Counting on Chemnitz
From the calculating machine to the supercomputer
Chemnitz looks back on a rich 100-year history of calculating and computer technology. It began with the first mechanical calculators from the Wanderer and Astra factories, under the brand names Continental and Astra.
The machines primarily handled the growing administrative and office tasks. Produced in the hundreds of thousands, they formed a reliable backbone of Chemnitz’s export economy for decades—alongside the machinery and automotive industries. Visitors were presented with an impressive lineage from the era of mechanical and electrical computing. A standout exhibit was the legendary Astra/Ascota Class 170 accounting machine, manufactured from 1955 to 1983 in 332,742 units and exported to over 100 countries worldwide.
The Rise of Electronics in Karl-Marx-Stadt
Tube computer R 12, transistor computer SER 2, and Robotron 300—these were the first milestones of electronic computing in the 1960s, all featured in the exhibition.
The ROBOTRON brand was created in 1957 from the first and last syllables of the words Roboter (robot) and Elektron (electron) and became synonymous with computer technology in the GDR. From that time, Karl-Marx-Stadt developed into an important development and production center with thousands of employees. Key work on the Unified System of Electronic Computing (ESER), created for the socialist economic community, was also carried out here.
A large EC 1057 mainframe from the 1980s, revived by former engineers, formed the centerpiece of the exhibition. No other museum has such a complete system. Visitors were also introduced to the now-obsolete punched card medium—and could even punch their own names into it.
Another highlight was a large, artistically designed wall tapestry, which once adorned the conference room of the Robotron building (E 2) at the central station and was rescued from destruction.
The Robotron story concluded with the legendary EC 1834, an IBM-compatible PC produced from 1987 to 1989 in 34,000 units, which was also available for private use for the first time.
The Success Story Continues
After the end of Robotron, numerous small and medium-sized companies successfully continued the story: Chemnitz develops and delivers software and supercomputers for industry and research—not only for the Chemnitz region but across Europe. Practical examples, such as simulations for automotive engineering or connected vehicles, informed visitors about modern applications and solutions.
The region’s strong mechanical engineering sector continues to benefit from information technology. Several milestones in NC (numerical control) technology, from early experiments at Numerik to the latest products from Siemens Chemnitz, were showcased and demonstrated.
Visitors gained insight into the technological progress of storage and manufacturing technology. Exhibits explained classic media such as punched tape and punched cards, ferrite core memory, magnetic drums, magnetic tape, and magnetic disks, as well as the transition from floppy disks to USB sticks. Numerous examples of the production of electronic components and circuit boards, as well as insights into soldering and wiring techniques—technologies developed in Chemnitz—completed the overview.
A special exhibition by the Saxon Museum of Industry Chemnitz, in cooperation with the Förderverein Industriemuseum Chemnitz e.V. and TU Chemnitz.