Trademark Loewe OptaThe Loewe company has a rich history. In 1925 they introduced the multiple tube type 3NF, in fact the first integrated circuit ever. The tube contains 2 pre-amp and an output amplifier tube, together with all the passive components like resistors and capacitors. To avoid gasses coming of and out of the resistors and caps, thus spoiling the main tubes vacuum, they each were enclosed in tiny glass tubes! This is hardly visible at the picture. These tubes are being rebuild nowadays and the replicas are no cheapos! Dr. Loewe also was a pioneer in early mechanical television, together with the Scottish engineer Baird.
Sigmund Loewe lost ownership in 1936 and lived in the USA from 38 to 48, but then got his work back as part of the reparations. That had been renamed Opta Radio AG in 42 - Opta had been introduced as a device name in 36. The main factory was in the American sector - Leipzig and Berlin Weißensee had been lost - and there was an outsourced production facility in Küps near Kronach. Since television played a major role in the development of television in the 1930s, it goes without saying that this continued into the 1950s. In 1993 Matsushita took over 48.1% of the shares and also had Panasonic devices manufactured in Kronach. Radio and hi-fi devices were built in Berlin until 1978, when the lights went out there. |
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