf War between similar demonstration is held in Tal- autonomous areas: traditional postal Iraq and Iran, which has been going linn, capital of the Soviet Republic of services (letters and parcels), the on for eight years. Iran agrees becau- Estonia, despite it being forbidden. post office bank and telecommuni- se of its military inferiority, a serious In February, long queues form when cations. At the same time, the post economic crisis and its increasing passports start to be issued per- office relinquishes its monopoly of political isolation. Iraq comes out of mitting Hungarian citizens to visit telecommunications. the conflict stronger than before. western countries without exit visas. 1989 New perspectives in USA

A partnership with the UTI Corp., one of the major manufacturers of microwave cables, offers new tech- nical and sales perspectives: Rosen- berger Micro-Coax is founded in Collegeville, USA. New projects come up in Norway, Switzerland and Israel. The development of a precision connector series for up to 65 GHz causes a stir among the experts; Rosenberger is taken seriously in its bid to become technological leader. Mascot: a young pair of storks chooses the factory chimney for its new domicile. When the wind destroys the first attempts to build a nest, a helicopter is used to install a sup- Investments are concentrated on port frame that is gladly accepted by the storks. Since then, the stork‘s nest is inhabited extending the recently completed every year - a natural ecological certificate and now a well-loved landmark. electroplating plant; in order to ac- commodate a computer controlled takes place in Leipzig for the first Krenz has allegedly just handed to plant for large-scale series, space time. The demands: freedom to tra- him: „Private journeys abroad may has to be created elsewhere for the vel and abolition of the Ministry for be made without prior statement of infrastructure. A processing center State Security (Stasi). The demons- reasons. Permission will be granted is added to the engineering unit. trations are repeated with ever incre- without delay.“ When questioned, asing numbers until the Wall comes Schabowski declares that as far as he Turnover equivalent in euros: down. On September 10, Hungary knows this comes into force „imme- €23 million (+24%) lets the prospective GDR emigrants diately“. Thereupon, thousands of there into the west; by the end of East Berliners throng across to West September about 30,000 come into Berlin. Just before midnight, the the Federal Republic of Germany in barriers are raised along the border this way. On the fringe of the Gene- between the GDR and the FRG. ral Assembly of the United Nations Many small steps in New York, on September 30, Inauguration of bring the Wall down the foreign ministers of the USSR, CSSR, Poland and the FRG agree President George Bush On his state visit to Bonn, June 12 for humanitarian reasons to permit to 15, Gorbachev is cheered by the On January 20, the Republican all the GDR refugees in the Federal crowds. At the end of his visit he George Bush enters office in succes- Republic of Germany‘s embassies in declares: „The Wall can disappear sion to Ronald Reagan as the 41st Prague and Warsaw to emigrate. The again, when the conditions that cre- President of the USA. special trains carrying about 6,800 ated it disappear“. After the practical cross through the GDR. On October abolition of the Brechnev doctrine of 9, at the Monday demonstration 1968, Hungary opens up to the west; Ceausescu regime in Leipzig, over 70,000 people on June 27, in a symbolic act, the brought down Hungarian foreign minister Gyula demand the democratic renewal of Horn and his Austrian counterpart the GDR. The call of „We are the On December 16, open resistance Alois Mock cut through the barbed people - no violence“ catches on. On to the Ceausescu regime breaks out wire of the border barrier near October 18, after hasty resignation in Temesvar and Arad (Romania). Sopron. The border controls remain, of the Honecker government, Egon The uprising spreads to the capital, but in the GDR, the action triggers Krenz becomes the new Secretary Bucharest. Whereas the army joins a stream of prospective emigrants General of the SED. On October the people, the state security service, to Hungary. On August 13, Bonn‘s 24, the Volkskammer (East German „Securitate“, continues to fight even embassy in Budapest has to close Parliament) also elects him Head of after the head of state and leader because of overcrowding - about 180 State and Chairman of the National of the party, Nicolae Ceausescu, GDR citizens want to emigrate from Defense Council. On November 9, is toppled on December 22. On there. On August 22, 140 GDR at a press conference being broadcast December 25, a military tribunal citizens occupy the Federal Republic live on television, Günter Schabow- convicts Ceausescu and his wife and of Germany‘s embassy in Prague to ski of the SED Politburo reads a they are executed. On December force their emigration. On Septem- decision of the Council of Ministers, 26, the „Securitate“ is forced to ber 4, a Monday demonstration which the Secretary General Egon surrender. 1990 Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co KG

First international sales meeting: an international sales meeting gives the sales staff and representatives an opportunity to get to know the company, its products and its Germany reunified goals. At the beginning of the year, busi- The technical offensive continues Disintegration of the Eastern Bloc ness is transferred from the private and a research department for is underway. The greatest event is enterprise Hans Rosenberger to a fiber-optic cables is set up. The the reunification of Germany after limited partnership company in largest hall of the works is erected 45 years, during which time the which the brothers Hans, Bern- between the lathe shop and the two German states have represented hard and Peter each hold a share electroplating plant and is to two different political worlds. After of 1/5th. The new company‘s first house the mass production of con- the fall of the Wall on November 9, year sees turbulence in the inter- nector parts. The French company 1989, things happen very quickly in national markets; foreign orders ALPEN is acquired jointly with suddenly drop because of the fall Rosenberger Micro-Coax. A share the GDR: in February the „Electoral of the Communist countries, a is acquired in SIAM SRL, the Itali- Pact for Germany“ is founded to recession in the USA and the Golf an specialist for fiber-optic cables prepare for all German elections; War. Growth in the engineering and coaxial connectors. on March 14, Mikhail Gorbachev section helps buffer the trend, but becomes president of the USSR; on not even it out. Turnover equivalent in euros: March 18, the last Volkskammer €21 million (-8%) elections of the GDR are held; on April 12, Lothar de Maizière beco- Assassination attempts USSR disintegrates mes the last premier of the GDR; on May 5, negotiations start regarding survived A series of Soviet Republics now use the administration side of the reuni- On April 25, Oskar Lafontaine, the weakness of the central power fication; on May 18, an international chairman of the SPD, is critical- and withdraw from the USSR. treaty is signed on the economic, ly injured by a knife attack. On Lithuania declares independence on social and currency union; on July October 12, Wolfgang Schäuble, the March 11, Estonia on March 30, 15, Gorbachev accepts reunified Minister of the Interior, is shot. He followed by Latvia on May 4. The also survives, but remains paralyzed Germany‘s NATO membership; on Ukraine becomes independent on from the waist down. August 23, the Volkskammer votes August 24, Turkmenistan on Octo- for the GDR to join the FRG; on ber 23, Kasachstan on October 25 Schengen Agreement August 31, the Unification Treaty and Kirgisistan on December 15. of the two German states is signed; signed on September 12, this is endorsed On June 19, after the agreement of Golf War contractually by Moscow; on Sep- principle of 1985, which governs the tember 24, the GDR officially leaves free movement of persons and traffic On August 2, Iraqi troops march the Warsaw Pact; on October 3, the within the European Union, the „Ag- into the Emirate of Kuwait and GDR formally joins the area where reement of Enforcement“ (Schengen the constitution of the FRG is valid II) is signed by France, Germany, occupy strategic points. On the same Belgium, The Netherlands and day, the Security Council of the and on December 2, the first com- Luxembourg. This then makes the United Nations condemns this act mon Bundestag elections are held. borders between the core European and on August 6, imposes a trade Helmut Kohl is voted Chancellor of countries freely passable as of 1992. embargo on Iraq. all Germany. 1991 Realignment of companies abroad

Rosenberger France SARL is incorporated in ALPEN Industries S.A.; this sustainably reinforces the agency. The partnership „Rosenberger Micro-Coax U.K.“ is founded, in which Rosenberger Microwave USA has a 50% share. It assumes the activities of Rosen- berger Microwave. Rosenberger Svenska is incorporated in the newly established company of „AB RSG Connection“. Rosenberger has a 30% share in RSG. SIAM SRL surprises with high losses and an attempt to rehabilitate the Qualification:two years after compliance with the MIL-C-39012 standard for SMA company is launched. Despite connectors, Rosenberger also succeeds in obtaining the CECC qualification for the strong presence in all the impor- 7/16, 1.6/5.6 series and SMA under VDE supervision. At the official handing over tant countries, foreign business is of the certificate: Peter Rosenberger, Hans Rosenberger sen., Daniel Verschatse, Hans restrained under the pressure of Rosenberger jun., Bernhard Rosenberger and Mr. Beck, VDE representative responsible the geopolitical situation. for the qualification.

