012019

The magazine of EDUARD KRONENBERG GmbHHaan | Germany

PRODUCTMARKETINGLIFESTYLESERVICE & TECHNOLOGYARCHITECTURE

EK Connect Magazine | 3

NEWS IN BRIEF

EK RUNNERS CONNECTION

Successful participation in

the B2Run corporate run in

Düsseldorf, 11.07.2019 ...

EK was there with a team! Run

finished in the Merkur Spiel-

Arena. Personal trainer Till

Hermanns was in charge of

pre-run training.

www.b2run.de -> Düsseldorf

New for you on the

EK sales team:

Michael Kühl and Frank

Zimmermann – both men join

our team as international sales

managers

New for you on the EK sales team: Annika Falk in sales admin-istration and Dominic Vieth for technical sales and project management

CONTENT 1|2019

4-13

14-15

16-17

18-23

24-25

Dear Reader,

With warm summer temperatures outside, the latest EK Con-

nect magazine comes to you with a refreshingly cool mix of

current topics, such as our Lifestyle article Drink of the Year.

Isn‘t that just the kind of motivation you need – to pick up

your favorite cold drink, find a place in the shade and relax

with the interesting articles we have selected for you in this

edition? If you agree, then off we go ...

Enjoy yourself

Your EK team

LIFESTYLEHalf-way through the year is the perfect time to look back at what‘s been happening and to look ahead to this year’s trends.

PRODUCT The insulating glass industry is questioning the efficiency of the desiccant filling process in the manufacture of spacer frames. This is a question we’ve been examining in-house at EK for more than 10 years now.

SERVICE & TECHNOLOGYEK markets high-quality stamped and moulded products. But we also offer much more than that.

ARCHITECTURE “Forever young & contemporary“: 100 years of Bauhaus and shades of Sydney in Düsseldorf.

PEOPLE AT EK ‘Always there when needed‘ — there is no other phrase that better describes the cooperative work ethic of these two EK employees.

EK SPONSORING

The joint project with our neigh-bours in the Technology Park is taking shape – five exercise stations already set up on the adjacent green belt! For all employees and neighbors! Open-ing ceremony and instruction in the use of the outdoor fitness equipment soon.

... www.playfit.de

EK glasstec exhibition stand

EK and Studio Bachmannkern

are delighted to have won a

prize in the “ICONIC AWARDS

2019: Innovative Architecture“

competition

EK Connect Magazine | 54 | www.kronenberg-eduard.de

LIFESTYLE

SAX & DESIGN IN 2019 ?

The German Music Council has voted a magnif-icent golden horn Instrument of the Year 2019: the saxophone. Is this an opportunity perhaps to treat your audience at one of the next corpo-rate events to an emotional solo on this magical instrument?

Lisa Simpson plays the sax, as does Bill Clinton, and throughout

Germany there are around 27,000 enthusiastic music students

currently doing the same. And if the German Music Council has

its way, there will be a lot more people playing saxophone this

year, because, of course, naming the saxophone ‘Instrument of

the Year 2019‘ was also intended to arouse the interest of a wide

audience for the golden horn.

The saxophone is backed by an entire campaign

To this end, the German Music Council, under the patronage of distinguished

saxophonists such as Peter Weniger, Professor and Artistic Director of the

Berlin Jazz Institute Berlin, and Rico Gubler, President of the Lübeck Acad-

emy of Music, is coordinating projects and concerts of instrument makers,

professional musicians and amateurs, in addition to composers and music

students.

The saxophone, incidentally, is a relatively young woodwind instrument developed by the Belgian clarinetist Adolphe Sax, who had his melodious wind instrument patented in 1846 in Paris and gave it its name. From then on, the instrument triumphed all over the world - played by virtuosos such as John Coltrane, Charlie Parker and Coleman Hawkins – fa-mous names that continue to enjoy an international reputation outside the jazz scene.

