PTB - 50 years of work in Braunschweig

50 years ago, early in 1947, a Presidential Committee assembled in Göttingen to found the Physikalisch-Technische Anstalt (PTA). This was the beginning of the reconstruction of the laboratories of the Physikalisch-Technische Reichsanstalt (PTR) which had moved from Berlin to the western part of Germany between 1943 and 1945. On the premises of the former Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Luftfahrt in Völkenrode, the laboratories and their staff found a new home. Scientists as renowned as Max von Laue (head of the Presidential Committee), Werner Heisenberg, Hans Kopfermann and Robert Pohl were directly involved in the foundation of the PTA. In August 1947, the PTA was put under the control of the Bizonal Administrative Council for Economics and already one year later got the status of a technical higher authority for metrology, verification and parts of safety technology for West Germany. After the foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany, in 1950, it was renamed Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB).

The premises in Braunschweig could be successively extended and today cover an area of 100 ha. A great number of new buildings was erected to extend the buildings from the 1930s which are still used. About 1200 of the 1600 permanent staff of the PTB work here in eight of ten divisions. The Presidential Board of the PTB has also its seat in Braunschweig.

In 1953, the laboratories for West Berlin accommodated in the reconstructed buildings on the premises of the former PTR which had been founded in 1887 were affiliated to the PTB. In 1990, after the reunification of Germany, tasks and employees of the metrology branch of the Amt für Standardisierung, Meßwesen und Warenprüfung of the former GDR were integrated into the PTB Braunschweig and Berlin.

On the occasion of its re-foundation 50 years ago, the PTB organizes an anniversary weekend to take place in Braunschweig from July 3 to 5, 1997. On July 3, 1997, at 20.00 h, a touring exhibition on Hermann von Helmholtz, one of the greatest natural scientists and the first president of the PTR, will be opened at the Braunschweigisches Landesmuseum, Burgplatz 1. The scientific Hermann-von Helmholtz Symposium which will be held at the PTB in Braunschweig on July 4, 1997, will deal with the problems of matter and photon interferometry.
The series of events will end with the Open Day on July 5; here interested citizens can get an overview of the diverse areas of work of the PTB, Germany's national metrology institute which also renders scientific and technical services.