More staff are needed both in the „2. Second Golf War“ End of the USSR technical area and in sales and More Soviet republics declare their administration in order to be able The UN Security Council had set to respond quickly to customers‘ independence and hold referendums: Iraq an ultimatum after its invasion demands. For this, a new assem- Lithuania on February 9, Georgia on bly hall is erected along with a of Kuwait to withdraw by January April 9, Estonia on August 20 and two-storey wing that is to house 15, 1991 (Resolution 678). After the Latvia on August 21. On December the manufacture of precision ultimatum expires, a multinational 17, the Russian President Boris Yelt- sin and the Soviet President Mikhail connectors, calibration kits and force led by the USA begins with Gorbachev agree upon the dissolu- microwave cables on the ground air raids on Iraq as part of „Ope- floor and technical offices above. tion of the USSR by December 21. ration Desert Storm“. Thereupon Substantial sums of money flow Gorbachev resigns from his offices into the environmentally friendly the Iraqi army attacks Israel with and hands over command of the parts washing plant and into high- missiles and sets oil wells on fire in strategic nuclear weapons to Russia‘s speed rotary transfer machines Kuwait. About 60% of Kuwait‘s President Boris Yeltsin. The EU and the USA recognize Russia as the legal that can machine and finish even petrochemical plants and refineries successor to the USSR. Eight former complicated parts. are destroyed. On February 22, Soviet republics join the Common- President George Bush presents Turnover equivalent in euros: wealth of Independent States (CIS) €21 million (-1%) Iraq with a new ultimatum to start established by Russia, Belarus and pulling out of Kuwait by February the Ukraine. 23. After President Saddam Hussein lets the ultimatum expire, the allied End of Apartheid troops begin their ground offensive. On February 1, South Africa‘s The Iraqi troops withdraw from President Frederik Willem de Klerk Kuwait and on February 27, Iraq declared the abolition of the Apart- declares its willingness to accept the heid laws before parliament in Cape UN resolution. On February 28, Town. End of the Trabbi at 6am CET, the Second Golf War ends with the cessation of fighting Iceman „Ötzi“ On April 10, the last car of the Wart- in Kuwait. Many are annoyed about burg brand runs off the production discovered the media propaganda of the USA. line in Eisenach and the last Trabant On September 19, the mummified on April 30, in Zwickau. About 3 Many German carnival societies body of a Bronze Age man was million Trabbis were built in just on cancel their carnival activities in found on the Similaun Glacier in the 35 years. sympathy with those affected. Tirolean Ötztal Alps. 1992 Fitness program for new top performances

The mobile telephone is becoming more convenient, new frequency bands are defined for this and a separate generation of connectors is needed for this; but no one can tell at the moment just how big the demand will be. Certain are the extremely high demands for quality, reliability and cost mini- mization. Parts must come ready from the turning machine, where- ver possible without any need for finishing. Expensive machines are needed for this along with stringent quality management and tight organization.

Fast and competent informati- New trade fair stand: the trade fair stand for the 1990s is more open, more extensive on for customers - for this, the and brighter. It also permits adequate presentation of the considerable product range of relevant data must be readily radio frequency measuring accessories and microwave components. available. The Nixdorf computer has had its day and, after thorough testing of all the alternatives, a PC Michael Schumacher which had previously been found in network takes over as successor. A wins possession of right-wing extremist new operating system, a new data propaganda. architecture, more transparency. On August 30, the German Formula 1 racing driver Michael Schumacher Turnover equivalent in euros: wins the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa. Civil war rages €22 million (+6%) This is only the third time ever that a German has won a Grand Prix. in ex-Yugoslavia

According to the November estima- Peace pact in Korea Frustration tions of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, about 3 On February 19, in the North Ko- let out on foreigners million refugees are on the move in rean capital of Pyongyang, the two The „green pastures“ promised by Korean states bring into force the Chancellor Kohl for the newly for- the civil war area of former Yugosla- Non-aggression Agreement and the med German states are a long time via. Half of the refugees come from Declaration on the Denuclearization coming. In particular, unemployed Bosnia-Herzegovina. About 600,000 of the Korean Peninsula. youths without any prospects join refugees have already fled to other right-wing extremist groups that do European countries, in particular not shy away from attempting to Germany. The UN Commission for European kill foreigners. On August 24, there Human Rights condemns the Bos- Economic Area are acts of violence against foreig- nian Serbs for their policy of „ethnic ners in Rostock; young German cleansing“ and other violations of On February 7, the foreign and right-wing extremists set fire to an human rights. At the beginning of finance ministers of the EC member apartment block housing Vietna- December, Serbian troops cut off the states sign the „Maastricht Treaty“ mese to the applause of supporters. Bosnian capital of Sarajevo from the negotiated in 1991, which provides The police does nothing to prevent outside world. for the extension of the European this. Xenophobic violence also in Community into the European Uni- the west: on November 23, in the on with a common currency and a small Schleswig-Holstein town of common foreign and security policy. Mölln, three Turkish women die in Munich airport moves On May 2, the foundation treaty an arson attack, seven other people of the European Economic Area is suffer injuries. On November 27, On May 17, the Munich Airport signed in Porto by representatives of in response to the arson attack in Franz Josef Strauß starts operating in the EC and the European Free Trade Mölln, Rudolf Seiters, the Minister Erdinger Moos. The move from the Area (EFTA). In March, Finland and of the Interior, bans the „Nationa- old airport in Riem takes place in Norway apply for EU membership. listische Front“ (National Front), one single day. 1993 Growth against the trend

The German economy is in one of and Sweden, and the demand for gers. The electroplating plant is its deepest recessions since the end connectors shoots up beyond all extended with a new laboratory of the war. Hardest hit is the west normal dimensions. The factory wing, the lathe shop receives more part of Germany that produces is ready for this, because even in rotary transfer machines and 92% of the gross domestic product the weak years, investments were high-speed long turning machines, of all Germany. Transfers of DM made in the right equipment and and existing machines receive bar 150 billion flow each year into machines, processes streamlined loaders to cut setting-up times. the newly formed German states and quality improved. Rosenber- For the first and only time in the without generating any growth, ger is one of the first companies history of the company, part of private demand falls and the prices to be certified in compliance with the workforce goes on a one-hour rise. No impulse from exports: the ISO 9001. token strike: they demand the coll- global economy is still struggling ectively agreed wage increase and with the weak economy of the The teething troubles with the not the incentive bonus proposed USA. The number of unemployed sales companies abroad are largely by the company. The management rises to 3.7 million. overcome. The insolvency of finally lets the employees vote on SIAM is painful, but now there is this and returns to the collective No recession in Pietling. The the own Rosenberger Italia SRL bargaining system as desired by the preparatory work of the past and the other companies are majority. years is now paying: the mobile proving their worth. The new telephone has rapidly become key customers are taken in hand Turnover equivalent in euros: the big trend in Finland, Norway directly by the company mana- €29 million (+28%)

NET-JET: as one of numerous new custom developments, „NET-JET“ is an Ethernet system which shuts off unused lines from the loop feeder. NET-JET is marketed primarily by the cable manufacturer Kerpen.