And why the metal horn finally became known as a woodwind instrument is easily explained – like the clarinet, the saxophone is also played with a reed placed on the mouthpiece and held in place with a ligature and because the reed in most cases is made from cane – and thus from a natural material similar to wood

A legend on the saxophone:Charlie Parker (1920 - 1955)

© Foto: Alenavlad – stock.adobe.com

© Photo: William P. Gottlieb – Wikipedia.org/Charlie Parker

EK Connect Magazin | 5

EK Connect Magazine | 76 | www.kronenberg-eduard.de

DESI

GN UP WITH THE DESIGN ELITE

“Reversed order“: the ‘Bell Table‘ © Photo: Classicon

‘Oda‘ series design lamp by Pulpo© Photo: Pulpo

‘Stellar Grape‘ design lamp by Pulpo© Photo: Pulpo

Sebastian Herkner© Foto: Pulpo

This is already the second award in the design

career of Sebastian Herkner, an astonishing

achievement for someone only 37 years of age –

after receiving the German design award as the

”Best Newcomer in 2011“, being honored by the

Maison & Objet, the prestigious Parisian lifestyle

trade fair, was tantamount to being accepted

into the international design elite. The reason for

awarding this distinction of being the “Designer

of the Year 2019” to the young man from Offen-

bach almost sound like an anthem of awe and

admiration.

The Maison & Objet Paris, one of the leading European interior design trade fairs has named Sebastian Herkner ”De-signer of the Year 2019“. Is this perhaps a sign that, even in business interiors, one should not be tied to the traditional status of established brands?

The speech given in honor of the prize-winner

acknowledged among other things “... his un-

conditional love for traditional craftsmanship,

his flair for colors and his eager-

ness to embrace global develop-

ments and draw on other cultural

ideas, his appetite for traditional

materials and his desire for encompass

sustainability, his keen eye for detail and his

respect for the time it takes to create a really stunning

piece of work ...“

LIFESTYLE

In fact, Sebastian Herkner admits in almost every inter-

view that he admires the craftsmanship to be found in

traditional artisan manufacture such as that practiced

by Moroso, Capellini and Thonet. The authenticity of

the material, haptic quality and above all the social

and cultural sustainability are values for him that are

worth preserving. The product designer, who de-

scribes himself as an author designer, achieved

his breakthrough ten years ago with his ’Bell

Table’, a coffee table, in which the materials

are used in a reversed order – the base is

made of glass, while the top is made of

brass. Both materials at that time were consid-

ered to be completely out.

Herkner loves such contradictions. He knows that

many of his customers from the business field make

their purchases on the basis of status considerations:

uniform furniture and brand names you can’t make a

mistake with. But if you only furnish your offices with

classical pieces, then nothing new is created is what

he believes. Is the designer not aware that his nice

philosophy may one day be threatened perhaps by

his success? Because the ‘Bell Table‘ has now become

a modern classic in its own right and ten years on is

already being produced in the Poschinger glass factory

in Bavaria.

DESIGN

EK Connect Magazine | 98 | www.kronenberg-eduard.de

FOOD

Trend No. 3 — Plant-Based Food

Plants are becoming increasing interesting as basic products

for new kinds of food. Protein-rich ingredients in particular are

enjoying tremendous popularity as a healthy alternative — we

can look forward to trying out the following:

BUSINESS MODELS 2019:HEALTHY. ALCOHOL FREE. COLORFUL.

When we look at the current food trends, there are very few people who know as much as the acclaimed Viennese nutritionist and trend researcher Hanni Rützler. In her Food Report 2019, produced in collab-oration with the Zukunftsinstitut (Future Institute) based in Frankfurt and the Lebensmittel Zeitung (trade and business newspaper for the consumer goods sector in Germany), among other things she describes such trends for a healthy diet – and for all-out indulgence.

Trend No. 1 — Nouvelle Cantine

Increasing numbers of company canteens pro-

vide an impressive selection of modern meals.

