Indian Summer in Siemensstadt Wincor Nixdorf moves into a new ...

PARK News.de
Information and News from Siemens Technopark Berlin No. 2 | October 2007
Indian Summer in Siemensstadt
Red and yellow colours bathe the area of the Siemens Technopark Berlin in a shining late summer ambiance. A good opportunity
to spend the lunch break a few more times perhaps in the last rays of sunlight.
After 10 months building
time the Managing Director
of the Siemens Technopark,
Thorsten Kuhfeld handed over
the keys of Unit 16 to future
tenant Wincor Nixdorf on
13 September. With that, the
fi rst substantial building project
of the Technopark is offi -
cially completed and it can be
seen as a symbol for all further
conversions and new building
projects on the area.
How the ex-mail-order
business building would look
from the outside had not for
a long time been a secret. The
white heat-protection system
and the new windows gave the
previously plain red clinker
construction a light exterior
that in addition complied with
energy-saving requirements.
Content of
this issue
Wincor Nixdorf moves into a new home
The ex-mail-order business building Unit 16 offers accommodation of 6 600 square metres.
Company profi les
The interior meanwhile remained
closed to the public until
the hand-over of the key, which
by the way took place on the
occasion of the Summer Fair
at the Technopark. On this day
however, anyone could have a
look round the new rooms of
the building built in 1929.
What was there on display
to the curious, leaves no wishes
unfulfi lled: after the whole
interior has been totally gutted
and completely redesigned,
working here can only be a
pleasure. On all fl oors, bright
open-plan offi ces fl ooded with
light, carpeted in light grey
and windows with a wide view
over the Technopark site and
also the Rohrdamm and the
green spaces beyond. But Wincor
Nixdorf will not only use
TACR Page 4
Tektronix Page 5
Who does what
Fire protection and safety
offi ces here. Assembly and
production areas were also
leased by the company at the
same time. In total the machine
manufacturer uses an area
of about 6 600 square metres
and is, therefore, the main tenant
in the historic building.
In December a further tenant
is moving into 750 square
The new home of Wincor Nixdorf
Page 6
News
Summer Fair of Siemens
Technopark Page 7
Greeting
Dear Reader,
Converting and renovating
takes effort and creates partly
unwanted disturbance. The long
standstill in maintenance makes
it absolutely essential that we
show appropriate effort with
our modernization measures
– both externally and also in
many of the buildings.
I would again like to thank you
for your patience for all the
inconvenience.
In many cases we have received
feedback to our fi rst edition and
on various projects from readers
and tenants that: “Things
are moving!” We would like to
bring this slogan to life.
I wish you enjoyable reading of
our second edition of
ParkNews.de
Thorsten Kuhfeld
metres in Unit 16. The Event
Agency Mixed Media is leaving
its offi ces in the Tauentzienstraße
in Charlottenburg and
moving into the Siemens Technopark.
Thus the present offi ce
spaces in the building are already
100 percent let at its
completion.
Report
Guided tours through
Siemensstadt Page 10
1

News
After the conversion and modernization
measures of the ex-mail-order business building,
the building works on the Technopark site
are going into the next round with number 16.
So at the end of July the development work on
Unit 1 will be restarted. Here a total of 10 000
square metres of offi ce space will be created –
a scheme that started off seven years ago but
has not yet been brought to completion. “The
building site has been half asleep since the year
2000, now we have raised the money to be able
to create new offi ce space,“ says Simone Kastner,
project leader in the Siemens Technopark.
According to Siemens Technopark Managing
Director Thorsten Kuhfeld, about 50 percent of
the new spaces have already been rented out.
“By March 2008 we will be able to hand over the
fi rst rooms to Fujitsu Siemens, who are already
tenants in Unit 1 but will move into an area
twice as large on the fi fth fl oor,” adds Kastner.
A complex of offi ces has also been planned for
the engineers of the neighbouring measuring
instruments factory.
But not only offi ce spaces are planned. Particularly
the ground fl oor area is getting a complete
facelift. Thus the foyer is being extended
What is happening on the Siemens Technopark site. Here you will fi nd reports about
the development on the site, what construction activities are planned or in progress
and what the planning for the green spaces and the infrastructure looks like.
Start of building for the
10 000 square metre new spaces in Unit 1
After a gap in building of seven years, offi ces and a new connecting walkway are going up.
Prospect of even more offi ce space in Unit 1
by a connecting walkway to the east. The Wellenstein
Company and also part of BCD Travel
are moving in there. “And perhaps even more
service providers will go in there with their customer
offi ces,” says Kuhfeld.
TACR needs more room and is extending Unit 8
The 7500 square metre production
and offi ce space that
the TACR Company is using at
the moment in Units 8, 27 and
28 of the Siemens Technoparks
are hardly suffi cient even now.
In the coming one to two years
they are going to be even
more cramped. The reason is
that thousands of gas turbine
airfoils that have been produced
in previous years in the
Moabiter gas turbine factory
are coming to TACR for reconditioning.
Just about enough time to
enlarge. So the company has
decided to extend its offi ces
in Unit 8. “It is planned to extend
the building by adding
an extra storey. Thus the whole
administrative area can be
put together in one complex,”
says Jacqueline Larsson from
the fi rm of architects responsible
“larsson architekten”. At
The offi ces of TACR will be built up on top of the existing building.
Photo: larsson architekten
the moment TACR has accommodated
its offi ces in various
buildings as an intermediate
solution. This intermediate
solution is to come to an end
shortly. Larsson is naming the
second week in January for the
start of building and, as it is
being done by dry construction,
it is anticipated that TACR
will be moving into the new
rooms as soon as July 2008.
