Siemens History

How did Werner von Siemens and his family celebrate Christmas? Family correspondence preserved at the Siemens Historical Institute provides some information. The era of the company founder’s first marriage is when Christmas celebrations can be reconstructed best, since so much documentation survives. So we’ll have a particular look at that phase of the electrical pioneer’s life.

For three decades now, it’s been one of the constants in Siemens’ image – the Siemens font in Petrol blue on a white background, making the SIEMENS mark consistent and unique. The pathway to that mark design was a long one. It begins with an artfully interwoven monogram that served as the basis for the design of the first registered trademark, and then passes through a variety of corporate marks, some intense debate, and an assortment of brand and image analyses before finally arriving at the form familiar to us today. 

World War II ended 75 years ago. Large areas of Berlin were in ruins. And in Siemensstadt, the heart of the company likewise suffered the impact of the war, and subsequently faced the greatest challenge in its history: rebuilding. The Siemens employees, with an almost family-like sense of solidarity, gradually returned to the factories and set about the massive task of restoring operations. It is to that group, who rebuilt Siemensstadt with great effort and hardships, that this film is dedicated.