[Vlim]

Hi,

We rarely see material illustrating DWM's facilities so I thought I'd add some. Amongst a range of DWM photograhps I recently acquired was this picture of DWM's Berlin-Wittenau plant. Erected in 1907 and enlarged from 1914-1918. It later became part of the DWM-spinoff "Deutsche Waggon- und Maschinenfabriken".

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[keoki7]

Vlim, that's a wonderful post. Please keep them coming.

 

[Guest_V]

two more pics from the archive.

Patrick

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[Guest_V]

... one more. Just to show the conditions under which Lugers were made.

Patrick

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[Ron Wood]

Patrick,
Very interesting, Ludwig Loewe wasn't even 50 years old when he died, and his death occurred well before Borchardt showed up with his toy.

 

[Vlim]

Hi,

The production sites of the Parabellum pistol under DWM-reign were located in:

Berlin-Martinikenfelde 1899 - 1917
Berlin-Wittenau 1917 - 1930

After 1917 Martinikenfelde remained the production site for machineguns until the end of WW1. Wittenau machines and stock were shipped to Mausers Oberndorf am Neckar plant in 1930.

I haven't seen many Martinikenfelde photographs and love to see them. Interior photographs showing parabellum production are downright rare, again I'd love to see them. There also appears to be a link with Belgium's Pieper (Bayard) plant in the early supply of Parabellum parts. Am also interested in any info about that.

 

[Vlim]

In the mean time,

some interior photographs of the Berlin-Martinikenfelde plant have come into my possession.

Shown here are some images of (rifle) barrel forging and lining.
Pictures were taken somewhere between 1901 and 1913 and appeared in the 1913 reviewed issue of 'Moderne Gewehrfabrikation' by Otto Maretsch.

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[Joop van de Kant]

Vlim (Gerben),

Very interesting and new pics you got there. Are you giving them to us little by little, or could you continue right now?
It could also be fine material for a new book: 'Illustrated history of DWM, birthplace of the Luger'.
Please go on...

 

[Vlim]

Hi,

Material is slowly dripping in and it needs some research to place it into context. Unfortunately the quality of pre-WW1 publishing and printing isn't very good, when you look at the images of the last post closely, you can even make out some retouching done on the original photo's (cleaning up blurred images of people moving when their picture was taken).

Another interesting thing on the DWM photo's from 1913 is the fact that one guy pops up on every photo. I guess he's either the researcher or the DWM person accompanying the photographer.

These are proofing chambers. These chambers were on site (don't know if this is DWM, have a good idea it is) and you can see them working on preliminary proofing of barrels (or at least that's what they are supposed to do when not posing for the photograph).

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A bit different, but nice nonetheless. This is the indoor testfiring range of Mauser, Oberndorf. Again, around 1913.

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[Guest_V]

Just one more that I found recently here in Berlin.

This is from the DWM company brochure commemorating its fiftieth anniversary - published during the Nazi era. Loewe and DWM had previously had poor labour relations due to the introduction of US mass production methods. These were enforced by the NS trades union movement. The signs above the archway are DWM, Mauser and the Nazi workers´ organisation.

 

[Guest_V]

The picture doesn´t seem to have been includes, I´ll try again later.

Patrick

 

[Guest_V]

This might work ...

Patrick

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[Joop van de Kant]

Patrick,

Thank you for trying so hard to get the picture on the forum...
Very nice, and a pristine example of the Nazi way of promoting good labour relations; sport & labor & family = good citizenship.
Regards,

 

[Vlim]

Hi,

That indeed is a nice example. The sporting grounds are in the Borsigwalde area.

The picture below provides an interesting link between the first image and the sporting grounds. It shows the men marching off to the sporting grounds, leaving from the Wittenau building. Note the DWM logo on their sporting gear.

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[Guest_V]

Hello Vlim,

... have been having trouble configuring the mail programme on my new I MAC or I´d have answered sooner. The "sportsmen" in both pictures look very like an army squad, decked out for the occasion (the DWM logos on their shorts are on the point of falling off). The building in the background is still standing. Some of the brickwork still has the DWM/Loewe decorations.

It´s astonishing how much material is still available. Goertz´ chapter on Loewe/DWM history should definitely be expanded into a book.

Patzrick

 

[Vlim]

Patrick,

I believe these 'troops' are really apprentices being trained at DWM's company schooling programme. I believe this particular building served primarily as instruction/education facility as some interior shots of lessons being given show the same windows, but on the inside. I'm in Berlin next year if all goes well and I'll be sure to do some thorough screening of the existing buildings. Amazing that the Berlin-Wittenau, Karslruhe and Lubeck plants were not bombed or damaged during WW2.

You're absolutely right on the DWM/Loewe history deserving it's own book.