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"Wavescan" is a weekly program for long distance radio hobbyists produced by Dr. Adrian M. Peterson, Coordinator of International Relations for Adventist World Radio. AWR carries the program over many of its stations (including shortwave). Adrian Peterson is a highly regarded DXer and radio historian, and often includes features on radio history in his program. We are reproducing those features below, with Dr. Peterson's permission and assistance.
Wavescan N643, June 20, 2021
The German Shortwave Service at Koenigswusterhausen - 3
On two recent occasions here in Wavescan, we have presented the story of two of the major transmitter buildings (Senderhaus Nr. 1 & Senderhaus Nr. 2) that were in use in the now historic radio station at Koenigswusterhausen near Berlin in Germany. In our program today, we tell the story of Senderhaus Nr. 3, and its usage over the past almost one hundred years.
Such was the increasing need for radio transmitters in Germany in the extended aftermath of World War I that a third transmitter building was constructed at Koenigswusterhausen in 1924. The specific location of this new transmitter building, Senderhaus Nr. 3, on Radio Mountain was identified as Part B. Three Morse Code transmitters were installed in Senderhaus Nr. 3, together with several new antenna systems nearby, and this new radio equipment was in use for commercial and news communications.
Back in those days, the design and appearance of German radio transmitters was very different when compared to the American and British transmitters. Many of the German transmitter controls and their associated meters were installed on a sloping bevel panel at a lower level, not on the main outer cabinet panels at eye level as in the American transmitter housing.
Many of the radio receivers made in Europe during the period between the wars, indeed up into the 1970s, showed the names of various radio broadcasting stations on the glass dial plate according to the transmitted wavelength. As a well-known and powerful longwave radio broadcasting station, the name Koenigswusterhausen was often printed on the glass dial plate of German made radio receivers, so that listeners could turn the dial pointer to the desired position and thus tune in to the programming from that station.
Now with three transmitter buildings and the associated multitude of antenna systems, that was enough radio equipment at one location; there was no additional space at Radio Mountain for further expansion. Koenigswusterhausen was filled up, and if any additional installation was needed, then a new location would be sought.
Towards the end of the European War in the middle of last century, as Russian troops approached Berlin, they were ordered to capture the twin Koengswusterhausen and Zeesen radio stations undamaged. The final broadcasts from Koenigswusterhausen under the World War II German administration occurred towards the end of April 1945. On April 25, the few remaining radio personnel at Koenigswusterhausen-Zeesen closed the stations down and fled.
At the end of that same year (1945), the Russians installed a 10 kW longwave transmitter into Senderhaus Nr. 3 and this carried the main program stream from East Berlin. In August next year (1946), a 100 kW longwave transmitter was installed, and this carried the Deutschlandsender program, also from East Berlin. This unit was on the air for more than 30 years until it was closed in 1997, though it still remains in place.
In 1952, the fourth floor of an old furniture factory building at 50 Nalepastrasse, in Oberscheineweide, suburban East Berlin, was redesigned for use as the head office and studios for an extensive network of longwave, mediumwave, FM and shortwave radio stations throughout East Germany. The East Berlin studio complex was in use until 1991, one year after German reunification. Their shortwave stations were located at Koenigswusterhausen, Zeesen, Leipzig, and Nauen.
In 1964, a locally-assembled 70 kW longwave transmitter was installed, and this unit remained in service for nearly 30 years until it was closed down in 1992. This silent transmitter also remains in location.
Due to economic and environmental problems, the entire station at Koenigswusterhausen was closed in 1997 and all transmitter buildings, including Senderhaus Nr. 3, remained partly empty. However, these days the entire complex is an important and very interesting radio museum that illustrates the century old history of radio broadcasting in Germany.
Next time, the story of the historic shortwave station that was located at nearby Zeesen.