New signs
for good orientation
On the Siemens Technopark
site a real forest of
signs fl ourishes – and yet it is
still diffi cult to fi nd your way
around. That is set to change in
October. The fi rm of architects
„larsson architekten“ has worked
out a standard signposting
system for the Technopark to
guide the visitor to his destination
without detours. “There
will be a system of pylons that
are built up in four levels,” explains
architect Jacqueline Larsson.
So at both entrances Rohrdamm
and Nonnendammallee
there will be three-metre high
pylons that will fi rst of all offer
an overview of the various
tenants in sectors A-D. On arrival
in the corresponding area,
signposting pylons will help
you fi nd the right building. In
front of the buildings there are
building pylons 2.40 metres
high and 60 centimetres wide
that list all the tenants in the
corresponding building, while
directly on the building 60 by
60-centimetre-large signs are
affi xed with numbers and entrance
instructions.
With the aluminium, plastic-coated
signs, the signposting
system in the Technopark
should not only guide you
more easily around the site,
it should also present a uniform
picture. And if there is a
change of tenant, the names
on foil can be simply taken off
and replaced.
Signposting pylons.
Photo: larsson architekten
Gerhard Schiller.
Since 2004 he has been development manager of the retail department of Wincor Nixdorf
and also manages the headquarters of the company in the Siemens Technopark.
IT solutions made in Berlin
Wincor Nixdorf provides banks and companies world
wide with software, hardware and consulting services
Park news: Mr Schiller fi rst
of all can you please explain
to us what Wincor Nixdorf produces?
Schiller: Wincor Nixdorf
is one of the leading sellers
worldwide of IT solutions for
retail banking and trading
companies. The comprehensive
portfolio of the company,
consisting of hardware, software,
consulting services and
services is aimed at optimizing
business processes for banks
and retail chains that have a
far-reaching network of subsidiaries,
reducing costs and
complexity and improving the
service to the end customer.
This includes system solutions
for lottery companies, petrol
station operators, community
catering or industrial companies.
The range of products
for retail banking covers the
complete spectrum from automation
and self-service systems
such as cash machines,
information and transaction
terminals or receipt printers.
For the operation of self-service
machines Wincor Nixdorf
offers software solutions with
which not only their own but
also the machines of other manufacturers
can be operated.
We have also developed an in-
ternationally-geared software
solution for internet or telephone
banking.
Wincor Nixdorf offers retail
companies till systems and the
corresponding software for sales,
information systems and
also solutions for branch automation
such as electronic shelf
labelling and reverse vending
machine systems. A further focus
consists in the integration
of the branches in the company-wide
IT infrastructure.
PN: How long has your
company been on the Siemens
Technopark site?
Schiller: Our innovation
and development centre has
been on the Siemensstadt site
since 1995.
PN: Why move now?
Schiller: On the one hand
our present lease contract on
the Siemens Campus, Unit 4
was ending and we had the
task of gearing ourselves to
the market in Berlin and Brandenburg.
Furthermore we are
bursting out at the seams with
regard to space and processing.
As we work in various
buildings on the campus, we
had long ways to go. This led
to interrupted processes in development
and quality control
and therefore higher cost.
PN: How many staff do you
employ and in what areas?
Schiller: The innovation
and development centre in
Berlin with 200 staff at present
is an essential component of
our growth strategy, responsible
for the development and
provision of future solutions,
systems and products and onsite
support. Highly qualifi ed
people are working on this
mainly moulding the innovations
with their knowledge of
the trade. Furthermore here
on site about 50 members of
Redesigning on the Quellweg in full swing
The reorganization works of the car
parks on the Quellweg will last until
the end of the year. Siemens Technopark
Managing Director Thorsten Kuhfeld informed
us. Since August extensive roadworks
have been carried out in this spot,
which has caused annoyance in many
places “Perhaps we should have given our
tenants rather more extensive information
about these measures,” admits Kuhfeld.
The fact remains however that in this
spot car parking spaces and bicycle stands
had to be removed as these were on a plot
of land that had already been sold in June
2006. “Previously neither the building on
it nor the land itself was being used with
the result that the Siemens Technopark
The new home of Wincor Nixdorf
could continue to use the parking spaces,”
explains Kuhfeld. The situation has now
changed however and new roads, green
spaces and replacement parking spaces
will have to be created. About 30 parking
spaces are planned – that is about two
thirds of the previous spaces - that are
placed on both sides of the road. In addition
to that new bicycle stands will be provided
as the old ones were already about
40 years old and are in urgent need of modernization.
“Moreover the gate system
will get a further entrance and the fence
in this spot will be renewed in such a way
that it fi ts into the total appearance of the
Technopark fencing,” Kuhfeld goes on.
The Berlin water companies are using the
Interview
staff from the business consulting
sector with a focus on
trade and banking, the service
division, responsible for the
customer-support of the IT solutions
and also the relevant
sales departments.
PN: What advantages does
the Siemens Technopark offer
for your company?
Schiller: Our new home
offers us the most up-to-date
infrastructure in an optimal
space for development, quality
control, service, sales and
consulting with short routes
and ideal connection to public
transport such as Tegel Airport
and the railway stations. Moreover
the management of the
Berlin Siemens Technopark
was able to offer us a lease in
line with market prices over a
period realistic for planning
and therefore received our
acceptance.
present building operations to renovate
their foul and storm water sewers. In addition
here too the green and recreational
spaces will be redesigned.
Further information can be obtained from
the Project Leader Simone Kastner,
telephone number: 386 31621,
Mail: simone.kastner@siemens.com
2 3

Company profi le
With plasma jet
and electron gun
to great achievements
TACR puts a lot into coating high-quality gas turbine airfoils
so that the heavily used parts last as long as possible.