The ‘old‘ canteen has developed into an emo-

tional shop window of a new corporate culture

— as an expression of a changing world of work.

Trend No. 2 — Healthy Hedonism

‘Healthy hedonism‘ signals the departure from

a purely functional understanding of health,

because good food can be both healthy and

pleasurable.

Healthy food from India‘s super tree — moringa

The new superfood moringa contains vitamin A, vitamin C,

vitamin E, B-vitamins, calcium, magnesium, iron, essential

amino acids and chlorophyll, which is highly alkaline and

counteracts hyperacidity of the body. In addition, the

active substance zeatin is said to promote skin generation

and slow down the ageing process.

New wave of healthy food — ocean vegetables

Noodles made from kelp, seaweed chips or water lily

seeds: vegetables from the ocean, in addition to minerals,

such as calcium, iron and phosphorus, contain very high

levels of Omega 3 fatty acids. Add to that algae oils, which

give vegan meals a maritime flair.

Chocolate pudding from the skin — black sapote

This Central American fruit tastes like chocolate pudding,

but is healthy! A black sapote contains four times as much

vitamin C as an orange and is rich in potassium, magne-

sium, phosphorus and B vitamins. The dark brown creamy

flesh is scooped out of the skin with a spoon and eaten

raw or spread onto a slice of bread.FOOD

Healthy green food from the sea© Photo: fudio – stock.adobe.com

Only black inside: the black sapote© Photo: sewcream – stock.adobe.com

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LIFESTYLE

EK Connect Magazin | 9

EK Connect Magazine | 1110 | www.kronenberg-eduard.de COLO

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Pan16-

tone1546 DRINK OF THE YEAR 2019

COLOR OF THE YEAR 2019 IS NO. 16-1546 In the opinion of the experts employed by the Mixology trade mag-

azine, this year‘s trend is the drink without the booze, in other words

a soft drink with a bitter taste and preferably low in sugar. This means

that anyone ordering a non-alcoholic gin tonic following a business

lunch is absolutely in line with the current drink trend.

This is something that is welcomed primarily by the under 35-year-

olds. According to a study carried out by a British drinks accelerator,

46% of this group these days prefer a so-called mock-tail, a portman-

teau word from “cocktail“ and the term “mock“ that is used to de-

scribe the mixed drink concept consciously designed to copy cocktail

classics, but without the alcohol.

Those wishing to update their offices should

take a look at the colors recommended each

year by the Pantone Color Institute™. The US

New Jersey-based company each year selects a

color shade that is based, among other things,

on socio-economic conditions and trends in the

fields of fashion, beauty, industrial design and

home furnishings.

The color chosen for this year is Pantone

Living Coral with the color code 16-1546: “An

animating, life-affirming orange with golden

undertones.“ At the presentation of the spring

collections of the major French and Italian

fashion houses, it was already possible to admire

the warm coral pink – at Hermès and at Brandon

Maxwell, Prada and Giambatista Valli.

DRINKIced tea with roses© Photo: Food Photographer – Jennifer Pallian on Unsplash

LIFESTYLE

www.apple.com

www.kitchenaid.com

Time for the “color trend“

www.aignermunich.com

EK Connect Magazine | 1312 | www.kronenberg-eduard.de

FASHION TRENDS 2019

Tie-dye, formerly known as ‘batik‘: ladies in summer

simply slip on one of the new tie-dye shirts from Prada,

Proenza Schouler and Stella McCartney to give them a

business look and are immediately significantly more

relaxed about one or the other deadline they have to

meet.

The second mega-trend of the year can also be ad-

opted immediately — at the latest, however, when the

next cold winter comes. With all the black jackets and

grey cashmere pullovers around, loud colors are the

thing: as of now, signal red, toxic green, Barbie pink and

bright orange can be combined at will.

