Our Company: PHYWE

1913

Dr. Gotthelf Leimbach founds the company „Gesellschaft zur Erforschung des Erdinnern mbH".

1916

50 employees, main focus: development and manufacturing of geo-physical research devices.

1918

Separation of the development and manufacturing of geo-physical research devices from the business of teaching materials. The commercial activities with teaching materials continued under the new company name „Physikalische Werkstätten mit beschränkter Haftung".

1919

New product range: teaching material for chemistry lessons

1920

Reorganization to „Physikalische Werkstätten AG".

1921

New product range: teaching material for biology lessons

1921

Official introduction of the trademark PHYWE.

1921

Foundation of the magazine „Praktische Schulphysik", that showed the teachers the way to successful lessons using experiments.

1922

Acquisition of new premises in Göttingen / Grone, Am Salinenweg 2, 300 employees

1924

Foundation of a subsidiary in Zurich, Switzerland

1925

PHYWE becomes one of the leading specialist producers of teaching materials for schools. 350 employees.

1928

First experimentation sets for physics and accompanying literature are launched.

1929

Start of the first PHYWE holiday classes for teachers at the centre of the company in Salinenweg in Goettingen.

1930

Start of manufacturing and sales of furniture for laboratories for natural sciences.

1933

NOTWERK GÖTTINGEN: precision metal workers, who are unemployed, manufacture teaching materials at PHYWE that are exclusively distributed to German schools abroad.

1934

PHYWE‘s rolling school museum on the rails: more than 3.000 teachers and 20.000 pupils visit the teaching wagon in the first term.

The huge success of PHYWE's holiday classes continue: in 1934 110 people participate, 31 of these are teachers from other European countries.

1937

The first PHYWE-News are published, the predecessor of PHYNA.

1940

The company name is changed to „ PHYWE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT".

01.01.1945

Bomb attacks destroy main parts of the facilities in Salinenweg and all manufacturing documents.

1946/47

Reconstruction of the destroyed factory with the help of the whole staff.

1953

Transfer of the commercial department to Goettingen's airport site, Levinstr. 1.

1954

Set up of a company pension scheme

30.09.1957

Foundation of „Industrie Druck GmbH", that publishes PHYWE's experimentation literature.

28.12.1957

Dr. Leimbach passes away, 800 employees are mourning.

19.12.1958

On December 19th 1958 - almost one year after Dr. Leimbach's death - the family of the founder signs its complete stock options over to the Commerzbank.

1960

Acquisition of the property Robert-Bosch-Breite with an area of 100,000 sqm. Start of the planning stage for a completely new corporate building complex.

13.05.1962

Start of the construction of the new building in Robert-Bosch-Breite:

1 hall (12,000 sqm) for the production sector metal (M); 1 hall (6,600 sqm) manufacturing of furniture (H),

more than 1,000 employees

1963

50th anniversary of the founding of Phywe, official opening and commissioning of the new main plant in the Göttingen industrial area

12.03.1964

Official opening and start of operation at the new main factory.

1965

Since spring time the lecture and exhibition wagon is driving through Germany and demonstrates to teachers how to work with PHYWE devices.

In the extraordinary general meeting it is decided to release new shares. F. Victor Rolff purchases the shares of Commerzbank and large parts of the new shares. He holds the majority of shares - for a certain time up to 95%.

05.06.1966

A blaze on the ground floor of the material warehouse. Temporarily there is a threat that the fire might spread to the prodcution facility. On Sunday, a large part of the staff came to participate in the clean up operations.

1966

Nobel prize winner Prof. Dr. Otto Hahn visits PHYWE.

„Jugend forscht - PHYWE hilft": with this motto PHYWE supports the competition "Jugend forscht" that was founded by the magazine "Stern". The winner of the competition is the modell of a programmable calculator. From 1967, PHYWE manufactures and sells this product with only minor adjustments.

1970

Extension of warehouses and cantine buildings.

1971

New offices and laboratories are being build on the premises, official opening on October 1st.

The Impulscytophometer ICP11, a medical-technical device from PHYWE for cell research wins the gold medal at the autumn fair in Leipzig.

1972

Enhancement of the product range for pre-school education.

08.11.1972

During the European meeting „Jugend forscht" that year, US astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, presents the transformers donated by PHYWE. He acknowledges the high commitment of the company.

1973

PHYWE purchases the company PEK-Electronik Tettnang/Bodensee. With this take-over PHYWE acquires a complete product range of electrical and electronic learing and teaching materials for technical colleges, vocational schools and further education that is already established in the market.

Okt 73

The PHYWE-News in A5 format become PHYNA in A4 format. With a distribution list of around 50.000, it is one of the most popular magazines for natural sciences in Germany.

1974

Extension of the office building.

Official opening of the educational center for natural science at the headquarter offering seminars and courses. The tradition of PHYWE holiday courses is continued. .

At the autumn fair in Leipzig PHYWE is awarded a gold medal for its electrometer. That is the first time a German company wins an award for a teaching device.

Ende 1974

Launch of the new range of devices that have an improved look. The inner workings were completely new designed and modernised.

1975

Foundation of PHYWE ESPANA S.A. in Madrid.

1981

Processing of an order from Nigeria worth more than 40 Mio. DM, 1000 employees.