Czechoslovakia IG Metall parts The major world powers splits up from Franz Steinkühler disarm The successful chairman of the in- On January 3, the Russian President At the beginning of the year, dustrial trade union IG Metall, Franz Boris Yeltsin and the still United Czechoslovakia is split into two sove- Steinkühler, is accused of abusing his States President George Bush sign reign states with the proclamation of position on the supervisory board of START II, the second Strategic Arms the Czech Republic and the Slovak Daimler-Benz for insider speculati- Reduction Treaty, which provides for Republic. on. He resigns on May 25. On Oc- more drastic reductions in strategic tober 2, Klaus Zwickel, Steinkühler‘s nuclear weapons. As of January 20, deputy until then, is elected as his Bill Clinton is US President. successor. 1994 Price pressures promote invention

Large-scale production is cheaper, permit new designs, press-fit Investments concentrate once the purchaser benefits from the contacts instead of hard soldering, again on modernizing the turning low price and the manufacturer and combinations of stamped and machine park and improving from improved productivity. But turned parts. The statistical process surface treatment. The engineering the purchaser only awards large- control ensures that tight tolerance unit is spruced up with new ma- scale production orders to the specifications are maintained and chining centers to enhance compe- supplier offering the lowest price. the technical competence of the titiveness. The worldwide presence Therefore, the products become development department opti- is boosted by an own sales compa- cheaper year after year. The mizes the new models with regard ny in Spain and an agency in USA; competitors exploit the low wages to signal transmission. Techno- Rosenberger Micro-Coax USA is in industrially under-developed logies not available in your own taken over completely by UTI and countries, now in former eastern works become attractive through freed of sales tasks in the general bloc countries in addition to the large-scale production: injec- connector program. Far East. However, the wages are tion-molded insulators, stamped not the decisive factor, the largest contact sleeves. In electroplating, Turnover equivalent in euros: part of product costs are defi- layer thickness management of €32 million (+12%) ned by the design. The fact that ever greater precision is possible, Rosenberger has not followed the which in turn helps to save a trend nor the advice of the busi- great deal of gold. Customers also Bundesverdienstkreuz for ness administration experts, has appreciate the ever improving not given up manufacturing and delivery reliability despite the vast Hans Rosenberger sen. has not limited itself to product increases in volume. Rosenberger Hans Rosenberger receives the Cross technology, but has continued is no longer taken as an outsider, of the Order of Merit of the Federal to invest in labor-intensive parts but as one of the major competent Republic of Germany (Bundes- manufacturing, now proves to be suppliers in the sector. verdienstkreuz) for his „exemplary of advantage. The new machines entrepreneurial and voluntary com- mitment“. On November 10, Otto Wiesheu, Bavarian State Minister for Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology, presents him the award.

„Peanuts“ bankruptcy On April 15, the Dr. Jürgen Schnei- der AG real estate company files for Bundesverdienstkreuz for Hans Rosenberger sen.: Hans Rosenberger sen. is honored bankruptcy. The real estate holding for his life‘s work with the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Ger- owes 50 creditor banks over DM 5 many (Bundesverdienstkreuz). It is presented to him by Otto Wiesheu, Bavarian State billion. Hilmar Kopper, president of Minister for Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology. The award is the Deutsche Bank, which is most in appreciation not only of the national significance of his company, but above all for affected, designates the DM 50 his social commitment and preservation activities. million owed to tradespeople to be „peanuts“ compared to the overall Fusion of the Bundes­ The Allies sum. The remark is later declared bahn and Reichsbahn take their leave worst saying of the year. As of January 1, the Deutsche Bun- A farewell ceremony held on Sep- desbahn (West) and the Deutsche tember 8 formally put an end to the Reichsbahn (East) are amalgamated presence of the Western Allies USA, Trust winds up into the Deutsche Bahn AG. In orga- Great Britain and France in Berlin, On December 1, the „Federal nization and finances, the company uninterrupted since 1945. The last Agency for the Trust Administration is divided into three lines of business: of the Russian troops had left a few of Public Property in the former passenger transport, goods transport days earlier. The German Chancellor GDR“ or „Treuhand“ agency winds and railway track network. An eco- Kohl is host to the French President up its operations. The largest state nomically viable enterprise that can François Mitterrand, the British industrial holding company in the be sold to private investors is to be Prime Minister John Major and world restructured and privatized the made out of the two state companies the US Secretary of State Warren national property enterprises of the that notoriously run at a deficit. Christopher. GDR. 1995 Investment in size

The lathe shop has been standing for 10 years and connector sales have tripled in this time. An extension is imperative. Various locations are examined and the in-house logistics scrutinized. Finally a double hall of steel is erected, which (after demolition of the old electroplating shop) covers the entire courtyard from the lathe shop to the washrooms. Now under its roof, not only can the machines be arranged properly and materials loading optimized, but there is also room for the finishing, cleaning and storing of parts (next to the electroplating shop) as well as the goods reception area with canopy and turning area. New architectural style: a steel skeleton construction is used for the first time for the double hall designated for machining production. The picture shows how, after Two more rotary transfer machines demolition of the former electroplating shop, the central area of the works is utilized and a selection of new NC turning under one roof. machines are added; all the ma- chines are fitted with bar loaders; the computer network is extended The Bundespost Strike for 35-hour week accordingly; 25 new worksta- is split up From February 24 to March 8, a tions are created; more testing At the beginning of the year, the strike is held in Bavaria by the trade equipment is added and an SPC German Federal Post Office (Deut- union IG Metall to fight for the terminal is installed at each group sche Bundespost) is split into three introduction of the 35-hour week of machines; a high-lift truck ope- independent companies: Deutsche (with flexible regulations). It is the rates in the new parts store. The Post AG, Deutsche Telekom AG and first strike in the metal industry for ventilation and heating, lighting Postbank AG. To start with, the Fe- 41 years. Rosenberger is not affected and furnishings are all reinstalled deral Republic of Germany remains by the strike. with the latest technology, the the only shareholder. The companies parts washing plant is renovated; are to be made competitive and sold the vapors that escape during the to private investors. Reichstag packed up washing process are now collected and fed into a distillation plant for Barings investment The Reichstag building in Berlin is reuse. The employees‘ car park is packed according to the plans of ar- extended and planted with trees. bank: bankrupt through tists Christo and Jeanne Claude. The speculation art event lasts from June 23 to July 6 and is visited by about 5 million On February 26, failed speculative Most of the foreign companies are people. developing well. However, in Italy, transactions and the criminal mani- the new sales company has not pulations of securities trader Nick Leeson in the Singapore subsidiary reached its targets and is therefore Spelling reform liquidated. To date, the Rosen- plunge the British investment bank berger brothers had private shares Barings into bankruptcy. The bank passed in Rosenberger Filcon GmbH, a cannot meet obligations to pay amounting to US$ 1.4 billion from On December 1, the ministers of small precision engineering firm derivative activities. On March 2, education and arts of the German in close vicinity to Messerschmitt- Leeson is arrested in Frankfurt, states agree on a spelling reform that Bölkow in Ottobrunn; now shares extradited to Singapore on Novem- is to be effective as of 1998. Spelling are purchased. ber 23 and on December 2, he is and comma rules are greatly simpli- sentenced to six and a half years jail fied. This bureaucratic interference Turnover equivalent in euros: for forgery of documents, embezzle- in the cultural heritage of language €46 million (+40%) ment and fraud. leads to heated debates. 1996 On the brink of globalization