LIFESTYLE

As far as the male of the species is concerned, the suit

remains the key piece of the business uniform. Whether

single or double-breasted is a matter of personal taste.

Below you will find – in the opinion of the relevant

gentleman‘s fashion magazines – the five most import-

ant men’s suit trends in 2019:

� The cut of the upper body is wider,

with trousers worn narrower again.

� For those wishing to wear wider trouser bottoms,

a model with a waistband and turn-ups is what

to go for.

� Black is always a good choice. Supplemented with

grey, dark blue and pinstripes of any kind.

� A shirt or thin roll neck pullover remain en vogue,

supplemented with a thick knitted sweater as an

excellent alternative.

� Sneakers stay out of sight this year, gentlemen are

now wearing derbies, Chelsea boots and monk

strap shoes.

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EK Connect Magazine | 1514 | www.kronenberg-eduard.de

PRODUCT

EK CONNECTORS GUARANTEE OPTIMUM DESICCANT FLOW

The subject of desiccant flow in the space bar is also

under examination at EK — and has been so contin-

ually for over 10 years! This because EK connectors,

on the one hand, guarantee a permanent and secure

profile connection, while connecting elements, on the

other hand, could disrupt the unhindered flow of des-

iccant. For this reason, our experts in EK’s application

technology department do everything they can to op-

timise the EK connectors in such a way that they always

ensure an efficient flow of desiccant. The fundamental

importance of the desiccant for a permanent, crystal

clear view and why a frictionless flow is essential when

filling the frame is explained by Mr. Remigiusz Zamaro,

the contact person in EK’s application technology

department for the glass business area: ”Insulated glass

panes require a desiccant in the hollow spacer bar

profile, because this is the only way most of the resid-

ual moisture present can be removed from the space

between the panes. It eliminates impaired visibility and

corrosion of the thermally effective glass coatings.“

Under examination - desiccant flow

As a man with considerable experience and expertise,

Mr. Zamaro has been responsible for application tech-

nology and tests on the EK Connect connector series

EK STEEL and POLO Connect for quite some time now.

He is also responsible for performing the desiccant flow

tests in the spacer bar — coming up with the answers

to the important question as to whether the connector

provides a smooth and rapid desiccant flow to ensure

the efficient filling of the frame. To explain what he

does, Mr. Zamaro describes a typical test procedure

currently being carried out on EK‘s own in-house test

facility. ”It is important to understand that, in the tests

we carry out here, we do not test how long it takes to

fill a complete frame. What we actually measure is the

time required for 50 grams of desiccant to flow through

two spacer bars with a connector inserted as a possible

disrupting factor. And we do this over a length of 150

millimetres in each case, in other words 300 millimetres

in all. In this way we get precise answers to the ques-

tion as to how the connector influences the efficiency

of the desiccant filling process.“

It was one of the topics discussed at glasstec 2018, at Bau 2019 and at this year‘s Tech-nology Days organised by a well-known equipment manufacturer. Glass trade magazines publish reports on it and it is also discussed by other equipment manufacturers from the insulating glass industry. The question everyone is asking is “how efficient is the desiccant filling process used in the manufacture of space frames for insulating glass panes?”

The automatic measuring procedure used for the

current test, incidentally, showed that the filling of

the spacer bar with an EK steel connector was almost

twice as fast as with a competitor’s nylon connector.

A fact that EK‘s Managing Director Ralf M. Kronenberg

explains as follows: “The connector‘s large U-shape, due

to its optimum fit in the profile chamber, guarantees

an efficient and reliable desiccant filling process: for

this reason, our EK connecting elements stand for short

filling times and thus for a high level of efficiency in

the manufacturing process of the frame. And with an

excellent connection quality every time of course.“

Graphical representation of the flow meter developed in-house by EK .

EK STEEL Connect connecting elements stand for short filling times and thus efficient frame manufacture.

