Did you know that the Ganz Pörgető was once the heart of innovation? It was a place where Hungarian engineering prowess met the world stage. We are standing before a site that echoes with the ingenuity of a bygone era.
The Ganz Pörgető was part of the Ganz Works. It was founded by Ábrahám Ganz in 1844. Ganz was more than just a factory. It was a crucible of invention.
Imagine the sounds that once filled this space. Hammers rang against metal. The hiss of steam echoed. Minds buzzed with ideas. The Ganz Pörgető contributed significantly to Budapest becoming an industrial powerhouse.
Ábrahám Ganz started his Buda foundry with only seven assistants. He made products for the city. He soon realized that mass production was the key to growth. Ganz developed a method for casting cheap yet sturdy iron railway wheels. This innovation fueled railway development across Central Europe. By 1866, Ganz had sold over 86000 wheels.
After Ganz’s death, colleagues took over. The company became Ganz & Co. under András Mechwart’s leadership. Ganz became one of the most important machine-building companies in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
The Ganz Works pioneered alternating-current power transmissions. In 1878, András Mechwart founded the Department of Electrical Engineering. Károly Zipernowsky headed the department. Miksa Déri and Ottó Bláthy also worked there.
The Ganz Works didn’t just make things. It made history. The company produced equipment for electric lighting. By 1883, they had installed over fifty systems in Austria-Hungary.
Ganz engineers invented the transformer. Zipernowsky, Bláthy, and Déri patented it. Ottó Bláthy named it the transformer. Their invention revolutionized power distribution. They connected supply transformers in parallel to the main line. This became the foundation of modern electrical grids.
In 1886, Ganz designed equipment for the world’s first power station using AC generators. This power station in Rome used a parallel-connected electrical network.
The Ganz Works also built the first mass-produced kilowatt-hour meter. Ottó Bláthy invented it. It was presented at the Frankfurt Fair in 1889. These were the first alternating-current wattmeters. They became known as Bláthy-meters.
Ganz made significant strides in refrigeration too. In 1894, István Röck started manufacturing large industrial ammonia refrigerators powered by Ganz electric compressors.
Ganz also ventured into railway electrification. Kálmán Kandó developed high-voltage three-phase AC motors for electric locomotives. In 1902, the Valtellina Railway in Italy became the first electrified main line in the world. It used a system designed by Kandó and the Ganz Works.
Later, Kandó invented the rotary phase converter. This allowed locomotives to use single-phase AC from national networks.
The Ganz company even merged with the Danubius shipbuilding company. They built ships including dreadnoughts and submarines.
After nationalization in 1947, Ganz continued to innovate. It produced diesel railcars and multiple units. The company merged with MÁVAG in 1959, becoming Ganz-MÁVAG.
Today, various parts of Ganz operate under different companies. The spirit of innovation remains. The Ganz Pörgető stands as a reminder of Hungary’s contribution to engineering. It is a testament to the power of ingenuity.