Working groups
The Chemnitz Museum of Industry Friend's Association and its working groups welcome new members. If you are interested, please contact the board or the respective working group leader.
We are happy to provide information, suggestions, and answer questions related to the technical-historical focus of any of our working groups.
Foundry Technology Working Group
The foundry industry has a very long tradition in Saxony, particularly in Chemnitz. The development of mechanical engineering and the automotive industry in Chemnitz would not have been possible without the existing foundry industry.
Helping to preserve this important heritage for future generations is the task of the Foundry Technology Working Group, founded in 2004.
The working group welcomes anyone interested in all topics related to metal processing. The scope is very broad, covering historical, technological, social, and even artistic aspects.
Tasks of the working group:
- Professional support for projects and exhibitions of the Chemnitz Museum of Industry
- Assistance in museum education through thematic tours and project offerings to raise awareness of the foundry industry among young people
- Lectures and publication of articles in collaboration with the museum management and other working groups of the Friend's Association
- Cooperation with other working groups of the Friend's Association
The working group meets regularly both at the Chemnitz Museum of Industry and offsite.
Leader of the Foundry Technology Working Group:
Dr. Günter Schaefer
E-Mail: foerderverein@saechsisches-industriemuseum.de
Regional Industrial History Working Group
The working group was founded in 1991. It researches the development of industry in the Chemnitz metropolitan area. The findings are shared as part of the public relations work of the Friend's Association and the Chemnitz Museum of Industry, through lectures, panel discussions, and publications in local and regional media.
The working group collaborates closely with the Association Life Working Group. Through excursions and thematic tours, they familiarize members with historical and current sites and locations of regional industry.
There is cooperation with the Saxon State Archives Chemnitz, the Chemnitz City Archives, the Chemnitz Historical Society (e. V.), the Schlossberg Museum Chemnitz, as well as the cultural department and the lower monument protection authority of the Chemnitz city administration.
Leader of the Regional Industrial History Working Group:
Thomas Hormes
E-Mail: foerderverein@saechsisches-industriemuseum.de
Control Technology Working Group
The history of modern control technology for machine tools and processing machines began in Saxony in 1958 at the Dresden Electrical Office. Since then, several generations of controls for mechanical engineering have been developed and produced at the Institute for Machine Tools in Karl-Marx-Stadt (later the Machine Tool Research Center), at VEB Starkstromanlagenbau Karl-Marx-Stadt (later VEB Numerik Karl-Marx-Stadt), and at the Chemnitz branch of Siemens AG. These include conventional relay controls, pneumatic controls, electronic programmable logic controllers, as well as NC and CNC controls, including drive and measurement technology.
Tasks of the Control Technology Working Group:
- Collection, evaluation, and maintenance of control technology exhibits
- Documentation and publication of development stages in the field
- Presentation of control technology developments for future generations
- Work is based on close cooperation with museum staff and members of other Friend's Association working groups, particularly the Machine Tools Working Group
- The Chemnitz branch of Siemens AG supports the Control Technology Working Group both in personnel and material resources
Focus and projects of the Control Technology Working Group:
- Development of a catalog “Controls, Devices, and Assemblies” for controls, control-specific drives, and measuring devices present in the museum
- Assistance with the restoration and demonstration of machine tools and their control and drive solutions
- Creation of a multimedia presentation on the history of control technology based on the exhibits in the permanent exhibition
- Maintaining contacts with regional companies, organizing plant visits, and lectures
Leader of the Control Technology Working Group:
Bernd Lehmann
E-Mail: foerderverein@saechsisches-industriemuseum.de
Telecommunication Working Group
The working group was founded in 2007 as the “Interest Group – History of Telecommunications in Chemnitz.” The occasion was the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Royal Saxon Telegraph Office in Chemnitz in 1857.
Since then, the interest group has worked closely with the Chemnitz Museum of Industry as well as with other partners who have a technical-historical connection to telegraphy and telecommunications, such as: Museum Foundation Post and Telecommunications, Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, Dresden Telecommunications Museum, Freiberg Postal Telecommunications Museum, and others.
Tasks of the working group:
- Documenting the history of the development of telegraphy and telecommunications in the Chemnitz region
- Technical maintenance of exhibits in the permanent exhibition, such as telephone exchanges, teleprinters, and pneumatic tube systems
- Assisting with the evaluation of new collection items, as well as the preservation and care of technical exhibits in storage
- Conducting and participating in lectures and public presentations
- Supporting the organization of events, such as Museum Night, Industrial Culture Days, and others
Head of the Telecommunication Working Group:
Volkmar Schweizer
E-Mail: foerderverein@saechsisches-industriemuseum.de
Association Activities Working Group
The Association Activities Working Group was founded in 1995. Its goals are to familiarize members of the Friend's Association with Saxony’s industrial history through visits to technical monuments, museums, and companies, as well as to strengthen the sense of community within the association. Particularly important for the members of the Association Activities Working Group are:
- Strengthening the bonds between association members across all working groups
- Getting to know sites of industrial history, including the artifacts located there
- Visiting regional companies to acquaint members with economic developments, while simultaneously promoting the Chemnitz Museum of Industry and its Friend's Association
- Acknowledging the work of employees in these companies through active interest
- Visiting comparable museums and critically adopting their experiences
- Understanding excursions as part of vibrant association activities and using them to attract new members
- Promoting awareness of Chemnitz and its region
- Receiving suggestions and recommendations for planning events in upcoming years
Head of the Association Activities Working Group:
Christine Hrubesch
E-Mail: foerderverein@saechsisches-industriemuseum.de
Machine Tools Working Group
The working group was founded in 1997 and supports the Chemnitz Museum of Industry with its expertise.
Activities of the members:
- Developing a catalog of all machine tools in the museum
- Preparing technical documentation and materials for the operation and maintenance of the machine tools in the permanent exhibition
- Managing the machine tools in the permanent exhibition
- Assisting the Chemnitz Museum of Industry in acquiring and evaluating artifacts of Saxon machine tool manufacturing, providing consultations, supporting museum education, and conducting guided tours in the permanent exhibition
- Expanding expertise through research in archives, libraries, and online, and gaining knowledge of current developments through excursions to local companies and research institutions
- Preparing contributions for the magazine Transmission on the topic of machine tools
- Monthly working group meetings
Head of the Machine Tools Working Group:
Jochen Schmidt
E-Mail: foerderverein@saechsisches-industriemuseum.de