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EK – the only manufacturer of connectors made of steel AND nylon

With its product series EJ STEEL and POLO Connect, EK

is the only manufacturer offering connectors made of

steel and nylon that match all widths and types, and for

both standard and warm edge profiles — and much

more than that of course... And while we’re talking

about ‚excellent connection quality‘: this is guaranteed

by EK’s comprehensive quality management system

that is certified in accordance with IATF 16949 and a

close system partnership and inspection by all well-

known profile manufacturers.

� www.ek-connect.com

Measuring unit

Profile sections joi-ned by a connector

Light barrier

Funnel for desiccant (with trap door)

XX. XXXX

Desiccant

EK Connect Magazine | 1716 | www.kronenberg-eduard.de

SERVICE & TECHNOLOGY – THE EK RANGE OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES EK

WE PRODUCE SOLUTIONS

All over the world, well-known companies that operate

in all kinds of different industries, such as the insulating

glass, automotive, electrical engineering, solar power or

fastener industry, put their trust in the unique solutions

‘made by EK‘. Our portfolio covers the field of stamping

and injection moulding technology from new product

development to quality-tested, large-volume series

production and from intelligent system solutions to

tailor-made products to meet our customers’ require-

ments. We are well positioned to meet these innovative

challenges at our state-of-the-art location in the Tech-

nology Park Haan with around 90 excellently qualified

employees.

When requested by the customer, EK’s team of experi-

enced designer engineers and manufacturing experts

is quite capable of providing excellent solutions start-

ing from an initial idea: qualified specialists who have

the expertise to understand every aspect of the task

presented to them in the field of stamping and injec-

tion moulding technology to deliver a solution that

meets the customers’ needs precisely — from the initial

conceptual proposals to the optimum implementation

for large-volume series production.

Examples - EK as a solutions provider

We lead the global market as a provider of connecting elements

to the insulating glass industry — with products we develop,

manufacture and market ourselves. In addition to that, we work

on a partnership basis with virtually every profile manufacturing

company that uses and markets EK connectors as components in

its own product systems. It goes without saying that by operating

independently of the manufacturers, we provide systems that

meet individual customer requirements precisely.

For the electrical engineering industry, for example, we produce

flat and contact connectors, contact bridges and relay parts

– including whatever subsequent heat or surface treatment is

required. And because EK meets the highest quality and environ-

mental standards at all times and has built up a reputation as a

reliable solutions provider, it has become the preferred partner of

long-standing for the fastener, cutlery and machine tools indus-

tries.

Were you with aware that our extensive range of products and services includes much more than just the manufacture of high quality stamped and moulded parts? Because wherever these quality products are used, EDUARD KRONENBERG GmbH also supports its customers as an effec-tive development partner and solutions provider.

As a result of continuous modernisation and expansion of our machine park, we will be able to extend our range of products and services.

High performance: EK stamping technology

0.03 mm to 6.00 mm

Thicknesses of steel strip and non-ferrous metals

Pressing force

kN250 3.000

EK Connect Magazine | 1918 | www.kronenberg-eduard.de

EK also provides complete assemblies

Wherever complete assemblies of high quality stamped

and moulded parts are needed, the EDUARD KRONENBERG

can be counted on being there with a sense of commit-

ment, offering expertise, experience, reliability and excel-

lent solutions. At the same time, we are well aware that in

the manufacture of pre-assembled units consisting of sev-

eral stamped and bent parts, in addition to moulded parts

and possibly other components as well, the highest level

of precision and impeccable product quality are a must.

For this reason, this is also an area in which EK employs a

process-based quality management system in accordance

with IATF 16949 — our basis for maximum product quality,

the best possible customer service, in addition to maxi-

mum and sustainable customer satisfaction. To achieve

this requires the use of state-of-the-art, contactless

measuring technology, for example, to eliminate human

error, a fully automatic system to provide ‘100% inspection’,

CAQ clients for initial sample test reports and a proven

complaint management system. And of course we also

keep our eyes on the quality of our suppliers, which we

consistently optimize by carrying out ’second party audits‘.