The market has changed. The col- cable making, are too expensive at lapse of the Communist planned home. The initially small assembly Mad cow disease economy is not necessarily the group in the Czech Republic is contained cause, it is rather the time of the strengthened, but in future, con- turnaround. Whereas before, nectors will have to be made where On March 20, the British govern- multinational concerns always they are needed. Even if the sites ment admitted for the first time the had their headquarters and the will only be created later: now is possibility that the cattle disease BSE main part of their activities in one the time to plan and decide. (Bovine Spongiforme Encephalopa- particular country, production sites now wander round the globe Under the shadow of the gigantic thie) can be transmitted to human following the best conditions. At mushrooming of the connector beings and cause the Jakob-Creutz- the same time, production pro- business, the engineering unit feldt disease. As a result, Germa- cesses are split up into single steps, has developed into a reputable ny imposes an import ban as of the supply chain of the end pro- and modern manufacturing March 23 and on March 27, the EU duct is longer and international. partner for its customers. Year Commission prohibits the export of The functions of the purchasing after year, investments are made British beef. departments change, anonymous in automatic machining centers, central units negotiate prices measuring equipment perfected, worldwide, without worrying logistics streamlined and turnover Prince Charles divorced about the purchasing needs of the increased. Now, a large-scale new individual sites; technical speci- construction provides for a better On August 28, after 15 years of mar- fications are made at the product overview and optimum flow of riage, the heir to the British throne development stage and purcha- production. The founding of a Prince Charles and his wife Princess sing departments are no longer new sales company in the USA, included in the process. Short Rosenberger of North America Diana are divorced in London. paths between sales and develop- LLC (RNA), is the major innova- ment and the joys of innovation tion for the worldwide presence are only of limited advantage, the - America is still the largest market Kaufhof merges ability to deliver and the price are for RF technology. into Metro the decisive factors for winning orders. The market leaves no room Turnover equivalent in euros: On March 14, in Bonn, the Asko for moral considerations. Manual €50 million (+10%) Deutsche Kaufhaus AG, Deutsche tasks, like connector assembly and SB Kauf AG and Kaufhof Holding companies merge with Metro AG. The new Metro AG has about 175,000 employees after the fusion.

AEG disappears, Fokker bankrupt

The new CEO of Daimler-Benz, Jürgen Schrempp, does not continue the vision of a worldwide leading technology concern. On January 17, AEG, the 113-year old company, is dissolved by decision of the supervi- sory board. The division of Energy Distribution and Automation Tech- nology is sold to a French concern and the remaining divisions are run by Daimler-Benz. Daimler-Benz also withdraws from Fokker; on March Engineering hall: a steel skeleton construction is also used for the new engineering 15, the Dutch aircraft builder files hall. Thus, the original works area is now completely covered with buildings except for the green zone in front of the buildings to the east. for insolvency. 1997 Technology and logistics

A company that is a global player mers to China makes it impera- needs structures different to a tive to have local manufacturing Krupp-Hoesch company limited to a single loca- facilities there. In November, after swallows Thyssen tion. This change is now comple- long negotiations with the Chinese te. The old CAD system that is authorities, Beijing Rosenberger On March 18, Gerhard Cromme, tailored to one designer is replaced is founded and starts operating in CEO of the steel company Krupp- by a UNIX network that can be the same year with the assembly Hoesch, announces the hostile take- accessed by all the designers. This of cable groups. At the same time, over of Thyssen AG. On March 26, permits tasks to be distributed bet- the new company guides the sales the managing boards agree upon a ter and the results forwarded faster of the country‘s up-and-coming common steel business after payment to the production departments. communications industry. In order of generous settlements. The SPC network is developed to maintain competency in fiber- into an integrated quality manage- optic cable technology, a share ment system. The capacity of the is acquired in OSI Kommunika- „Lottery uprising“ electroplating unit is increased by tions- und Systemtechnik GmbH. the addition of a new, fully auto- OSI has an assembly works in in Albania matic plant. The hall is converted Hungary; a new hall is built for On February 10, two people are accordingly to meet the new de- assembling connectors and cables. killed during riots in the Albanian mands. The surface inspection unit All the incorporated companies are port of Vlora. Prior to this, „busi- is newly equipped in new rooms. working at a profit. nesspeople“ had enticed customers The parts store, optimized for in- with monthly interest rates of 35% house logistics, has to be extended Consolidated turnover equivalent to 100% and then through the to accommodate remote assembly in euros: €60 million (+16%) snowball principle had got away sites; an industrial tent hall is used with millions. Those who have been temporarily for this. The dispatch cheated demand their money back department has to gear up to the from the government, because they packing of parts so that they arrive suspect that the state leaders tolera- undamaged after days of transport. ted the swindle. At the beginning of March, the Sali Berisha administra- Activities abroad are no longer tion resigns and a state of emergency limited to sales. In particular, the is declared. On April 11, an interna- move of many renowned custo- tional protection force is deployed in the name of the OSCE.

Floods along the Oder unite Germany

On July 23, the first dyke along the Oder bursts after days of heavy rain- fall. On July 27, the water level at Frankfurt/Oder reaches the historical high of 6.57m. The three-week relief action, in which people from all over Germany help, is the largest disaster operation since the end of the war.

Election victory for Tony Blair

On May 1, the Labour Party wins an Impedance-controlled PCB gateway: as frequencies increase in various fields of absolute majority in the parliamenta- application, the impedance-controlled gateway from the printed-circuit board to the ry elections. The Conservatives, who coaxial connector becomes even more important. Bernhard Rosenberger, Head of had been governing for 18 years, Development, has decisively pushed forward the surface-mount technology required for suffer their greatest election setback this. since 1822. 1998 Mobile telephone as economic growth engine

Since the mobile phone started lized world. The need is gigantic, engineering unit is also expanding to fit in the jacket pocket, it has the pressure on prices and delivery again; a warehouse is built and become a must-have product. To times too. fast, high-precision machines are able to reach people and be rea- procured to win new customers in ched anytime, anywhere seems to The hectic market makes it im- this sector too. After discontinu- be such a fundamental need that perative to employ the very latest ation of the machining of trans- the mobile phone sells like hot manufacturing methods. A whole mission housings for the Zahnrad- cakes. To start with, there are coa- dozen Tornos NC long turning fabrik Passau, the „opera house“ xial connectors in the terminals, machines are delivered all at once, is renovated and refitted for tool but the vast quantities are needed which brings the production manufacture and a workshop for in the switching and transmission of spring contacts into top gear apprentices. systems. Car installations, initially - older and slower machines are a retrofit market, need cables and replaced to a certain extent and There is an innovation in Sweden: connectors, as well as booster the need for expensive finishing a competitor terminates over 60 networks in office buildings. is eliminated. Two more Hydro- years of cooperation with Carlberg The operators rapidly build up mat rotary transfer machines to build up its own sales network. complete networks of base stations and a six-spindle automatic lathe The merger into Rosenberger so that the phones can function are purchased to reinforce mass Carlberg AB brings on board a po- everywhere, which here does not production, two CNC machines werful sales network and custom mean a few conglomerations in for large diameters are specialized cable making. Europe, but throughout the civi- for antenna connector parts. The Consolidated turnover equivalent in euros: €81 million (+35%)

Trapattoni: „I have ready“

On March 10, Giovanni Trapattoni, trainer of FC Bayern München, sud- denly becomes famous for his fit of anger during a press conference. The assessment of his professional players Occupational training:after termination of the transmission-housing production, as „weak as a bottle empty“ and his the „opera house“ is thoroughly renovated to its former glory - not as a representative concluding words „I have ready“ building, but as a domicile for tool manufacturing and a workshop for apprentices. become popular quotations. The number of apprentices remains constant over the years at over 10 % of the total number of employees and even in difficult years, practically all the graduates were taken on board. The „Red Army Bill Clinton in trouble Introduction of the Fraction“ disbands because of the Euro set On April 20, the terrorist organiza- „Lewinsky Affair“ tion „Rote Armee Fraktion“ (RAF) On May 3, the heads of state and declares in a letter to the British press government of the European Union Following accusations in the agency Reuters that it is disbanding Washington Post, on January 26, US name the eleven member states in after almost 28 years. President Bill Clinton declares in lieu which the Euro is to be introduced of an oath that he has not had an af- on January 1, 1999. In addition to fair with Monica Lewinsky, a former the nine countries that fulfill the Blue miracle White House intern. On August 6, criteria for participation, Belgium for weak men when Monica Lewinsky reports to and Italy are also included although a Grand Jury of more than a dozen their debts lie above the limit. Great On March 26, „Viagra“ from the sexual encounters with Clinton, an Britain, Denmark and Sweden want US pharmaceutical company Pfizer impeachment trial is opened on Oc- to wait before joining. Wim Duisen- receives approval for use in the USA. tober 9, from which he is acquitted, berg is elected the first President of On October 1, the „blue pill“ comes but only just. the Central European Bank. onto the market in Germany. 1999 Asia crisis used to advantage

