Werner von Siemens, Max Gebbert und Friedrich Dessauer

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Siemens Healthineers - Our company history

Published on May 8, 2023

Siemens & Halske Reiniger, Gebbert und Schall Veifa-Werke

Siemens & Halske

1847 – Werner Siemens and Johann Georg Halske founded the company Telegraphen-Bauanstalt von Siemens & Halske (S&H) in Berlin. A few months after the founding of the company, S&H presented an improved version of the Volta Inductor. The Slide Inductor for electrotherapy was the first medical device manufactured by S&H. It was sold successfully for decades.

Siemens und Halske — © Siemens Historical Institute

RGS-Werkstatt Schlossplatz Erlangen

Reiniger, Gebbert & Schall

Veifa-Werke

Your tubes are really very good
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen
Quote from a letter from Röntgen to RGS

World War I

X-ray tubes made in Rudolstadt

Belegschaft Röntgenröhrenwerk Rudolstadt ca. 1920 — Faced with the dire economic circumstances in the aftermath of World War I, the engineer Alfred Ungelenk and the glass-blower Otto Kiesewetter took control of their own destiny and opened a small workshop for X-ray tubes in Rudolstadt. Within a few years, this two-man business developed into a key production facility for X-ray tubes and built up a large workforce.

Belegschaft Röntgenröhrenwerk Rudolstadt ca. 1920 — Faced with the dire economic circumstances in the aftermath of World War I, the engineer Alfred Ungelenk and the glass-blower Otto Kiesewetter took control of their own destiny and opened a small workshop for X-ray tubes in Rudolstadt. Within a few years, this two-man business developed into a key production facility for X-ray tubes and built up a large workforce.

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Siemens & Halske takes over RGS

1925 - Following a series of failed speculative investments and poor strategic decisions during the period of high inflation, RGS had amassed debts of some 6 million gold marks. So RGS needed a financially sound investor and offered the company to Siemens & Halske. On January 1, 1925, RGS was taken over by the Berlin-based company but initially maintained its status as an independent stock corporation.

1932/33 – The merger was also completed from a structural perspective with the founding of Siemens-Reiniger-Werke (SRW). The manufacturing was concentrated in Erlangen.

Fusionsvertrag S&H und RGS

World War II

ICR 1950

Back on the world stage

Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) visits the booth of SRW at the ICR in London

Scene from the movie "75 Jahre Elektromedizin in Erlangen", 1952

Die Gründung der Siemens AG

1964 – The SRW headquarters got a new look! For the next 50 years, the central administration of SRW was located in this impressive high-rise building with adjacent showroom.

1966 - Rapid technological progress in the expanding global market called for regular restructuring measures. The founding of Siemens AG in 1966 brought together S&H, Siemens-Schuckertwerke, and SRW as a single legal entity. Within Siemens AG SRW was known as Wernerwerk für Medizinische Technik from then on. In 1969, this became the Medical Technology Division (UB Med).

Verwaltungshochhaus der SRW in Erlangen

Production around the globe

After the years of postwar reconstruction, the company intensified its global outlook. Production sites were added all around the world.

Made in India

The first X-ray devices ”Made in India”. In 1959, the plant in Worli was opened, which was the predecessor of the modern production site in Bengaluru.

Made in USA

Starting in the middle of the 1970s, Siemens expanded its presence in the USA. The company set up its own plants and extended its product portfolio by acquiring American medical technology companies.

In the 1980s, Siemens concentrated the development and production of nuclear medical devices in the USA. In 1989, the plant in Des Plaines, in the Chicago metropolitan area, was moved to Hoffman Estates.This plant continues to play a crucial role for Siemens Healthineers' Molecular Imaging business until today.

1992

In Shanghai Siemens founded the first Chinese production site for Siemens medical technology. Today, they produce CT scanners, ultrasound systems, X-ray devices and medical components.

2002

After several years of collacoration, the high-tech location Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd. (SSMR) was founded, where MRI systems are still developed and produced today.

A new look

At the beginning of the 1990s: To get fit for the future complete modernization and renovation of the production facility was required. The decision was made to expand Forchheim further and to build a new factory in Erlangen.

Eröffnung Fabrik in Forchheim, 1986 — 1986 – The construction of the location in Forchheim started. In the new factory sheet metal claddings for the equipment were produced. At the opening of the production hall our factory orchestra played!

©Roswitha Götz, Nordbayerische Nachrichten - Forchheim

Siemens Labordiagnostik

Everything under one roof

Forging a new path

At the financial statement press conference in May 2014, the president and CEO of Siemens AG, Joe Kaeser, announced plans to establish the medical technology division as an independent company. The aim was to achieve greater flexibility. Siemens Healthcare GmbH was founded on May 1, 2015, and the new “Siemens Healthineers” brand was presented a year later.

Siemens Healthineers Hauptversammlung

Siemens Healthineers Börsengang, 2018

Welcome to the Frankfurt Stock Exchange!

Siemens Healthineers Hauptversammlung 2019

Siemens Healthineers and Varian

By bringing together our unique and highly complementary portfolios and capabilities, we will support oncology clinicians and patients in achieving better outcomes and move even closer to achieving our vision of a world without fear of cancer.
Chris Toth
Former CEO of Varian

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