Rundfunkmuseum in the Franconian town of Fürth
The rundfunkmuseum in the Franconian town of Fürth, 190 km north of Munich is situated in the palace of the Dukes of Pückler and Limpurg. The early 19th century sandstone building replaced the original fortress Burgfarrnbach, of which nothing remains. The museum contains exhibits that bear witness to the complicated processes involved in the development of radio and television, from their beginnings some 200 years ago to the mid-1970s. Creatively arranged displays, including staircases lined with receivers and a recreation of the radio room at an air raid command center, not only bring out the aesthetic value in the actual equipment, but in the exhibition itself. The core of the collection illustrates man’s age-old need to communicate quickly and over long distances — a necessity born almost exclusively of governments requiring up-to-date information, both political and military, particularly during times of unrest. Centuries have elapsed since runners were required to relay messages, such as the Greek soldier who ran from Marathon to Athens to bring the news of the Athenian victory over the Persians — an event that present-day marathons commemorate. Gone, too, are the message sticks and drums used in Africa, carrier pigeons, Indian smoke signals and cavalry messengers. The dramatic changes the world of communication has undergone since then would not have been considerable without the countless scientific discoveries that were made in America and in Europe. It began with Frenchman Claude Chappe whose optical telegraph, developed in 1792, encompassed a spectrum of more than 20 different signals. Following suit were such illustrious Americans as Samuel Morse (code), Thomas Edison (phonograph) and Alexander Bell (telephone), and German inventors such as Johann Reis (telephone) and Heinrich Hertz, who, in 1887, sent wireless transmissions over a distance of 3 km. In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi, employing research undertaken by Hertz, sent Morse code signals from England to Canada — a distance of 3,400 km — using radio waves. The British Navy recognized the significance of this stride and immediately equipped their ships with Marconi radio sets. This permitted worldwide wireless communication among vessels, rendering Marconi a household name. Various areas of the museum, housed in the royal stables of the palace, are arranged chronologically. The heyday of radio broadcasting, from 1923–1932, and the subsequent developments in Germany under the National Socialist regime from 1933–1945, constitute two main sections. Following their rise to power, the Nazis “synchronized” broadcasting by appointing their own “Broadcasting Governor of the Reich” replacing such radio broadcasting pioneers as Hans Bredow and Alfred Braun with directors and journalists who towed the Party line. Bredow had broadcast music programs for soldiers on the Western front in 1917, until he was ordered to “stop this rubbish.” He also launched a business news program in 1922, the first of its kind in broadcasting history. Braun was a popular radio reporter until he was sacked in 1933 for being a representative of the “broadcasting system.” A radio receiver for the people, Volksempfanger VE 301 — whose model number represents the day on which the Nazis seized power, January 30 — was quickly developed and introduced in 1933. All German manufacturers were subsequently required to produce an identical radio set for the standard price of 76 Reichsmarks. The medium of television had the potential of playing an even greater role, but the outbreak of World War II ensured that it would enjoy a prolonged infancy. The temporary exhibition, translated as “Black-and-White, but Up-to-Date — The Beginning of Television,” which documents this aspect of broadcasting, from its beginnings to the present day, will be held at the museum until April 24. This will be followed by an exhibition devoted to the history of color television. Prior to World War II, the radio industry in Germany was centered around Berlin and Saxony, however, most of the infrastructure was destroyed in the ensuing years. More than one hundred new companies were founded in the Western sectors after the war, only two of which have survived: Grundig and Metz, both based in Fürth. Their history is inextricably linked to that of the town. As many items in the museum’s collection are representative of these companies’ products, the small town is a logical choice for the Radio and Broadcasting Museum. <<< Rundfunkmuseum der Stadt Fürth Schlosshof 23, 90768 Fürth Tel. (0911) 756 81 10 Hours: Wed.-Sun. 12-17. By train: to Fürth-Burgfarrnbach, then a 10 minute walk. By car: A9 north to Nuremberg and then the A73 west to Fürth.