In Unit 8 of the Siemens Technopark
it is going well. Here
everything revolves round metal
and ceramic coating – in
short the refi ning of heavily
used components. More precisely
here three to 30 kilogram
turbine airfoils of gas turbines
are refi ned in a high tech process
with razor-thin metal and
ceramic coats. Responsible for
this fi ddly work is the company
Turbine Airfoil Coating and Repair
GmbH, in short TACR. “We
refurbish airfoils of every size
from gas-driven power station
turbines and provide them
with an optimal and long-life
coating,” says TACR Managing
Director Joachim Wolter. And
with the possibilities that TACR
has at the Siemens Technopark
site, the company is worldwide
in the forefront in the matter
of turbine airfoil coating.
It started in 1993 when
TACR was still a part of the Moabit
gas turbine works. “Then
we were hived off in 1996 to be
able to respond more fl exibly
to the demands of the service
business as a small fi rm,” remembered
Wolter. At that time
TACR was able to continually
expand the surface fi nishing of
turbine airfoils. “We invested a
lot of money in the production
technologies that are necessa-
Processing the turbine parts with the plasma jet is a dazzling business
Do you actually know the tenants in the building next to you?
Do you know what the company opposite does?
ry to get the coating desired by
the customer on to the component.
This is necessary so that
the very expensive and heavily
used parts can achieve more
working hours,” explains the
managing director.
Today TACR can look back
on eleven years coating experience.
And the demand is constantly
rising, all the same the
company –
that by the
way is a majoritycompany
of Siemens
and a
subsidiary of a Joint Venture
with the American turbine coater
Chromally – succeeds in extending
the life of every single
turbine airfoil. “For the operator
of a gas turbine, the important
thing is to increase the energy
performance of a turbine.
That means achieving the greatest
possible output, meaning
electricity, with the least possible
input of energy i.e. fuel,”
Wolter puts the principle in a
nutshell. To do this the turbine
airfoils are exposed to temperatures
of approx. 1 050 to
1 200 degrees Celsius during
the operation of the turbine.
So that they survive this strain
each airfoil receives alongside
the metallic “wear coat” also a
heat insulating ceramic coat.
Protected in this way the most
heavily stressed components
still become 50 000 operating
hours “old”.
But that is only when maintenance
of the airfoils is carried
out after about half the operating
time. This is what happens
in practice: the “worn” turbine
airfoils fi rst of all have the coating
removed, are cleaned and
Assembly of a turbine Siemens AG, Photo: Martin Adam
The turbine airfoils received
their ceramic coating in a
cloud of vapour
mechanically processed. Then
the “naked” metal surface of
the component receives a new
metal coating and then the ceramic
coating again. Of course
the coatings must be applied
fi nely and evenly. That happens
with the help of a plasma
jet that heats the component to
850 degrees and fi nally shoots
very fi ne metal powder evenly
on the air-
foils. The
ceramic coating
is applied
among
other things
with the help of an electron
gun to the airfoils. “You have
to imagine that the airfoil is
enclosed in the ceramic powder
as if in a cloud of vapour,”
Wolter explains the procedure
by which the airfoils are vapour-coated
with ceramic material
with a thickness of 250 to
400 mµ.
Explanation: 1000 mµ corresponds
to 1 millimetre. It
takes about three weeks for
one single airfoil to be ready
for use again. “So that we can
complete all orders in this time
scale, our approximately 180
staff work six days a week in
three shifts,“ says Wolter. The
order books are full: 7000 to
8000 airfoils are permanently
lying in the large factory sheds.
“In order to be able to work
more effectively we have recently
extended our area in
the Siemens Technopark from
5 800 square metres to about
9000 square metres in buildings
5302 and 5303. Furthermore
our main building Unit
8 is going to be extended upwards
soon with extra offi ce
space.” reveals Wolter.
Under the heading “Company Profi le”, you will learn more about the other tenants in the
Siemens Technopark. In every edition of the “Park News” we will introduce companies.
Nothing happens at Tektronix without “Good Vibrations”
Can communication be
measured? Yes, it can. It can
be done with know-how and
the highly sensitive devices
from Tektronix. “Our customers
include the who’s who of
the communications sector,”
says Andreas Kallmann, Managing
Director of Tektronix
in the Berlin Siemens Technopark.
Among them manufacturers
such as Nokia, Siemens,
Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent
and operating companies such
as Vodafone, T-Mobile or even
China Mobile. All of them and
many more nationally and internationally
active companies
are among the customers of
Tektronix – the leading company
worldwide in matters of
communication measurement
technology.
In the Siemens Technopark
130 staff are developing and
manufacturing measuring devices
for the next generation
of mobile phone technology
(4G). “We are supporting our
customers in developing, installing
and operating their
systems,“ Kallmann explains.
The protocol testers from Berlin
play a central role in this.
In close cooperation with the
manufacturers and operators
of mobile phone devices and
networks these measuring devices
are being constantly advanced.
“Thus the manufacturers
can test in their laborato-
Tektronix leases several fl oors
ries whether their devices fulfi l
the standards,” says Tektronix
Managing Director Kallmann.
The operators in turn can test
with the measuring technology
of the US American company
whether their systems work
fl awlessly or analyse and remove
possible problems.
Tektronix is an American
company with Head Offi ce in
Portland in the US state of Oregon.
Tektronix was founded by
Howard Vollum the inventor
of the oscilloscope in 1945.
Oscilloscopes are devices with
which sensitive oscillations can
be measured and signals of digital
transmitters and receivers
adjusted and corrected. What
is measured is the behaviour
of a circuit to certain electronic
requests
and oscillations.
