1930

1930 Takeover

After Held’s death and under the impact of the economic crisis and inflation, the majority of shares of C. Lorenz AG is passed to the Dutch Philips Group. In May of the anniversary year, it is passed to the International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation (ITT) based in New York. Via the holding company Standard Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft AG (SEG), ITT, at the same time, also purchases other German electrical engineering companies, including the telephony specialist Mix & Genest AG in Berlin.

1932 Mass medium

After the first official German radio station has broadcasted in 1923, the radio has become a modern mass medium. Up to the beginning of the 1930s, the C. Lorenz AG’s private customer business went up from practically zero to over 40 per cent of the turnover.

1935 Safe landing

Lorenz started the development of direction finding methods that can be used for the detection of radio transmitters as well as a navigational aid for ships and aircraft at an early stage. In 1935, the company’s new VHF runway localising beacon becomes prevalent at all principal German airports, and the “Lorenz beam” is also an export success. In 1936, the company-owned plane impressively lands at the Stockholm-Bromma airport that was closed due to bad weather conditions.

1936 High frequency

The 1930s are electrotechnically characterised by high-frequency research. The domination of ever shorter wavelengths creates new opportunities for communications engineering. Ultra-short waves have already proven in practice. After 1930, Lorenz also starts with microwave research. Maximum-frequency triodes, magnetron and later klystron allow for the generation of centimetre and decimetre waves for civil and military use in directional radio systems and radar apparatus – that was the parlance at the time when radar engineering arose.

1939 Start of the total war

The Second World War starts with Germany's attack on Poland. The countries of the world will make available all human and material resources to warfare like never before New technology has to prove itself, too. Lorenz delivers large numbers of radio equipment, fire-control radars for air defence purposes, navigation systems and identifications friend or foe. After the campaign on the western front, the French and Dutch industries are also obligated to effect deliveries to the Wehrmacht. Employees of companies like CSF and Hazemeyer can escape to Great Britain where they contribute to the progress of radar research on the allied side.