AEG celebrates its 125th birthday

In 2012 German company AEG celebrates its 125th birthday. The eventful history of the company began in 1887 with the production of unique for its time electric lighting systems. And AEG introduced its first appliance line in 1889 at a trade show in Berlin.

From the day of its foundation AEG company did not stop creating new, later award-winning inventions that change people’s way of life. Even today, AEG is still receiving awards – most recently in 2012 for its “Neue Kollektion” range of appliances.

125 years of design and innovation.

The basis of AEG’s success is the foundation of its design philosophy, which is attributed to Peter Behrens’ arrival at the company in 1907.

Behrens is known as the founder of industrial design. Its developments included product design as well as the appearance of the company’s office, advertising brochures, logo, i.e. the creation of a brand identity presented as a whole.

These ideas later became a practical guide for all companies seeking to gain popularity. Peter Behrens’ contribution to the development of AEG is reflected in the company slogan “Perfection in form and function,” which to this day reflects the company’s philosophy.

AEG sets a new standard for home furnishings

AEG has pioneered countless innovations in the world of home appliances. New ideas such as the first fully automatic washing machine for household use “Lavamat” , the first dishwasher with an automatic program and the first induction stove, introduced in 1987, have been courageously pursued.

In the 1980s, the company launched its “green” lineup “&Ouml KO,” which pioneered a green approach in the manufacture of household appliances. It was AEG who first developed built-in appliances: The Santo fridge built into kitchen furniture dates back to 1935.

Award-winning appliances

In 2011, AEG launched its “Neue Kollektion” line of products. The iF International Industrial Design Forum iF Product Design Award competition, where nine awards were given to appliances from the 2011 range, was extremely popular and praised for their handy and stylish design.

“AEG has its own design tradition, and we continue to follow it in creating appliances made of high-quality materials with clear contours, innovative features and an elegant form that always brings something fundamentally new to the table,” says Hans Strohmeyer, Design Director at AEG.

The iF awards, which singled out AEG’s “simply outstanding” design, were also won in 2012. The award-winning products include induction stoves, double-door refrigerators, Lavamat washing machines and Lavatherm tumble dryers.

Design for the future

Technology of the future already influences a large part of our products,” says Hans Strohmeyer. – This is particularly true of the user interfaces, which enable easy access to all functions.”.

These future technologies enable AEG to achieve consistently excellent results. The AEG Protex dryer range is Woolmark Gold Certified because it causes less wear and tear on the clothes.

Strohmeyer continues: “Even though AEG products are taking on ever more complex tasks, the design must remain as simple and intuitive as possible. You could say that my job as a designer is like working as an interpreter in a dialogue between man and machine.

To celebrate the company’s birthday, a series of events will take place throughout 2012 . For more information, please visit: aeg

125 years of AEG achievement

1883

Emil Rathenau buys the license to manufacture incandescent light bulbs in Germany from Edison and founds the ‘Deutsche Edison Gesellschaft’ DEG – the German Edison Company.

1885

DEG builds Germany’s first power plant.

1887

The company is renamed Allgemeine Elektricit&auml The United Electrical Company AEG .

1888

AEG produces and sells electricity. In October, the company electrifies and lights up Berlin’s “Unter den Linden” boulevard.

1889

Presentation of the first electrical appliances at the Berlin International Trade Fair.

1907

AEG appoints Peter Behrens, a pioneer in industrial design and branding, as its design consultant.

1910

AEG presents the first electric stove.

1912

First fridge with electricity.

1913

Dandy vacuum cleaner is the first product on the assembly line.

1922

1907 AEG opens a factory in Nuremberg, Germany, which produces stoves and ovens.

1930

AEG begins manufacturing boilers.

1935

First Santo fridge introduced, designed to fit in kitchen furniture.

1950

First washing machine introduced.

1952

The first built-in refrigerator.

1958

Lavamat: first fully automatic washing machine.

1959

The first double refrigerator.

1961

First built-in freezer

1964

The first tumble dryer

1976

The first washing machine with an energy-saving program.

1977

First all-electric stove.

1986

&Ouml The ko Lavamat, the first washing machine to use less detergent and water.

1987

First induction hob.

1993

First-ever ozone-safe refrigerator.

1994

AEG becomes part of the Electrolux Group.

1997

The first dryer with HeatPump technology.

1998

The first washing machine with a water consumption of less than 40 liters per cycle.

2004

The “Die Neue Klasse” range of household appliances is introduced

2006

The first A-class dryer.

2010

Neue Kollektion appliance range introduced.

2011

Neue Kollektion wins 9 iF Design Awards