The bursting of the real estate tasks and the QS 9000 certifica- credit bubble and withdrawal of tion is another significant miles- Introduction of the Euro large hedge funds from the Asian tone. Talks with automotive ma- The euro is introduced in eleven tiger states plunged Asia into a fi- nufacturers lead to considerations countries of the EU and the Europe- nancial crisis in 1997/98; this now about a connector system specially an Currency union comes into force. takes full effect on the economy. for motor vehicles, the catchword Since euro notes and coins are only The long supply chains respond of „telematics“ is coined and valid as of 2002, the euro is initially too late and too excessively to the stands for data communication restricted to cashless payments. Irre- collapse in demand. In this tur- (navigation, traffic news, driving spective of this, on September 3, the bulent time, Rosenberger founds aids) to support drivers. Deutsche Mark becomes the official Rosenberger RF Technology Pte. currency in Kosovo. Ltd., Singapore. The company is The original works site is overloa- to support the establishment of ded, the new factory hall is located RF technology in southern Asia as on a site to the west of the car VIAG and VEBA supplier. The decline in Asia boo- park. It also houses the materials are to become E.ON sts growth in America; applause warehouse. A central chip dryer is at the New York stock exchange commissioned. Cutting oil is su- On September 27, the power utilities when the Dow Jones Index breaks cked out of the machines, filtered VEBA und VIAG hold a press through the 10,000 barrier. South and then fed back again. Oil conference to announce their merger America develops unevenly; Chile vapors are evacuated over the tool into E.ON AG. PreussenElektra and is booming after the Pinochet and oil and heat recuperated. Bayernwerk are merged into E.ON dictatorship, and that is where Energie AG. Rosenberger Sudamerica Ltd. will Consolidated turnover equivalent be active. in euros: €92 million (+14%) Paint bag attack A good overview is needed for on Joschka Fischer the logistics of a company with a worldwide network. The soft- On May 13, at the special party ware tried out the year before for conference of the „Greens“ in Biele- controlling the production groups feld, a bag of paint is thrown at the Putin succeeds Yeltsin head of the German Federal Foreign shows its advantages. The coordi- Minister, Joschka Fischer, during a nation of capacities and simulation On December 31, the Russian of new orders leads to shorter debate about stopping the air raids President Boris Yeltsin resigns and processing times, smaller parts on Yugoslavia. hands over power on the same day stocks and more precise deadline to Vladimir Putin. Yeltsin is granted information. Quality management Hoechst AG and Rhône is also equipping itself for the new lifelong immunity from prosecution. Poulenc become Aventis On July 13, the French pharmaceu- tical company Rhône Poulenc and Hoechst AG merge into Aventis. In 2004 Aventis is to merge with Sa- nofi-Synthelabo to become Europe‘s largest pharmaceutical concern.

DASA and Matra turn into EADS On October 14, Daimler-Chrysler Aerospace AG (formed in 1989 through the fusion of Dornier, MTU, MBB and parts of AEG) and Aerospatiale Matra SA merge to Assembly on the move: assembly in the Pietling works is already concentrating on form the European Aeronautic, De- special product groups needing a high amount of adjusting and measuring, whereas fense and Space Company (EADS), mainly manual work is being moved out to neighboring countries with lower wage the third largest aerospace company levels. in the world. 2000 The dot-com bubble causes panic

The „Y2K problem“ - the experts are supplied daily by truck, the Pietling for which they will later feared that all the computes would finished connectors are brought be responsible. crash at the turn of the millenni- back. Part of the assembly hall is um - does not affect Rosenberger used for dispatch packing and as a In the middle of all the hustle and either. Another virtual problem buffer store. The subsidiary in Chi- bustle, the automotive connectors thrusts deeper into reality: the hea- na increases its turnover 15-fold product group develops coaxial dy prospects of the new economy. this year. The parts are shipped in connectors for telematics in cars The vision that billions of people containers. China needs its own and breaks new ground in the want to have mobile phones and factory, not only because of the design and production of plastic laptops and benefit from the import duties; the major custo- housings and in the acceptance blessings of the Internet leads to mers have moved not only their procedures of the automotive financial transactions, which make production, but also their research industry; in the same year, bulk cool calculators shake their heads, and sales competencies there and delivery of „FAKRA connectors“ and to the planning of require- need suppliers with comprehensive starts (Fach-Ausschuss KRAft- ments that no one can fulfill. capacities on site. Planning and fahrzeuge-components standardi- financing are agreed upon and zation committee of the German Already in the previous year, more at the end of the year, the new automotive industries). parts were procured than ever factory is practically ready for up before and now the requirements to 1,000 employees. Engineers and Consolidated turnover equivalent were once again doubling the masters from China are trained in euros: €139 million (+51%) purchasing volume, although the on the machines and systems in suppliers are long since at capa- city. Threat of material shortage: copper beryllium (indispensable for high quality spring contacts) has a 12-month delivery time, the consumption of gold doubles despite savings thanks to technical progress. The assembly works in Hungary and the Czech Republic Dot-com bubble: DAX over 8000, Mongolia: while searching for somewhere suitable for the China factory, a site sug- gested by the Chinese government is inspected in Mongolia. However, despite higher Deutsche Telekom costs, the capital of Beijing is chosen because of the better infrastructure and transport shares quoted at € 104 connections. Speculation with shares in the Inter- Green card Auction of the net and telecommunications branch („New market“, „Dot-com bubble“) is supposed to clear the UMTS licenses culminates around mid-March. On specialist bottleneck brings in billions March 6, the Deutsche Telekom On February 24, Chancellor Schrö- shares reach their highest mark at On August 17, the auction of the der starts a debate about immigration €104.90. UMTS licenses in Germany ended policy with his proposal to bring with a record yield of DM 98.8 foreign high-tech experts to Germany billion. Finance minister Hans EXPO 2000 – the first as guest workers with a „green card“. Eichel joked that the abbreviation world expo in Germany UMTS stands (in German) for the On June 1, EXPO 2000 is opened George W. Bush equivalent of „unexpected increase in Hanover and runs until October is the new US president in income to pay off the national 31. It is the first world exhibition in debt“. The six licenses at the price of Germany to be recognized by the just in front of Al Gore about DM 16 billion each go to: T- Bureau International des Expositions George W. Bush wins the US presi- Mobile Deutschland, Vodafone D2, (International Exhibitions Bureau). dential election. The result is first dis- MobilCom, Auditorium Investments The motto: „Humankind-Nature- puted but then declared valid by court Germany S.à.r.l. (later E-plus 3G Technology – a new world arising“. order. On December 18, the Federal Luxemburg), O2 and Group 3G (a Only about 18 million visitors came Elections Commission confirms that consortium of the Spanish Telefónica instead of the expected 40 million. he is the 43rd president of the USA. and the Finnish Sonera). 2001 Euro era starts off turbulently

Two important innovations at the beginning of the year: accounting switches over to the euro and the new computer system, proAl- pha, is commissioned. This is a user-friendly enterprise resource planning system that meets the demands of a global company. Somewhat later the new domi- cile of the design department is completed on the ground floor of the office wing and linked with the completely renovated „villa“ (former residence of the factory owners and for years, home to the research department). A new hall Beijing Rosenberger in production: after a record-breaking short planning and for machining production is exten- construction time, the new works are up and running in all areas of production. An ded in the course of construction, electroplating shop is available in addition to the machining production, which is on a because otherwise there would be par with the parent works. Assembly and cable making take up the largest areas. no space for the 13 new Hydromat machines ordered (14 have already optics market in Brazil is acquired; been procured over the past 10 Rosenberger Domex Telecom S.A. Switzerland says no years). enhances the worldwide presence. to Europe