Testing
video signals
or picking
out sources of interference is
the task of the devices produced
by Tektronix. But that is not
enough: with the highly sensitive
oscilloscopes not only can
new communication devices
be set exactly also error diagnostics
in switching developments
can be carried out substantially
more effi ciently.
„Previously the business
section of communications
measuring technology belonged
to the Siemens measuring
devices plant,” recalls Kallmann.
The protocol measuring
technology started up here
in Berlin in the middle of the
Company profi le
The company’s oscilloscopes are used by all leading mobile phone manufacturers and operating companies.
Communication is measurable
with highly sensitive devices
eighties as a whole new area
of communication measuring
technology. The fi rst protocol
tester K1195 was adopted universally
and has become a legend.
But as communications
measuring technology was not
a core busi-
ness for Siemens,
it sold
the protocolmeasuring
technology in 1997. Since
then Tektronix has successfully
further developed this business.
As market leader Tektronix
has worldwide sales and a
closely-knit network of representation
all over the world. In
total about 4000 staff work for
Tektronix.
In Berlin Tektronix has meanwhile
established itself fi rmly
on several fl oors on the Siemens
Technopark site. “We
have refurbished to our requirements
and have leased
these offi ces in Unit 1 since
2000,” says Kallman.
4 5

If you have ever spoken to a
real fi reman you know: for
these men their profession is
more than just a job. Being a
fi reman means following a vocation.
And that is how Eberhard
Kühne, graduate fi reman
and retired chief fi re offi cer,
sees it too. Since the beginning
of 2007 he has been fi re
protection offi cer on the Siemens
Technopark. “That is an
extensive task that needs a lot
of attention to detail and gives
great pleasure,” says Kühne.
The sprightly 62-year-old sits
in front of a pile of documents
and goes through the points for
that day with a colleague. Kühne
is only on the Technopark
site twice a week. Then you see
him in the corridors of the individual
buildings and walking
around the external areas
and examining every nook and
cranny at risk of fi re in the Siemens
Technopark. “My task is
to support the management of
the Technoparks in the implementation
of the requirements
of fi re protection in an advisory
capacity,” explains Kühne
matter-of-factly. In other words
it means that
Kühne is the
fi rst contact
person when
it comes to
guaranteeing up-to-date fi re
protection in all buildings of
the Technopark area. This task
is in no way limited to just
making note of missing fi re
alarms, Kühne has to look out
for a lot of things. “Obviously
I also look for where smoke
and fi re alarms are missing,
but beyond that I have to check
that all escape and emergency
routes are accessible, all
fi re extinguishers are regularly
serviced, the signage is OK
etc, etc, etc,“ says Kühne. On
an offi ce and industrial area
of about 220 000 square metres
that comes to an awful lot
of work.
In fact Kühne’s work is not
only limited to checking pictograms.
Above all, the quite
extensive new and converted
building work on the site are
particularly
demanding
on the ex Deputy
Chief
Fire Offi cer
for the Area of Dresden. “When
the time comes for the offi -
cial signing-off of the building
works the offi cials are particularly
interested in the fi re protection,”
Kühne voices his concerns.
In addition to this in the
case of the Siemens Technopark,
numerous buildings are
wholly or partly listed buildings.
So then Kühne’s problem
is to fi nd the golden
mean between up-to-date fi re
protection requirements and
listed buildings. “Often I have
no other option than to give
the management not particularly
cost-favourable advice,”
So that the Siemens Technopark functions, the infrastructure is correct, the technology
in the buildings is OK and the tenants can feel themselves fully well looked after, a lot of
service providers are needed. “Park News” gives an overview on this point.
Fire protection and safety are at the top of the list
For former Chief Fire Offi cer Eberhard Kühne the Siemens Technopark offers a new, exciting challenge.
The fi re engine can be called by calling 386-112 when there is a fi re.
regrets Kühne. However he has
never experienced necessary
things or purchases being refused.
“In the Siemens Technopark
they know what matters
and safety for the people who
work there is top of the list,”
admits Kühne.
And with this certainty the
sprightly pensioner takes his
task very seriously. And when
he is not hunting round the
building, he is walking round
the external
area, sending
i n c o r r e c t l y
parked cars
to the car
park, testing
whether the
fi re water hydrant system is regularly
serviced and whether
all alarm systems are working
properly. “At the moment I am
working on a territory-related
action plan,” explains Kühne.
For after all in an emergency
the fi re service must also know
exactly the quickest way to get
to the scene. “In the next few
years the Siemens Technopark
will have to spend a not inconsiderable
sum on fi re protection,“
Kühne admits. As although
there exists a good basis
for fi re protection in the
old building, some things will
have to be renewed and extended.
“The requirements
have naturally changed in the
last decades,” says Kühne. The
Technopark too is not spared
these.
But Kühne
is confi -
dent that he
can implement
all fi re
p r o t e c t i o n
requirements on the site. His
motto is: “When I start something,
I see it through.” And he
does no balk at disagreements
with the full-time staff in the
Technopark whose duties often
overlap with his. “I shall have
to fi nd a common thread,” he
says and smiles.
What is happening on the Technopark site outside the offi ces and factories?
This is the spot where our magazine reports on current events,
tips, dates and special offers.
Who does what News
Fire alarms, escape routes and
pictograms – everything must be
regularly checked.
Even listed buildings have to
comply with modern fi re protection
regulations.
On 13 September more than
550 guests came to this
year’s Summer Fair on the Siemens
Technopark and spent a
few pleasurable hours on the
green spaces in front of the
recently refurbished Unit 16.
Completely in twenties style
– the theme under which the
Summer Fair had been arranged
– there was a lot to remind
us of the time 80 years ago.