1982

Visualisation of radioactive particles with diffusion cloud chamber, a product that is unique in the world and has great popular appeal

1985

Experiments in space:

Astronaut W. Ockels conducts experiments with Phywe magnetic spheres

1987

4 employees of PHYWE receive the technolgoy prize for the innovative processes and product development of the precision measuring device for testing brake fluid.

1987

After a 5-year struggle with scarce financial resources (low number of pupils, development funds failed to materialize and decreasing demand in the export market) PHYWE was forced to start transaction proceedings on April 23rd. 

On July, 7th the bankruptcy proceedings were started. The company continues its business under the guidance of a bankruptcy trustee. 480 employees.

1988

January 1st: Mr Rolf Lucas-Nuelle purchases the company. It is converted into PHYWE Systeme GmbH; 360 employees are taken over.

Start of the development of a new device range, a new concept for the casing and a range for laboratory equipment with 19 inch technology (the first devices are presented during didacta - an exhibtion for the education market - in Stuttgart in 1989.

1989

The new casing range is launched. It features a clear front design and operation elements suitable for pupils. The plastic casing is impact-resistant and stackable. It has a lowerable handle and a foot that can be folded away.

1994

Launch of the PHYWE-SYNERGIE programme, the modular equipment system for individual workspaces in natural sciences and technology. New shapes, colours and materials form a unique design. Materials like steel, wood and synthetic material are combined in a practical way to accomodate the rough daily school life.

1997

Introduction of the revolutionary magnet board system for classroom demonstrations in schools and colleges

1998

The modular, multifunctional "Cobra3" measuring system sets the benchmark for computer-assisted experiments

2001

Expansion of Cobra3 range with the Chem-Unit.

Launch of the new X-ray unit with a quick changing tube system that is unique in the world

2002

The modular component system for electricity/electronics is unveiled . The large magnetic demonstration board for teachers and the small, similar elements for pupils, undestroyable and clear receive huge enthusiasm worldwide by teachers and experts.

Refurbishmend and construction of the special development department and of new offices in the basement and a complete sales office.

2003

Cooperation with XLAB, an experimental laboratory for young people in Göttingen.

2004

Launch of demonstration track: low-friction, robust, best price-performance ratio

2005

interTESS: PHYWE goes e-Learning - a revolutionary combination of experiments in natural sciences and computer-based lab manuals.

2006

Solar-powered maglev model is unveiled.

TESS beginner sets for science teaching across a range of subjects.

Best financial year in the company's history!

Official opening of the new PHYWE Info Centre - presentation of PHYWE products in a modern, communicative atmosphere.

2007

The year of innovation: water wave unit, new "Measure Dynamics" software package, TESS Expert Optics / Nuclear Physics, TESS Expert Plasma Physics.

2008

Market launch of Cobra4, the revolutionary wireless interface for didactic applications.

First ISPM (International Sales Partner Meeting, Basel) with 70 participants from 50 countries. Presentation of the new PHYWE strategy.

Sale of 100,000th TESS Box

2009

Launch of new Applied Science product range

With Service / Campus, PHYWE introduces new and standardised services before and after purchase.

Launch of new Internet platform

2010

Launch of the compact scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The didactic entry into the nano world.

2011

World premier of the new x-ray apparatus XR 4.0 with innovative technology and a new design.

Signing of a cooperation agreement with the University of Goettingen for research and development, events, supports and many more

2012

Computed tomographie with the x-ray apparatus XR 4.0: professional computed tomography can now be taught during education. The digital x-ray camera produces pictures in high resolution. Pupils and stundents can easily and efficiently learn the basics of computed tomography.

2012

Complete redesign and enhancement of TESS, the training and experimental system for students. The system is unique worldwide, 40 sets with 700 experiments that can be combined with interTESS are availabel.

2012

World premier of the atomic force microscope (compact AFM) as an additional important element for physics and applied sciences training at university.

2012

Signing of a cooperation contract with HAWK to tighten the partnership for the training of students as well as for the product development.

2013

Premier of the worldwide unique MRT as a didactic device for magnetic resonance spectroscopy and tomography - another important element in the university range for physics and medicine.

2013

Further enhancement of the Cobra4 platform for measurement data acquisition: there are 30 sensors available now.

2013

Complete redesign of DEMO, the experimental system for teachers and lecturers

2013

PHYWE celebrates its 100th anniversary

2014

Introduction of the new Cobra4 Wireless Link for data acquisition via wi-fi.

2015

Experiments with PHYWE devices can now also be conducted on tablets with the Cobra4 Mobile Link2 and measureApp.

2015

Launch of the PHYWE LabManager - an organisation platform for managing teaching material

2016

Launch of the Cobra4 Xpert-Link - THE measuring device for demonstration experiments and laboratory experiments. Specifically designed for experiments with high demands to a high resolution. Very fast and precise measuring. When used with software the Xpert-Link can be used as an oscilloscope.

2017

New in the portfolio to complement the range in natural science for technical and STEM-teaching: solutions focusing on robotics, coding and 3D printers as well as renewable energies. Furthermore, launch of the new management and experimentation platform curricuLAB® for digital education.

2018

Launch of Cobra SMARTsense sensors for digital education in natural sciences - intuitive sensors for digital data acquisition in student experiments; combinable with more than 110 PHYWE experiments.

2019

Premiere of the Cobra DigiCart system with the DigiCartAPP at Learntec in Karlsruhe - the digital all-in-one solution for dynamics and kinetics in physics lessons.