The order boom lasts another three Consolidated turnover in euros: On March 4, in a referendum held months, customers run capacity €148 million (+6%) in Switzerland, 76.8% of the electo- audits that must indicate which rate voted against the constitutional machines are used to manufacture initiative „Yes to Europe“, thus Swit- which parts for the connectors zerland does not take up negotiations ordered and whether adequate to join the EU. material supply is assured. Then follows a half year during which Attack on the month for month there are more cancellations than orders received Milosevic arrested World Trade Center and the media are spreading the in Belgrade On September 11, an unpreceden- news of falls in demand and the On April 1, the former Yugoslav ted act of terror rocks the world: at collapse of companies. Initially, President Slobodan Milosevic is 08.45 a.m. local time, an airliner the considerable backlog of orders arrested in his villa and later transfer- crashes into one of the towers of helps against drastic measures, red to the central prison in Belgrade. the World Trade Center in New then employees have to work off On June 28, he is forcibly handed York. At 09.03 a.m., a second time credits and finally, short- over to the war crimes tribunal in plane hurtles into the second of the time work has to be introduced in The Hague and indicted for forced 411-meter high twin towers. Both almost all the departments. Then, displacement and genocide. towers collapse. A little later another completely against the downward airliner crashes into the Pentagon. A trend, deliveries to two major fourth plane crashes at 10.29 a.m. German car makers pick up. Work War in Afghanistan near Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania). The is already underway on the second number of victims of the attacks is generation of these connectors, On October 7, the USA launches estimated at over 3000. which must be greatly improved Operation Enduring Freedom as technically and at the same time a reaction to the attacks of Sep- be more cost-effective. tember 11. US military jets attack Transrapid in China aerodromes and radar and military The upturn continues in China. facilities of the Taliban. The fighting On January 23, a contract is The new works are commissioned ends with a victory of the „Nor- concluded in Shanghai between and produce a growing share of thern Alliance“ over the Taliban. the Chinese government and the the parts needed. Nevertheless, On December 22, Hamid Karzai is German consortium of Siemens and parts still have to be supplied. A appointed head of the transitional Thyssen-Krupp for the construction share in the leader of the fiber government in Kabul. of a Transrapid maglev train line. 2002 In free fall, but with parachute

From the boom into the crisis - the major telecommunications companies are struggling with mountains of debts from the purchase of UMTS licenses and daring company purchases; they slow down the establishment of mobile networks and stop moder- nization of the fixed-line network. Equippers are losing orders and their suppliers are sitting on un- movable stockpiles. The shares are in free fall; by the end of the year some companies in the sector lose 90% of their peak value. Demand Supplier to the also drops in America and Asia. automotive industry: with its certification in Short-time work is continued. compliance with ISO A small number of contracts of TS 16949, Rosenberger limited duration are not extended, proves that it meets the the core workforce is retained. high demands made by the automotive industry Some employees can be transfer- on its suppliers‘ stan- red temporarily to engineering dards of quality. whose order situation is still good. The additional purchase of parts is reined in as far as possible, but Kirch Group bankrupt Plane crash disaster own production is still not at On April 8, KirchMedia GmbH & near Lake Constance capacity. Machines from fixed con- On July 1, a Russian passenger jet of Co KgaA and KirchPayTV GmbH tracts are still delivered, but not the type Tupolev Tu-154 collides at & Co KgaA file for insolvency even unpacked for the time being. an altitude of about 11,000 meters The automotive supplier business because of a debt overload of €6 bil- over Lake Constance with a DHL grows rapidly from small begin- lion. On June 12, the media empire Boeing 757-200 cargo jet. All 69 pas- nings and noticeably supports the collapses completely when Taurus sengers, including 45 children, and situation of the whole works. ISO Holding, the umbrella company that crew die. The cause of the disaster TS 16949 certification is achieved controls the various Kirch subsidiari- is determined to be an error made and is a key factor for success in es, files for bankruptcy. by the private Swiss airspace control the sector. In the second half of company Skyguide. the year, telecommunication or- ders start to trickle in again from a number of countries. At the end of Floods along the Elbe Scharping fired the year, there are even lead times On July 18, German Chancellor Ger- in some cases. Heavy rainfall in August leads to hard Schröder dismisses his Defense floods in eastern Europe. On August Minister Rudolf Scharping. The rea- son for his dismissal, after numerous The reticent business situation is a 11, the once-in-a-hundred-years unfortunate appearances in the media, good opportunity for the works in flood hits Dresden, the capital city of were the remunerations paid by the China to tighten up their orga- Saxony. The Elbe river and its tribu- PR entrepreneur Moritz Hunzinger. nization. The other companies taries turn into raging torrents. On abroad are also working mainly August 17, the water level rises to a successfully despite the decline in record mark of 9.4 meters with the Euro replaces the turnover. Rosenberger Benelux second tidal wave. Historical buil- Deutsche Mark B.V. is founded when the local dings and thousands of homes are agency turns to other business also as cash destroyed. The damage is estimated priorities after many years of At the beginning of the year, euro cooperation. at €20 billion. On August 26, the banknotes and euro coins are issued German government designates over in twelve European countries, thus Consolidated turnover in euros: seven billion euros of reconstruction completing the currency union €126.5 million (-15%) aid for the areas hit by the floods. started in 1999. 2003 Out of the slump with automotive connectors

Once again, the automotive expanded extensively and equip- The shares are acquired, Rosenber- sector increases its share of the ped accordingly for the qualifying ger Hungary KFT is founded and total turnover. Most antenna processes. In Sales, a separate the plant expanded to become the and telematics components in group concentrates on the special European assembly center. Turno- a car are already equipped with demands of the sector. There are ver increases again in China to the FAKRA connections; components new tasks too in telecommunica- highest level of 2001, mainly from manufacturers and cable makers tions: connector series change their own production. A subsidiary in alike need millions of them. Price look. Connecting must be easier, Shanghai is concerned primarily pressure and competition are connection locks should not be with light wave technology. The enormous; development, tools and able to come undone of their own European companies are still performance testing have to be accord, cabling must be simpler struggling to certain extent. North financed in advance, before appro- and higher frequencies must be and South America are enjoying val is even in sight. Stamping and supported. economic success with growing bending proves to be better than turnovers. machining for this type of connec- A new assembly site is established tor. Stamping has to be developed in Hungary, the Swedish partner Consolidated turnover in euros: into a core competence in order to Carlberg had cable making plant €144 million (+14%) remain independent of suppliers. there and the site is ideal for more. Appropriate machines are just one requirement; tool design and tool construction must be boosted and equipped accordingly, and further processing must be integrated into connector development - new ground, where the head start of competitors has to be caught up. The test laboratory has to be

Chancellor Schröder announces Automotive technology: Whereas the „FAKRA“ connectors of the first generation Agenda 2010 are clearly a further development of existing connector series, new developments move On March 14, Gerhard Schröder further away from conventional connectors and unconditionally meet the ever growing presents a reform program in the special demands of automotive telematics. After stamp-formed coax connectors, the Bundestag under the title of „Agenda most recent developments are for high speed data networks (HSD). 2010“. The wide reforms of the labor market and profound restructuring Iraq War Europe of the social systems are designed to secure Germany as an economic On March 20, under the pretext that continues to grow force. On April 3, about 500,000 Iraq is in possession of biological and On April 16, the European Commu- people protest in Berlin, Stuttgart nity (to date 15 nations) closes the chemical weapons of mass destruc- and Cologne against the cuts in so- largest round of expansion in its hi- tion and is working together with cial services included in the Agenda story. The ten new member states are: Al-Qaida, the USA and Great Britain 2010. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech invade Iraq. The Iraq capital, Bagh- Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, dad, is bombarded with satellite-gui- Slovenia, Malta and Cyprus. Möllemann‘s last jump ded missiles. Germany and France On June 5, the former regional are against the war policy of the USA Autobahn toll system chairman of the liberal party (FDP) and Great Britain. On April 9, Ame- in North Rhine Westphalia, Jürgen rican troops occupy the center of is not completed W. Möllemann, dies in a parachuting Baghdad. On May 1, US President The planned satellite-supported incident. It is suspected that Mölle- George W. Bush declares the fighting autobahn toll system cannot be mann, who had lost all his political to be finished, on board the aircraft commissioned as planned, because of positions and whose parliamentary carrier „Abraham Lincoln“. technical problems; at the end of the immunity had been lifted just hours year, the launch is postponed to the before, committed suicide. third quarter of 2004. 2004 Telecommunications grows again worldwide