Artists dressed as newspaper
boys in
knickerbockers
and fl at caps were busy
sticking supposed old posters
on an advertising column, going
with megaphones through
the crowd to announce attractions
and inviting the guests
to ring-the-bell or test their
strength in the communal tugof-war.
Shellac records of evergreens
from the twenties gra-
1st Golden twenties-style Summer Fair
ted from a gramophone and a
live band provided the right
atmosphere.
The twenties were not chosen
as the theme of the fair
without reason. “The time represents
an enormous economic
upswing in Berlin,” says
Siemens Technopark Managing
Director Thorsten Kuhfeld
in his welcome speech.
And because the Berlin
Siemens Technopark
was at this moment also
experiencing an upswing, it
was decided that this would
be the theme of the Summer
Fair. But because upswing also
means at the same time inconvenience,
building works, noise
and dirt, Kuhfeld thanked
his guests for their patience
and understanding. But our
Technopark is to continue to be
Number 1 for 25 years
For 25 years the courier drivers of GO! have
been delivering everything from letters to
heavy machine parts in the shortest time to its
made even more attractive and
welcoming and therefore there
will continue to be building
works and the inconvenience
that goes with them,” the Siemens
Technopark Managing
Director admitted. Kuhfeld
used the Twenties Fair however
not just to thank his guests. He
handed over the newly renovated
and refur-
bished Unit 16 to the future
tenants Wincor Nixdorf and
the event agency Mixed Media.
We wish our tenants much success
and a pleasant working
environment in their new offi
ces,” said Kuhfeld.
After the offi cial part, the
guests enjoyed the sumptuous
buffet and with games and
a colourful entertainment
program had a good time with
friends, colleagues and their
destination. This anniversary had to be celebrated
and so on 1 September the company invited
all staff to a big anniversary party. The GO! President
Wolfgang M.Sacher greeted about 350
guests on this sunny day and thanked them for
their work and commitment. “It does not matter
in what your relationship is with GO!, you
are a part of a particular history: 25 years GO!
Berlin.
The anniversary is a good opportunity to say
‘thank you’ – particularly to staff and courier
companies that have made our success possible.”
Sacher called on them all to approach the
coming years with the same enthusiasm and
wished for himself and his staff the necessary
luck and the right touch for all the tasks before
them.
families. And although the sun
did not really get out that afternoon,
the Summer Fair was
a successful event that slowly
drifted to a close around
8 p.m.
You can fi nd a large display of
pictures on www.parknews.de
News in brief
BCD Travel.
The travel centre BCD Travel is
recommending pampering spa
breaks for autumn. For example
a three-day break with two
nights in the spa Bad Kissingen.
You can really chill out here for
as little as Euro 259. Included in
the package is accommodation
in a two-room suite in the 4-star
hotel Residence von Dapper,
a bottle of Prosecco as well
as a three-course candlelight
dinner a hot stone massage, a
pampering rose bath and much
more.
Information and booking from
BCD Travel, Wernerwerkdamm 5,
Telephone 386 30993
or by email to
ferienprofi s-siemens@bcdtravel.de
6 7

The bookshop without books in Siemensstadt
With a lot of courage three new business founders have fulfi lled a dream on the Nonnendamm – a success story.
The story of the formation
of the book shop “Bücher
am Nonnendamm [Books
on the Nonnendamm]” could
be an American success story.
Although the three ope-
rators of the small bookshop
have not worked their way up
from washing dishes to millionaires,
they have saved themselves
from unemployment
with a lot of
commitment,
creative ideas
and much
courage. “At the end of 2001
our employer went bankrupt
and we were suddenly faced
with a void,” remembers Edgar
Schuster. “But we did not want
to be unemployed and even
our old customers regretted
that there was now no longer a
bookshop in Siemensstadt,” relates
Schuster. So the bookseller
wrote out a business plan
and took it from bank to bank.
“I went to fi ve or six banks but
no-one wanted to give us a
start-up loan,” remembers the
entrepreneur.
Because they were not able
to get anywhere with the credit
companies, Schuster scraped
his savings of 4500 Marks to-
gether, negotiated with the
landlord of the shop premises
on the Nonnendamm and fi rst
of all bought three Billy shelves
and the cheapest carpet he
could fi nd. “”A regular lady cus-
tomer advanced the fi rst rent
and so we stood there in January
2002 with three shelves in
the shop – empty, as we had
not yet any money for books,”
smiled booksellerSchuster.
For the
s e l f - m a d e
bookseller and his two comrades-in-arms
Astrid Riediger
and Michael Strobel there were
still two questions to answer:
what is a bookshop without
books and how should they get
the necessary books without
money?
Yet Schuster, Riediger and
Strobel would have not dared
to tread this rocky path to selfemployment
if they had not
Today Edgar Schuster stands in front of full bookshelves and books pile up on tables and in the back room. Photo: Edler
On the Nonnendamm
at fi rst there was only a
bookshop without books
What would the Siemens Technopark be without its neighbours. A number of things have
been done in the neighbourhood by the companies on the site. In this section “Park News”
informs you about partnerships and synergies round the Technopark.
already had the solution. “We
sold 50-Euro vouchers to our
customers that they could not
use until October,” recounts
Astrid Riediger. The three sold
in total 60 vouchers, went to
the Book Fair with the money
and shopped there.
With that the basic stock for
the small bookshop was laid
down and meanwhile it now
has a wide range. “We have
fi ction, non-fi ction, children’s
books and much more,” says
Schuster. Various university li-
braries are also being supplied.
If something cannot be
found on the shelves, which
are in the meantime well fi lled,
it is mostly ordered overnight.
If the books are no longer available
from the publishers,
Schuster and his colleagues
acquire the desired books
from second-hand book dealers.
