Alfred Kärcher Plaque

Alfred Kärcher. A name synonymous with cleaning innovation. But here, at the Alfred Kärcher Plaque in Stuttgart, we delve into the man behind the brand. Born in Cannstatt, Stuttgart, in 1901, Alfred Kärcher wasn’t initially focused on cleaning. He studied mechanical and electrical engineering at the Technical University of Stuttgart. He joined his father’s business, where he designed and sold large-scale kitchen, laundry, and water extraction systems. His inventive mind led him to create immersion heaters and crucible furnaces for industrial use. His biggest early success? An interior heating system for salt bath furnaces. He sold 1,200 units, primarily to the aviation industry, until 1945. In 1934, Lufthansa commissioned him to build a device for preheating engines. This spurred him to found the Alfred Kärcher company in 1935. He developed the MOWÄB A hot air blower, followed by the improved MOWÄB B in 1936. The Reichsluftfahrtministerium ordered 120 units. Kärcher then focused solely on this device, selling his patents for salt bath furnace heating. He used the proceeds to buy a factory in Winnenden, relocating there in 1939 with 120 employees. World War II shifted production to armaments. After the war, Kärcher’s company, now with 40 employees, produced much-needed stoves and handcarts. Later, they produced heated concrete formwork and fresh air heaters for the construction industry. The Alfred Kärcher Plaque commemorates this innovator’s legacy. In 1950, he revolutionized cleaning with the first European hot water high-pressure cleaner, the KW 350. He adapted the principle from American devices he repaired for the Allied occupation forces. He married Irene Herzog in 1949, and they had a son and a daughter. Alfred Kärcher’s innovative spirit lives on. His company continues to lead the cleaning industry, a testament to the ingenuity celebrated here at the Alfred Kärcher Plaque in Stuttgart.