What do you know about Graetz?

[shumb001]

[Tim]

They are a German firm I think. The Graetz radios I have seen we’re the elaborate piano key type, similar to Grundig. I think the quality is about the same.

[paulsherwin]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ehrich...aetz#Graetz_AG

[dazzlevision]

From my past researches:

Graetz GmbH, Altena, Westfalia, Germany (in 1962). TV and radio manufacturer.

The company’s origin was in 1866, when Albert Graetz and Emil Ehrich founded the company Ehrich & Graetz OHG, in Berlin.

Around 1930, Ehrich & Graetz acquired Elektrowatt GmbH.

Since 1929, Graetz Radio GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ehrich & Graetz, had been producing radios.

In 1933 "Elektrowatt" was dissolved and was absorbed into Graetz Radio GmbH.

At the end of WW2, the communist authorities in East Berlin nationalised the Graetz factories.

In 1948, the Graetz brothers founded Graetz KG, in the Altena (Westphalia) and resumed production of radios.

In 1956, the company opened a TV factory in Bochum, which continued in operation through SEL/ITT and Nokia ownership, until it closed for TV manufacture in 1996 (it continued to make Nokia cellphones until 2008).

In 1961, Erich Graetz sold the company to ITT's W German subsidiary Standard Elektrik Lorenz (SEL).

When ITT sold off their European telecoms business to Alcatel Alsthom of France, they didn't want the consumer electronics business, so sold it to Nokia of Finland in 1987, to add to their Salora and Luxor operations. The ITT brand name became ITT Nokia and then just Nokia.

In 1996, Nokia sold its consumer operations (except for satellite receivers) to Semi-Tech (Global) Company Ltd – a subsidiary of Semi-Tech Corporation of Canada.

In 2021, the Finlux brand was owned by Vestel of Turkey (in addition to Luxor and Graetz).

[McMurdo]

Were they ever sold in the UK? I can't say I've ever seen one, and have only heard of the name when they've been listed on the front of service manuals that covered several different brands.

[stevehertz]

They crop up on eBay from UK sellers.

[Paul_RK]

Originally Posted by McMurdo

Were they ever sold in the UK? I can't say I've ever seen one...

I suspect not. They were active well into the transistor era: Jonathan Hill in Radio! Radio! (third edition) seems to have made a pretty thorough job of cataloguing transistor portables marketed here up to 1972, with distributors and prices, and there's no mention of Graetz - Braun, Nordmende, even Akkord are well represented there. A few radios make their way here by various means outside the usual commercial channels, perhaps mostly in the hands of services personnel. I saw a few Akkords in the late '60s - early '70s when living in a Norfolk where US air bases were still numerous and active, I've not seen one since other than in online listings: and I've not met a Graetz either.

Paul

[dazzlevision]

Originally Posted by McMurdo

Were they ever sold in the UK?

As KB / ITT-KB / ITT was the UK brand of ITT's European consumer products division, I doubt that any Graetz models were imported and sold here.

Given the significant presence of British armed services personnel in Western Germany for many years after WW2, they may well have brought back into the UK Graetz models when they returned from a tour of duty there.

Of course, the UK arm of ITT consumer products division did market German made models but which were branded as KB / ITT-KB / ITT specifically for sale in the UK, as it was a well known brand, compared to Graetz. I have seen top end KB branded radiograms from the early 1960s that were made in Germany (by SEL, ITT's German subsidiary).

[paulsherwin]

It was quite common for British servicemen stationed in Germany to buy radios and send them home. They were even sold in NAAFI shops (PXs for Americans) at the larger bases. Apparently there was some tax exemption for service personnel.