For us that is part of the
service, we do everything and
use our good contacts so that
the customers are satisfi ed,”
says Schuster. What is more,
the three prefer to sell books
that they themselves have
read. “When the customers
hear how enthusiastically we
talk about some books, they
feel that they are being better
advised,” admits Schuster.
But it is not only satisfaction
that drives the Siemensstädters
into the bookshop. It
is also a question of custom
and tradition. Anyway there
has always been a bookshop in
Siemensstadt since the twenties.
“”At that time there was
the ‘Buchstube’ [book room]
quite near here and after that
the bookshop in the Quellweg,“
Schuster chats about
the past. The three-man team
from “Bücher am Nonnendamm”
wanted to carry on this
fi ne tradition and the past fi ve
years have again shown: who
does not dare, does not win.
Schuster, Riediger and Strobel
have in any case dared much
and have been winning much
more since January 2002.
Apart from the many companies in the Technopark there is also a series of
attractions that have not directly come from the Technopark but do belong to it.
You will fi nd out here which ones.
Neighbours Information
Bücher am Nonnendamm - they fought hard for it. Foto: Naß Astrid Riediger, Edgar Schuster, Michael Strobel Foto: Edler
Domestic appliances
at reasonable prices
Four “Für-uns-Shops” round Siemens
They have been there since
1976 – the “shops for
us” where Siemens staff obtain
high-quality goods at reasonable
prices. “The idea for
these shops came from the social
concept of giving company
employees the possibility
of shopping cheaply and in the
workplace,” says Bernd Grotewohl,
Regional Director of the
“shops for us”.
And so the sales points are
found near and on numerous
Siemens sites. On the Siemens
site in Berlin too they invite you
Bored? Fancy sharing a hobby with
others? Then you are in the right place
in the Siemens Culture Circle. Whether it
is fi shing, crafts or photography, whether
as a member of the big band or as participant
of regular lecture evenings or visits
– the Culture Circle has something for almost
every taste. “The culture circle has
been in existence for 60 years,” says
Robert Schreiber, President of
the Siemens Culture Circle.
Yet even though there is a lot
on offer most of the groups
of the Culture Circle are having
problems recruiting
new members. “There are
unfortunately very few people
interested,“ regrets Schreiber.
to shop at low prices. “Shops
for us” are equipped with everything
the heart desires. From
washing machines to toasters,
from mountain bikes to motor
scooters – whoever comes here
can rummage, search and fi nd
to their heart’s content. “We
try to offer all products cheaper
than in normal shops,”
says Bernd Grotewohl. If not,
the price guarantee comes into
effect.
The customers are Siemens
staff and, in future, staff of
companies based in the Sie-
White goods and much more can be purchased in the “Für-uns-Shops”.
mens Technopark are also to be
included. “Perhaps we can also
open a shop on the Technopark
area,” hopes Grotewohl. Until
that moment comes, high-
Culture Circle with lots on offer
It is not only Siemens staff that are being
invited to spend part of their free time in
the company’s hobby groups. “Staff not
from Siemens can also pop in and have a
look to see if there is a group of interest to
them,” emphasizes the Culture Circle President.
Indeed,
quality branded goods can be
bought cheaply in the existing
“shops for us” at Nonnendammallee
101, Rohrdamm 83 (B-
Lager), and Siemensdamm 50.
alongside well-known pastimes such as
chess, choirs or photography there are a
few quite exotic offerings. “For example
we have a group that meet to play war
games,” says Schreiber. The object is
to play games of strategy with tin fi gures
that have previously been personally
painted by hand. “As with model railways
we build the layout ourselves and work
out our strategy,” explains Schreiber. There
are also card games such as Yu-Gi-Yohor
or paper and pen role play or a radio
or computer club in the Culture
Circle.
Anyone interested can contact Robert
Schreiber on telephone 386-25119
or by email to
robert.schreiber@siemens.com
Financial plans for private individuals and entrepreneurs
Anyone who does not want
to just take their savings to
the bank and leave them lying
around in a savings account
should seek professional advice.
Karsten Reichelt is a senior
adviser at MLP Finanzdienstleistungen
[Financial Services]
AG and explains to his customers
why it is important to adapt
fi nancial planning to your
own life goals and develop individual
solutions. “I advise
MLP advises fi rms based on the Siemens Technopark or their staff
both business people and also
private individuals,” says Reichelt.
It does not matter whether
it is for extra retirement
pension, insurance or investment
possibilities – Reichelt
analyses in detail which fi nancial
model suits the demands
and wishes of each individual
client. “I check what aims the
client is pursuing and then
show him solution possibilities
independent of provider,“
says Reichelt. For this, MLP is
perfectly free in which companies
it chooses for investments
as MLP is an agent and therefore
is not in cooperation with
certain insurances or banks.
Furthermore Reichelt informs
clients about funding and allowances
that can be claimed
both by businesses and private
investors. “Very few people
know much about that,” admits
the adviser, “every year milli-
ons of Euros go unclaimed.”
Reichelt also offers his knowhow
to the companies based on
the Siemens Technopark Berlin
and their staff. “”For a short
walk, a consultation can take
place on the Siemens Technopark
or in our offi ce in Berlin
city centre,“ offers Reichelt.
He can be contacted there
by phone on 030-283931-24 or
by email at
karsten.reichelt@mlp.de.
8 9

Guided tours through Siemensstadt
Karl Bienek offers walks through this Spandau quarter that is rich in history – and has much to tell about it.
Herr Bienek knows a lot
about Siemensstadt. When
he talks about it, the old times
round the present Siemens
Technopark come back to life.
Then the old factory buildings
that stood more than 100 years
ago on the present Technopark
site appear in the mind’s eye
and the disused railway lines
seem suddenly to start working
again. When Karl Bienek
talks about the old Siemens times,
about the goings-on on
the site, the revival of industrialization,
the last century
moves within reach.
