LugerForum Discussion Forums - DWM shooting prize

Hi Tom,

After the Versailles slum, DWM tried both to disguise the fact that they were still in the arms business and they also tried to find new ways to survive as a general manufacturing company. So they changed their name to "Berlin-Karlsruher Industrie Werke" (BKIW or 'Berkawerke') on the 30th of may, 1922, shortly after the Quandt family took control of the firm.

1923 ad
http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/ad_1923.jpg

On the 29th of june, 1933, just after Hitler took control, they changed their name to "Berlin-Karlsruher Industriewerke A.G., vormals Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken".

The changeover was completed on the 30th of june, 1936. The name was changed again to the old name "Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken A.G.".

1937 ad, one year afther the changeover:
http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/ad_1937.jpg

The Lubeck site was constructed in several stages between 1933 and 1944. It's entire structure was built to withstand any aerial attacks using a simple formula: Scatter the buildings across a large stretch of land and plant foliage on top of them. The complex was almost invisible from above.

The company name remained DWM until 1952. In 1945, the Berlin Branch was temporarily named VWW (Vereinigte Werke Wittenau) and placed under control of the state of Berlin. The Berlin branch was returned to it's owners, the Quandt family, in 1952.

Then things got complicated. The Berlin branch, now specializing in repair and construction of railroad equipment kept using the DWM logo and name, but now as 'Deutsche Waggon und Maschinenfabriken'. The other part of the company was renamed 'IWK' or 'Industriewerke Karlsruhe'.

The DWM brand was, however, kept alive for munitions production well into the 1970s. The production of ammunition was concentrated at the Durlach plant. IWK merged with a company in Augsburg and thus became known as IWKA (Industriewerke Karlsruhe Augsburg). Deutsche Waggon- und Maschinenfabriken finally disappeared, together with the Berlin branch in 1971.

So in short:
1896 - 1922: DWM
1922 - 1933: BKIW
1933 - 1936: BKIW vormals DWM
1936 - 1952: DWM (Berlin VWW)
1952 - 1971: Berlin DWM, Karlsruhe/Lubeck IWK
1971 - recent: Berlin gone, Karlsruhe/Lubeck/Augsburg, etc.. IWKA

Mauser was a completely different cup of tea. Mauser came under control of the Loewe family in 1886 when Loewe bought all Mauser shares from the bank that financed Mauser. Mauser again had a 50 percent share in Fabrique Nationale in Liege, Belgium. So those shares were also transferred to Loewe. When Loewe formed DWM in 1896 the Mauser and FN shares were transferred to DWM.

In 1930, pistol production was transferred from DWM to Mauser, DWM retained production of other arms, ammunition and other products. In 1935, Mauser rented part of the Berlin site of DWM and set up another rifle production facility there.

According to rental contracts from april/may 1936, Mauser rented the following buildings on the DWM site in Berlin:

Building 56 21,930 square meters.
Building 55 1200 square meters.
Building 45 4900 square meters.
Building 44 480 square meters.
Building 43 260 square meters.
Building 49 2770 square meters.
Building 59 90 square meters.

In 1948, under French control the following Berlin buildings, used by Mauser, had to be destroyed:

Buildings 43 and 45 removed completely.
Buildings 55 and 56 dismantled, except for the superstructure.

1943 Letter with DWM letterhead, sent from Berlin.
http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload...mall_copy1.jpg