Step into a world of innovation right here in Ganz negyed. This area in Budapest holds the legacy of Hungarian industry. It all began with one man’s vision. That man was Ábrahám Ganz.
In 1844, Ganz founded his company. He started small with just seven assistants. Their foundry produced castings for the city. Ganz’s ambition quickly grew. He bought more land. Soon, he expanded his foundry. His brother Henrik joined as a clerk.
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 tested Ganz. His foundry made cannons for the army. Austria’s Military Court wasn’t pleased. Ganz faced imprisonment. But his Swiss citizenship saved him. He was acquitted.
Ganz knew mass production was key. He saw the need for better railway wheels. European foundries made them from wrought iron. Ganz developed a new method. It was called crust-casting. This made railway wheels cheap and strong. His innovation helped build Central Europe’s railways. By 1866, he had sold over 86000 wheels.
After Ganz’s death, his colleagues took over. The company became Ganz & Co. In 1869, it became a joint-stock company. It was renamed Ganz & Partners Iron Foundry. Under András Mechwart’s direction, Ganz thrived. It became a major industrial force in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
The late 19th century saw Ganz expand. They ventured into alternating-current power transmissions. Engineers like Károly Zipernowsky shaped this era. Miksa Déri and Ottó Bláthy were also key figures.
Ganz revolutionized the milling industry. András Mechwart invented the roller mill in 1874. This boosted Budapest’s milling industry. It became second only to Minneapolis. Hungarian grain exports soared.
In 1878, the company created the Department of Electrical Engineering. Károly Zipernowsky led this department. They produced direct-current machines and arc lamps. By 1883, Ganz had installed over fifty electric lighting systems. These systems used arc lamps and generators.
Ganz also innovated in power generation. Their engineers designed Hungary’s first water turbine in 1866. Mass production of dynamo generators started in 1883. The constant voltage generator was another key invention. This allowed for stable AC power generation.
The ZBD team Zipernovsky, Bláthy, and Déri invented the transformer. Ottó Bláthy named it. Their design was efficient. It used a closed core shunt connection. They also created the modern power distribution system. Instead of series connections, they used parallel ones. Ganz built the first transformers. They used iron plating and laminated cores.
In 1886, Ganz supplied equipment for the world’s first AC power station. This was in Rome. It powered a parallel-connected electrical network. Rome’s electricity came from a hydroelectric plant. This enabled long-distance energy transfer.
Ottó Bláthy invented the kilowatt-hour meter. It was mass-produced by Ganz. It was presented at the Frankfurt Fair in 1889. It became known as the Bláthy-meter.
In 1911, Ganz merged with Danubius. This created Ganz-Danubius. It became involved in shipbuilding. They built battleships and submarines.
After World War II, the Ganz Works were nationalized. In 1959, Ganz merged with MÁVAG. The company was renamed Ganz-MÁVAG. They excelled in manufacturing diesel railcars. They also made tramcars for Budapest.
Since 1989, parts of Ganz have been taken over. Today, the Ganz legacy lives on. Ganz Transformer Motor and Manufacturing Ltd. operates as a tenant. The Ganz brand is back in Hungarian ownership. Ganz negyed stands as a testament to Hungarian ingenuity.