Yet Karl Bienek does not
only know a lot about the old
Siemensstadt, he also shares
his knowledge with anyone
who would like to hear it. “For
about two years I have been offering
guided tours through
Siemensstadt,” says Bienek.
If for example you go up
the 71 metre high clock tower
with Karl Bienek, the 67-yearold
retired engineer will tell
you that this tower once stood
in the middle of the former
measuring instruments factory
complex. “But it was not
erected as a watch tower,” admits
Bienek. In its day it was
constructed more as an exhaust
tower for the integrated
power station and was in addi-
Information about Siemensstadt
Siemensstadt, since 1914 named after
its initiator, is a district of Spandau
and is characterized by seven resi-
dential areas and Siemens production
plants. Until 1897 there was nothing
here except boggy meadows of the
Spree, woodland and a few farms
– an area belonging to the then towns
of Charlottenburg and Spandau. As
Charlottenburg was keener on plan-
ning sophisticated suburban villas on
this spot than factories – Siemens built
its fi rst factory from 1897 on Spandau
land – the Westend cable works. Since
then a prospering local community
has been developing here with pro-
duction facilities, residential proper-
ty, roadways and leisure facilities.
tion a good place for meteorological
measurements. “Moreover
Siemens tested its water
measuring devices here,” explained
Bienek.
Once up there, you have a
wonderful view over the Technopark,
Siemensstadt and far
beyond. At the cue Siemensstadt,
the town guide has so
much information to hand
that you cannot take all the
dates in. Yet it is a real delight
to fi nd out how everything began
here exactly 110 years ago
– in autumn 1897, or how the
Siemens Company committed
itself to the wellbeing of its
staff beyond the call of work.
“Siemens built accommodation,
even whole estates for its
employees so that they did not
have such a long way to work,“
related Bienek, even though
the company of course did not
act altruistically. “When Siemens
put its fi rst factory into
operation on this spot on 1
August 1899 – Siemensstadt’s
‘birthday’ - lot of people wanted
to work here but the area
was so far away from Berlin
that many did not want to take
on the long, diffi cult journey,”
stated Bienek. So accommodation
had to come here and they
The Technopark is not only interesting as a site for all types of businesses.
With its 100 year history it also offers enough material for entertaining themes.
In this section you will learn more about it.
Report Service
The distant view from the Siemens clock-tower clearly shows the extent of the 110-year-old Siemensstadt.
were fi rst built in 1904/1905.
And while Bienek is lecturing
on building the accommodation
and the architect entrusted
with it, you are right in the
middle of modern housing development
at the beginning of
the 20th century. “Karl Janisch
and Hans Hertlein here created
a unique and for its time very
progressive residential neighbourhood
without narrow back
yards and with street planning
that still endures today,“ explains
Bienek. “More and more
people came to Siemens and to
Siemensstadt. In 1914 scarcely
7000 people lived there and almost
32000 were employed at
Siemens,” says Bienek.
And Siemensstadt continued
to grow. In the thirties numerous
residential properties
in the innovative Bauhaus style
were added. “Yes, then architects
such as Scharoun, Gropius,
Bartning, Häring, Forbat
and Henning came and put up
the large Siemensstadt housing
estate,” tells Karl Bienek
and leads his audience past
four-storey residential blocks
that still seem creative today
and leave no doubt that this
type of living must have been
a completely new experience
for most people. Suddenly
everything was light and airy
and the children could play in
green spaces and there was no
trace of the noise and lack of
space of Berlin.
Yes, Karl Bienek can tell you
a lot about Siemensstadt but
after about two hours he has
told you the most important
bits, led his audience through
the streets of the residential
estate and receives fi ve Euros
from each participant - that is
not a lot for such a lot of information.
And it has given quite
a few the desire for another
tour. Bienek continues to offer
them – for groups between minimum
4 to maximum 25 participants.
Information/booking:
Tel. 381 75 07
or E-Mail info@bnktxt.de
Typical Siemens buildings since 1897
Rohrdamm 7
Tel. 030 386-27670
Mo - Su 0:00 – 24:00 h
Wernerwerkdamm 16
Tel. 030 386-24944
Mo - Su 0:00 – 24:00 h
Wernerwerkdamm 5
Tel. 030 386-27062
Mo - Su 5:15 – 22:30 h
V.i.S.d.P. Thorsten Kuhfeld,
GF Siemens Technopark Berlin
GmbH & Co. KG
Redaktion: Heike Cremer
Text: Silke Edler
Layout: Armin Knoll
Fotos: Wolfgang Chodan
(soweit nicht anders angegeben)
Erscheinungsweise: Vierteljährlich
Aufl age: 5000
Anzeigen: Für Anfragen bitte E-Mail an:
redaktion@parknews.de
10 11
Impressum
Siemensdamm 62
Tel. 030 386-27272
Mo - Su 6:00 – 20:00 h
Nonnendamm 43
Tel. 030 386-28085
Mo - Fr 06:00 – 17:30 h
Contact at Siemens Technopark Berlin
Geschäftsführung
Thorsten Kuhfeld
Tel. 030 386-41590
Fax 030 386-31155
thorsten.kuhfeld@siemens.com
Sekretariat
Heike Cremer
Tel. 030 386-27821
Fax 030 386-31155
heike.cremer@siemens.com
Here you can obtain any information to do with the Berlin Technopark site.
Contact, opening times, phone numbers ...