The 3rd generation of mobile that better serves the worldwide telephony develops much more network of the company. diversely than expected, whereby UMTS does not play the domi- Consolidated turnover in euros: nant role. Extra mobile phone €188 million (+30%) functions like photo, video and audio recordings, and data and music reception motivate incre- asingly more new customers to Worldwide production: Assembly and follow the latest technical trends. production works are maintained also The growing amounts of data at sites in Berkshire (England), São José demand expansion of the mobile (Brazil), Pozuelo (Spain) and Radeberg radio networks. The trend towards (Saxony, Germany) as well as - not broadband utilization also requires shown - in Lidingö (Sweden), Birkeröd investment in the fixed-line net- (Denmark) and Lancaster (USA). work.

Together with Leoni Special Cables, corrugated sheath cables are optimized technically for base stations and marketed worldwide as Rosenberger Leoni Site Solu- tions via the subsidiaries of both partners. Beijing Rosenberger grows with the gigantic Chinese market, but also sets up links Hirschmann is split First Eurofighter in South Asia‘s growth centers; On February 13, Richard Hirsch- delivered the new name „Rosenberger mann GmbH & Co, part of the Asia Pacific Electronic Co. Ltd.“ Rheinmetall concern since 1997, is On April 26, the German Luftwaffe substantiates this. Rosenberger sold to the English investor HgCa- receives its first Eurofighter. It started North America makes a record pital. The traditional enterprise is with the „EFA Program“ in 1983, turnover (in US dollars) and the split into three companies and after followed by the founding in 1986 subsidiaries in Chile and Brazil massive cuts in staff is sold again in of Eurojet Turbo GmbH, which was grow as well, despite the so-called 2005 and 2007. contracted to develop and manuf- Argentina crisis. The European companies develop successfully, acture the EJ200. Now the years of but in different ways. Rosenberger Avian influenza development have their successful Messtechnik Sachsen, active in the fruition. development and manufacture of breaks out in Asia precision components since the Asian bird flu, which first occurred reunification of Germany and pre- in South Korea at the end of 2003, Al Qaida attack viously in the private possession of spreads further across Asia. It does Bernhard Rosenberger and leading on trains in Madrid not claim many victims, but does employees, is now integrated into trigger off panic precautions. the enterprise. On March 11, a series of bomb attacks on the railway in the Spanish Once the engineering division has capital of Madrid kills 191 and leaves moved into its new halls on the ex- Mourning for about 1500 injured. A terror unit tended site with its own entrance Katharina Rosenberger close to Al-Qaida made the attacks. and car park, its old domicile is re- With the forthcoming election in On June 19, Katharina Rosenberger novated and made into the stamp mind, the conservative government is borne to her grave accompanied by forming center. The lathe shop tries to make the ETA responsible a great number of Tittmoningers and receives several new generation for the crime, which leads to the machines. The additional purchase the employees and business partners Socialist Worker Party and its can- of parts is on the increase again in of the company. Her untiring com- didate José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero moderate steps and with improved mitment to the company especially logistics in the works. Plans begin in the founding years remains winning the majority vote on March to take shape for a reorganization unforgotten. 14. 2005 Logistics center goes into operation

The works site is extended free. The former loading hall is once again to the west with the completely renovated and newly Rosenberger is declared construction of a new logistics equipped to house the test labo- market leader center. Its planning is based on ratory with offices, test chambers a new concept for a steady flow and workshops. The online trade journal Connec- of goods through the stages of torSupplier.com, published by the value added. All the blanks run The stamp forming technique is Bishop & Associates agency, ranks through their appropriate fini- boosted with a Multicenter C42, Rosenberger number one supplier of shing processes (deburring, sand a very versatile automatic machi- RF connectors with a world market blasting, hardening) and cleaning; ne with functions that can also share of 13.2%. vendor parts are incorporated handle very complicated parts. into the flow after inspection. This makes it possible to use the They are stored temporarily in the stamping technique for automo- Kyoto Protocol: blanks store and then issued to the tive connectors. The lathe shop is electroplating unit as required. The further equipped with a six-spindle 128 countries reduce coated parts are then distributed automatic bar machine for large greenhouse gas to the assembly lots at the loading parts and several Hydromat rotary point. Complete lots are trans- transfer machines. The engineering emissions ported into the assembly center, unit receives three new machi- On February 16, the Kyoto Fra- the finished connectors returned ning centers for high-precision mework Convention on Climate and placed in the racks ready parts. Increased capacity of own Change enters into force. Ratified by for delivery without any further production makes the additional 128 countries, the protocol obliges storage. The loading surfaces are purchase of metal parts practically industrialized nations to reduce their arranged so that goods-in traffic, unnecessary. collective emissions of greenhouse assembly traffic, internal transport gases by five percent compared to the and delivery do not interfere with Consolidated turnover in euros: year 1990 by 2012. The USA and each other. The storage points dis- €213 million (+13%) Australia are not party to the treaty. tributed around the works become

Pope John Paul II dies – Benedict XVI is successor

On April 2, Pope John Paul II dies after a grave illness at the age of 84. His pontificate lasted 27 years, the third longest in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. More than 2 million pilgrims and 200 guests of state attend the funeral ceremony. European assembly center: planning starts for a European assembly center. The 3D On April 19, in a papal conclave, the simulation shows the works in Jászárokszállás (Hungary) as they are to be realized. German cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected the new pope. He adopts the Hurricane „Katrina“ Germany has its first name Benedict XVI. floods New Orleans lady Chancellor Heide Simonis fails Hurricane „Katrina“ rages in the On September 18, the Bundestag at premier election southern states of the USA. New Or- election is brought forward and there leans is badly hit and on August 29 is no majority for Socialist-Greens On March 17, Heide Simonis sinks in the floods when the levees nor for the Conservative-Liberals. resigns as premier of Schleswig- break. About 1,300 people die and On November 22, Angela Merkel is Holstein. Deviants in her red-green one million are made homeless. The elected Chancellor of a grand coaliti- coalition prevent her re-election in disastrous crisis management leads on of Conservatives and Socialists. four ballots. On April 16, the new to a loss of popularity for President premier Peter Harry Carstensen Bush. heads a grand coalition. 2006 New factory in India

A subcontinent with over one of the Pietling works have resulted centers are procured in expectation billion inhabitants, yet still in remarkably high productivity. of long-term orders from a new without an extensive infrastructure Measures to reduce setting-up customer. The engineering unit has for telecommunications and still times, high machine capacity and thus become a high-tech supplier without any mentionable dome- avoidance of stockpiles thanks to that is also setting standards in its stic competition. With a leading tightly organized logistics ensure sector. A new warehouse creates global market position to defend, that parts manufacturing remains room for the flow of production. it would be negligent to neglect economically viable despite high A biomass heat plant supplies heat such a market. Therefore, in July, labor costs. Additional multi- to all the new halls, saving costs Rosenberger Shilpi Cable Tech- ple-spindle automatic lathes and and emissions. nologies Ltd. is founded together Hydromat rotary transfer ma- with an Indian partner with the chines speed up production. The Consolidated turnover: aim of manufacturing cable engineering unit is modernized €229 million (+8%) groups for base stations with the even further; four new machining greatest possible domestic vertical integration. A factory is planned in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan Province and at the same time, a sales office in Delhi starts up with responsibility for the complete program. After the successful sales activities of Rosenberger Asia Pacific, there is no more need for the subsidiary in Singapore and it is dissolved on May 31. The other companies abroad continue successfully in relation to the problems of their domestic markets. Biomass heat plant: a biomass heat plant is built on the Pietling site to supply process The large investments made year heat and hot air to the new halls. It is operated practically carbon neutral with wood in, year out in the own production chips supplied by local farmers.

