Perhaps unseen amid Freiburg’s skyline, a silent sentinel stands. This is Sender Freiburg-Lehen. It is more than just a tower. It’s a piece of broadcasting history.
Sender Freiburg-Lehen is a radio transmission facility. It broadcasts across the region. Owned by SWR, Suedwestrundfunk. The sender plays a crucial role. It ensures reliable radio coverage.
Its story begins long ago. The location started operations on December 20, 1933. This makes it one of Germany’s oldest broadcasting sites. It replaced an earlier facility. The earlier facility was located in the Gewerbeschule in Wiehre. That older one had been Baden’s first radio transmitter in 1926.
The current structure is a 92-meter-high steel lattice mast. This mast started its service in October 1945. It replaced a wooden tower. The German Wehrmacht destroyed the wooden tower in April 1945.
Initially, Sender Freiburg-Lehen transmitted medium wave signals. At times, its transmission power reached 50 kW. In 1976, antennas for FM broadcasting were added. The medium wave transmitter closed on January 8, 2012. It had broadcast SWR cont.ra.
Look closely and you can still see insulators. These insulators supported medium wave broadcasts. Also, notice the small mast structures. These once carried a “reusenleitung”. This special cable delivered transmission energy. It went from the operations building to the mast.
Today, Sender Freiburg-Lehen transmits five FM radio programs. These include DASDING at 91.1 MHz. It also transmits baden.fm at 94.7 MHz. You can listen to SWR2 at 96.0 MHz. The sender also broadcasts SWR3 at 99.2 MHz. Finally, it transmits SWR1 BW at 107.0 MHz.
For a time, the transmitter site supported a regional program. It also hosted a guest worker program.
The technology at Sender Freiburg-Lehen is impressive. The steel lattice mast has a square cross-section. The edges measure 1.2 meters. It weighs 20 tons. FM antennas are at the top of the mast. The mast itself once served as an antenna. It broadcast medium wave signals.
Automatic reserve systems exist for both FM and medium wave. These systems ensure uninterrupted broadcasting. Larger transmission facilities receive control. They use computer-aided remote control systems.
Sender Freiburg-Lehen is a landmark. It connects the region through radio waves. Its history reflects changes in broadcasting technology. It moved from medium wave to FM. It adapted to new programming needs.
The site continues to evolve. It embraces modern broadcasting technology. It ensures high-quality radio transmission for the region. Its location is important to a network. It connects the region and beyond.