Opening times of receptions
Siemens Technopark Berlin GmbH & Co. KG · Wernerwerkdamm 5 · 13629 Berlin
Facility Management, Vermietung
Christoph Maus
Tel. 030 386-29228
Fax 030 386-31155
christoph.maus@siemens.com
Projekte
Joachim Duda
Tel. 030 386-26918
Fax 030 386-31155
joachim.duda@siemens.com
Kfm. Aufgaben
Mark Radünz
Tel. 030 386-22882
Fax 030 386-31155
mark.raduenz@siemens.com
Technische Leitung
Simone Kastner
Tel. 030 386-31621
Fax 030 386-31155
simone.kastner@siemens.com
24 hour Service Telephone, Hochtief Facility Management: Tel. 030 386 119
You will fi nd this issue of ParkNews as a PDF Download in
German and Englisch on our Website: www.parknews.de
Haus 16, Parkplatz
Rohrdamm 7
Mo - Su 0:00 – 24:00 h
Haus 4, Ost
Mo - Su 0:00 – 24:00 h
Haus 4, Parkplatz Ost
Mo - Su 0:00 – 24:00 h
Potsdam
Spandau
Opening times of turnstiles
Do You have any suggestions for
interesting themes?
Send us Your Feedback.
Tegel
115
Hauptbahnhof
Tempelhof
Schönefeld
Siemensdamm 62
Parkplatz Haus 25
Mo - Su 0:00 – 24:00 h
Wernerwerkdamm 10, Reisstr.
Mo - Su 0:00 – 24:00 h
Kfm. Leitung
Christian Sawade
Tel. 030 386-29735
Fax 030 386-31155
christian.sawade@siemens.com
Kfm. Aufgaben
Yvonne Groneberg
Tel. 030 386-26430
Fax 030 386-31155
yvonne.groneberg@siemens.com
Kfm. Aufgaben
Gabriele Hieber
Tel. 030 386-20683
Fax 030 386-31155
gabriele.hieber@siemens.com
111
100
E-Mail: redaktion@parknews.de
or call Mrs. Cremer:
030 386-27821

12
People
When Gerhard Reich talks
about steam engines his eyes
begin to shine. For Gerhard
Reich is a steam engine enthusiast.
“No more than that,”
says the 58-year-old. He is defi -
nitely not a real “trainspotter”
i.e. someone who collects every
engine number. “No, I just
fi nd these old steam engines
fascinating and I like messing
about with them in my spare
time, says Reich. And because
he likes these steaming, snorting
and rattling old trains
so much, in March this year
he took his honorary train
driver‘s test on a Harz narrow
gauge train.
The certifi cate entitles him
to drive a particular train i.e.
the Harz narrow gauge train –
and then only when a full-time
train driver is present. “I am
not allowed on my own in the
driver’s cab,” smiles Reich. But
that does not seem to bother
the sporting amateur train driver.
The main thing is that he
is allowed to drive the train at
all. “With my licence I am entitled
to drive the old steam
engine up the Brocken,” says
Reich who in real life works as
facility manager for the airfoil
coater TACR.
The 112 metres long and
125 tonnes heavy train wheezes
day in day out up the Bro-
Steam engines are his great passion
Gerhard Reich has an honorary train driver’s licence and is allowed to drive the Harz narrow gauge train up the Brocken
Gerhard Reich (far right) was happy to obtain the honour of
honorary engine driver. Photo: Private
cken and down again. “It is
mostly tourists that travel on
the Brocken railway but there
are also locals on their way
to work.” The Brocken railway
in the Harz is a bit like the underground
railway in Berlin.
Anyway hanging behind the
historic steam engine there
are seven coaches where there
is room for a total of 275
passengers. “The engine uses
4 tonnes of coal and about 20
cubic metres of water daily,“
Reich gives the technical details.
And something else occurs
to him: a steam engine
like that is a very oily business
as the old lady needs 10 to 12
litres of machine oil every day.
But if that were not enough:
then in the evening there is
cleaning oil, about 15 litres are
applied with an oil jet on the
red vehicle parts of the steam
engine.
For Reich such an old steam
engine exerts a quite particular
fascination. “This rhythm puts
you under its spell,” he raves.
Then you absolutely have to
go with it and feel that a steam
engine like that is a living machine.
“If you look out of the
side window of the driver’s cab
during the journey – and you
look out constantly – you soon
become part of the engine,”
says Reich. And thus every engine
driver of
such a historic
companion loves
and cares for his
“steam horse”
with much love
and devotion.
Gerhard Reich
was also allowed
to clean
and oil down the
old narrow gauge
engine. “But
only quite specifi
c parts, as an
amateur engine
driver you cannot
go every-
Here they are: People with extraordinary hobbies.
Not everyone plays football in their free time or relaxes with yoga. What other
hobbies there are – extraordinary ones too – we will tell you in this section.
The Harz narrow gauge railway – it is loved and cared for.
where,“ smiles Reich.
Yet he has got closer to the
tractor of the Harz narrow gauge
railway than hardly anyone
else who is not actually an engine
driver. “Every engine driver
develops an intimate relationship
with his engine,” says
Reich. You know it inside and
out and know exactly how to
handle it. So for example the
whistle of each steam engine
is very individual and can be
infl uenced by the engine driver.
You can make the engine
whistle loud or soft, long
or short. And something else
requires real sensitivity: you
have to brake with real feeling.
“If an engine driver bra-
kes jerkily that is called engine
driver thanksgiving,” because
the passengers sitting facing
all directions lean in the direction
of the driver says Reich
and laughs. Above all, on the
downhill you have to keep the
narrow gauge train in check.
“When you go back down the
mountain you brake the whole
time,” says amateur engine
driver Reich and again his eyes
shine at the thought of his
journey on the narrow gauge
railway in the Harz.
Have you also a hobby that
you would like to introduce
yourself with? Then write to us:
redaktion@parknews.de