Ex-president Milosevic Collapse of ice rink Football World Cup dies of a heart attack in Bad Reichenhall in Germany On January 2, the roof of the ice On March 11, former Yugoslav pre- rink in Bad Reichenhall in Upper On June 9, the Football World Cup sident Slobodan Milosevic dies of a Bavaria collapses after heavy snowfall. kicks off in Munich. Italy wins the heart attack in his prison cell in The 15 people die and 34 are injured, cup after beating France in a penalty Hague. He was standing trial at the some seriously. Most of the accident International War Crimes Tribunal victims are children and youths. shoot-out. The German team claims charged with war crimes, genocide third place. and crimes against humanity. Doctors strike in university hospitals Natascha Kampusch Value added tax As of March 16, doctors go on strike flees after 8 years in increased drastically in several university hospitals in Ger- many. The doctors demand impro- captivity On May 19, the Bundestag passes ved working conditions and thirty percent higher income. On June 16, the accompanying budget law that On August 23, in Austria, the the doctors‘ trade union, Marburger raises the value added tax rate from Bund, and the tariff community of 18-year old Natascha Kampusch 16% to 19%, cuts back the savings the Länder come to a pay agreement manages to escape after 8 years of allowance and commuting allo- for doctors in university and regional wance, and also raises the so-called hospitals, which provides for pay captivity. Her kidnapper commits wealth tax as of 2007. rises of up to twenty percent. suicide on the same day. 2007 Market leader for automotive connectors

The investments in stamp forming, are commissioned. It provides new plastic molds, automatic as- optimum working conditions for Edmund Stoiber sembly machines and the develop- connector and cable assembly and becomes expert for ment of new products have once also has the necessary storage space again increased the automotive to be incorporated directly in bureaucracy connectors‘ share in the factory‘s the enterprise resource planning. On January 18, the Premier of the turnover after a decline due to The already high rate of delivery State of Bavaria, Edmund Stoiber, the slump in price. The newly reliability (over 96%) can thus be announces his resignation for developed HSD connector series increased even more. Large-scale September 30. In October, he chairs is launched on the market. The production of individual connec- the High Level Expert Group on impedance-controlled, 100-ohm tor types is made possible by utili- Administrative Burdens for the EU connection system with 4-core zing innovative, very fast machines with the task of tabling proposals cables and outstanding shielding for own production; the first Mi- regarding a fundamental limitation and signal transfer properties is kron Multistar transfer machines of bureaucracy in Europe. particularly suitable for High produce parts in seconds. Con- Speed Data transmission and has ventional machines can also be Pension only at 67 unbeatable advantages over coaxial made more productive – the long On March 9, amid strong protests cables both technically and econo- turning machines, some of which from trade unions and social work mically. The broad distribution of are decades old, are given a general associations, the grand coalition this system is thus inevitable. overhaul and equipped with elec- decrees that the retirement age is to tronic speed control systems that be increased gradually from 65 to 67 Rosenberger Benelux is dissolved; set the appropriate speed for each in the period from 2012 to 2029. customer servicing can also be operation. Numerically controlled done from the works using today‘s multiple-spindle machines can German school system data communications. Sales are also completely finish complicated successful in India, but there are parts in short times. gets bad marks delays in the construction of the In a report published on March 21, factory. The new assembly works Consolidated turnover: the United Nations criticizes the in Jászárokszállás (Hungary) €251 million (+10%) German school system. The main criticism is that the early tracking of children in different schools is „selective“ and can contribute to the discrimination of families with migrant backgrounds and financially weak families. Trouble‘s brewing at Siemens On January 2, insolvency proceedings commence for the BenQ-Siemens works in Bocholt, Kamp-Lintfort and Munich. On April 19, Heinrich von Pierer announces his resignati- on as chairman of the supervisory board because of the bribery scandal in Germany‘s largest electronics concern. On April 25, the CEO of Siemens, Klaus Kleinfeld, resigns. G8 summit in steel cage The G8 summit is held in Heili- gendamm from June 6 to 8. For this, a 13-kilometer steel fence is built stretching far out into the Baltic Hans Rosenberger sen. takes his leave: the company founder Hans Rosenberger sen. Sea. It is agreed among other things dies on September 25, two weeks ahead of his 85th birthday. The picture shows him in to provide $60 billion for fighting the spring of 2007 on a works tour with his sons. AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. 2008 50 years fit for the future

The 50th anniversary of the 2003 has no more debts to the of technical demands. The conti- founding of our company is reason bank. Excellent reasons to thank nued existence of the company is enough to celebrate. Especially everybody who has played their assured now as in the past by being when these 50 years encompass part in this success and to welcome well prepared for the future. an incredible story of success. A them cordially to a celebration. Tittmoning fitters workshop turns Consolidated (budget) turnover: into a worldwide concern that is Naturally, even in the jubilee year €272 million (+8%) technically one of the most inno- the company does not remain vative as well as one of the largest stationary, so let us here sketch out and most reputable in its sector. just some of the major current de- In a recent survey of customer velopments. The imminent launch satisfaction, ConnectorSupplier. of a FAKRA right-angle connector com comes to the conclusion that for the automotive industry, which of the ten major suppliers in the is stamp formed and assembled industry, Rosenberger gets the best fully automatically; a portable marks from customers. It should intermodulation measuring also be mentioned that the China instrument has been developed subsidiary is celebrating its 10th for all frequencies covered in radio anniversary at the same time. telephony and duly presented to Despite enormous drives in grow- the experts; reorganization of the th and the disproportionately high sales activities is planned; fiber op- investments that were necessary tical and electrical signal transfer in some years, the company has is being oriented in the market always stood on a solid financial to user sectors; own production foundation and remains in family continues to be optimized and ownership. It has not suffered the engineering section is being a loss in any one year and since equipped to meet the very highest

Family tradition: solidarity is the secret to success. The Rosenberger brothers prove this by example. But innumerable people are part of this unique success story, who together with the management have achieved something great, be it for the duration of a project or for a whole working life. Heartfelt thanks go out to one and all with this review of fifty years of company history. RosenbergerRosenbergerRo senbergerRosenbergerRosen bergerRosenbergerRosenber gerRosenbergerRosenberger RosenbergerRosenbergerRo Chronicle senbergerRosenbergerRosen bergerRosenbergerRosenber gerRosenbergerRosenberger RosenbergerRosenbergerRo senbergerRosenbergerRosen bergerRosenbergerRosenber gerRosenbergerRosenberger RosenbergerRosenbergerRo senbergerRosenbergerRosen bergerRosenbergerRosenber gerRosenbergerRosenberger RosenbergerRosenbergerRo senbergerRosenbergerRosen bergerRosenbergerRosenber gerRosenbergerRosenberger RosenbergerRosenbergerRo senbergerRosenbergerRosen bergerRosenbergerRosenber gerRosenbergerRosenberger RosenbergerRosenbergerRo senbergerRosenbergerRosen bergerRosenbergerRosenber gerRosenbergerRosenberger RosenbergerRosenbergerRo senbergerRosenbergerRosen bergerRosenbergerRosenber gerRosenbergerRosenberger Rosenberger RosenbergerRosenbergerRo Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co. KG senbergerRosenbergerRosen

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