Deutschlandsender
Encyclopedia
Deutschlandsender is one of the longest-established radio station
names in German
. It was used between 1926 and the end of 1993 to denote a number of powerful stations designed to achieve all-Germany coverage (hence the name).
in Brandenburg
, opened on 7 January 1926. The station was owned and operated by Deutsche Welle GmbH
, a commercial company – unconnected to today's similarly named international broadcaster
– which had been set up for the purpose of retransmitting a representative selection of programmes from Germany's nine regional broadcasting stations. Broadcasting on long wave (182 kHz) from what was then a central position in Germany, the Deutschlandsender enabled programmes from these stations to be heard throughout the country. The first programme broadcast was a concert from the Berlin regional station, Funk-Stunde AG.
The Deutsche Welle company officially changed its name to Deutschlandsender GmbH on 1 January 1933, although within a few weeks of this date the National Socialists
were to take over direct control of all broadcasting in Germany.
A second station, Deutschlandsender II, broadcasting from nearby Zeesen
, had been opened on 20 December 1927, and Deutschlandsender III
started its transmissions on 19 May 1939 from Herzberg
, also in Brandenburg. This transmitter was destroyed in 1945.
During World War II
the name Deutschlandsender was used to denote the long-wave service which covered most of Germany (and indeed Europe) while medium-wave stations were normally identified as "Reichssender (name of city at or near which they were based)".
(GDR) aimed at listeners in the Federal Republic of Germany
. The long-wave frequency used was 185 kHz and the station also broadcast via short wave.
and building a new studio centre there, known as the Funkhaus Nalepastraße.
In September 1952, the short-wave Deutschlandsender service was renamed "Berlin I" and given a political programming emphasis. The long-wave Deutschlandsender service became "Berlin II", with an emphasis on culture and society. Both changes were, however, soon abandoned. In August 1953, the Deutschlandsender was relaunched as an "all-German" service, with FM coverage added.
. It was merged with the Federal Republic's all-Germany service, Deutschlandfunk
, and the merged organisation now provides two national radio stations for the reunified Germany
- Deutschlandradio Kultur
(from Berlin) and Deutschlandfunk (from Cologne
).
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
names in German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It was used between 1926 and the end of 1993 to denote a number of powerful stations designed to achieve all-Germany coverage (hence the name).
1926—1945
The first Deutschlandsender, broadcasting from a powerful transmitter situated at Königs WusterhausenKönigs Wusterhausen
Königs Wusterhausen is a town in the Dahme-Spreewald district of the state of Brandenburg in Germany.-Geographical location:Königs Wusterhausen – or "KW" as it is often called locally – lies on the Notte Canal and the river Dahme southeast of Berlin...
in Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
, opened on 7 January 1926. The station was owned and operated by Deutsche Welle GmbH
Deutsche Welle GmbH
Deutsche Welle GmbH was a publicly licensed, though privately financed, German broadcasting company founded in August 1924 in Berlin.On 7 January 1926 the company opened a long-wave transmitter at Königs Wusterhausen near Berlin...
, a commercial company – unconnected to today's similarly named international broadcaster
Deutsche Welle
Deutsche Welle or DW, is Germany's international broadcaster. The service is aimed at the overseas market. It broadcasts news and information on shortwave, Internet and satellite radio on 98.7 DZFE in 30 languages . It has a satellite television service , that is available in four languages, and...
– which had been set up for the purpose of retransmitting a representative selection of programmes from Germany's nine regional broadcasting stations. Broadcasting on long wave (182 kHz) from what was then a central position in Germany, the Deutschlandsender enabled programmes from these stations to be heard throughout the country. The first programme broadcast was a concert from the Berlin regional station, Funk-Stunde AG.
The Deutsche Welle company officially changed its name to Deutschlandsender GmbH on 1 January 1933, although within a few weeks of this date the National Socialists
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
were to take over direct control of all broadcasting in Germany.
A second station, Deutschlandsender II, broadcasting from nearby Zeesen
Zeesen
Zeesen is a village south of Königs Wusterhausen in Germany, known for Deutschlandsender Zeesen which was built in 1927 and the Zeesen short-wave transmitter ....
, had been opened on 20 December 1927, and Deutschlandsender III
Deutschlandsender Herzberg/Elster
The Deutschlandsender Herzberg/Elster was a 500 kilowatt long-wave transmitter at Herzberg/Elster, which was in service from 1939 to 1945. It used a 337 metre high guyed steel lattice mast of triangular cross section. This was used as a mast radiator and was therefore mounted on a 0.75 metre high...
started its transmissions on 19 May 1939 from Herzberg
Deutschlandsender Herzberg/Elster
The Deutschlandsender Herzberg/Elster was a 500 kilowatt long-wave transmitter at Herzberg/Elster, which was in service from 1939 to 1945. It used a 337 metre high guyed steel lattice mast of triangular cross section. This was used as a mast radiator and was therefore mounted on a 0.75 metre high...
, also in Brandenburg. This transmitter was destroyed in 1945.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the name Deutschlandsender was used to denote the long-wave service which covered most of Germany (and indeed Europe) while medium-wave stations were normally identified as "Reichssender (name of city at or near which they were based)".
Post-war
In the immediate post-war period, in 1947, a new long-wave radio station, known as Deutschlandsender IV, was established at Königs Wusterhausen. From 1 May 1949, the "IV" was dropped and the station became known as simply the Deutschlandsender. It broadcast programmes from the new German Democratic RepublicGerman Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
(GDR) aimed at listeners in the Federal Republic of Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. The long-wave frequency used was 185 kHz and the station also broadcast via short wave.
Berlin I and Berlin II
In 1952 the GDR began a programme of centralisation, which included concentrating all broadcasting in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and building a new studio centre there, known as the Funkhaus Nalepastraße.
In September 1952, the short-wave Deutschlandsender service was renamed "Berlin I" and given a political programming emphasis. The long-wave Deutschlandsender service became "Berlin II", with an emphasis on culture and society. Both changes were, however, soon abandoned. In August 1953, the Deutschlandsender was relaunched as an "all-German" service, with FM coverage added.
Voice of the GDR
A further reorganisation occurred when, in 1971, the State Broadcasting Committee of the GDR decided to merge the main station aimed at both sides of Berlin, Berliner Welle, with the Deutschlandsender to create Stimme der DDR - the "Voice of the GDR". This new information and news service began in November 1972.Deutschlandsender Kultur
In February 1990, the "Voice of the GDR" changed its name, and the station once again became the Deutschlandsender. In May of the same year, it was combined with the existing national Radio DDR 2 to form Deutschlandsender Kultur.Post-reunification
On 1 January 1994, the Deutschlandsender became DeutschlandradioDeutschlandradio
Deutschlandradio is a national German public broadcasting radio broadcaster. It operates four national networks, Deutschlandfunk, Deutschlandradio Kultur, Dokumente und Debatten and DRadio Wissen....
. It was merged with the Federal Republic's all-Germany service, Deutschlandfunk
Deutschlandfunk
Deutschlandfunk is a German public broadcasting radio station, broadcasting national news and current affairs.-History:Broadcasting in the Federal Republic of Germany is reserved under the Basic Law to the states. This means that all public broadcasting is regionalised...
, and the merged organisation now provides two national radio stations for the reunified Germany
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
- Deutschlandradio Kultur
Deutschlandradio Kultur
Deutschlandradio Kultur is the culture-oriented radio station of the German national Deutschlandradio service...
(from Berlin) and Deutschlandfunk (from Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
).