A visit to Braunschweig.. but not really to Rollei.
I had the opportunity to place a short visit to Braunschweig this week
for a technical meeting at the German Federal Bureau of Standards and
Metrology (PTB). Taking into account that that the Rollei-Werke are
located only 1/4 hour by foot from the main train station, I do not
imagine any Rolleiphile that would resist seeing The Place at least
once in his life, even only a short visit, staying outside.
The factory used to occupy a whole block along Salzdahlumer Straße,
nowadays the buildings are gradually sold or rented (I do not know) to
other companies or institutions. For example, one building is now
labeled "Volkswagen" and many former Rollei buildings now compose the
so-called "Campus 3" business estate. Not only private companies are
housed here, also the department of microtechnology of the Technische
Universität Braunschweig is now one of the neighbours of F&H.
As far as I can judge from memory, having seen a picture of the famous
Kraemer Bau posted on the Rollei-Gallery by Dirk-Roger Schmitt, this
building, also named as "Rolleiflex Werkstattgebäude IX" from 1956...
http://digistar.com/rollei/2004-01/2498.html (D.R. Schmitt)
http://www.archinform.net/projekte/4279.htm?ID=lE94yxGoIq5fBEXN
... after refurbishing is now the prominent building of the Campus 3
estate as one can read from here :
http://www.planungsbuero-hoffmann.de/referenzen.html
If Dirk-Roger could upload the vintage image of the Kraemer Bau
somewhere, that would be nice.
Another well-known building, named "Werkstattgebäude VIII" from 1955
(Dirk-Roger : is-it the "Schett-Halle" ?) has also been refurbished
and the results are quite pleasant.
http://www.archinform.net/medien/00001571.htm?ID=lE94yxGoIq5fBEXN
Well, the famous six-letter logo is still proudly there on top of the
entrance building ; an austere display window shows the last products
in parts before assembly, and a smaller buiding is labeled 'Rollei
Museum'... but opening hours were not visible.
So I walked to the Kraemer Bau, anyone can enter a yard behind what is
now the Franke & Heidecke factory to access another "Campus 3"
building, The new Franke & Heidecke logo is visible there and shows 3
lens elements...
I could see & touch the famous Brick Wall used for calibrating the
Rollei Metric. So the pilgrimage was eventually satisfactory even if
the mood was more than nostalgic !!! Next time, a real visit ??
--
Emmanuel BIGLER
<bigler@xxxxxxxx>
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