Examples – EK as an assembly provider

The two examples that follow illustrate how we at EK

successfully deal with the challenges we face as a

provider of assemblies. Firstly, the Renusol RS1 universal

clamp for mounting solar panels, a project in which

we had a major involvement during the development

stage in terms of the stamping and metal forming

processes. The universal module clamp eliminates

administrative effort and all pre-assembly work and

also simplifies the installation and handling on site.

As regards the load-bearing capacity, safety, longevity

and efficient handling, this product meets the highest

standards.

Secondly, the manufacture of the world‘s first adjustable clamp for glass balustrades. As a result of the new

manufacturing process developed by EK, As a result of the new manufacturing process developed by EK,

not only is the superb quality of the Kronos clamp guaranteed, but also its complete absence of corrosion.

The clamp is made at EK from a single piece of high-grade stainless steel with utmost care taken throughout

the entire manufacturing process to ensure that the most precise accuracy of fit is achieved, in order to

eliminate right from the start the possibility of stress cracking occurring in the glass at a later date. The Kro-

nos clamps are then pre-assembled at EK, to ensure that no loose parts have to be searched for and screwed

together later.

At EK, inventive spirit and modern techni-

cal expertise go hand-in-hand. Please send

any enquiries or requests for more infor-

mation to the following address – our sales

team would be delighted to hear from you:

� sales@kronenberg-eduard.de

EK Connect Magazine | 2120 | www.kronenberg-eduard.de

ARCHITECTURE

OPERA HOUSE VISIONS IN DÜSSELDORF

The Opera House in Düsseldorf is in a poor state of affairs. Build-ing services, water pipes and stage equipment all need to be urgently renewed. Because a complete renovation of the build-ing in the Düsseldorf city center, according to an initial estimate, would cost at least 100 million euros, the first design offices are instead proposing the construction of a new building in some-thing of an unofficial architectural competition — including a proposal located in the harbor area named ”Little Sydney“

Several design proposals have been submitted from

well-known architectural offices. All proposals received,

by the way, were unsolicited. Jan Hinnerk Meyer and

Hagen Lippe-Weißenfeld (Projektschmiede) have sub-

mitted plans for a new building at the former location

on the Heinrich-Heine-Allee, while the architect Joa-

chim Faust (HPP) surprised everyone with a 140-metre

high tower at the Hofgarten, also at the former opera

house location..

Famous inspirations - from Sydney to Hamburg

A third proposal has now appeared, this time from

RKW. The design proposes the construction of a new

building, but also at a new location – in the Media

Harbor, right next to the Landtag am Rhein, the state

parliament, on a promontory that until now has

received little attention. “This would do justice to the

opera’s name: Deutsche Oper am Rhein (German Opera

on the Rhine),“ Dieter Schmoll, managing partner at

the internationally renowned Düsseldorf-based archi-

tecture firm, has been quoted as saying, adding that

they were following the people to the water, as Sydney,

Hamburg, Copenhagen, Reykjavik and Oslo had already

done when building their new opera houses.

Mayor Geissel takes a clear stand

The Mayor of Düsseldorf, Thomas Geissel, considers the

construction of a new building in principle as definitely

being an alternative that makes sense. Perhaps it was

time for a major leap forward, particularly as good

money had been wasted over a period of many years in

restoration work.

The mayor, however, made a crystal clear statement

against constructing a new opera house in the Media

Harbor. The previous location of the opera at the Hof-

garten was not available. Thomas Geissel dismissed the

proposed design, which was being spoken about in

the city as “Little Sydney“, with the following comment:

”That would be nothing less than the behavior of an

upstart.“ The only that appears to be clear in the mean-

time (as of the end of June 2019) is that not until the

discussions in the parliamentary fractions in autumn

will a decision be taken as to whether or not the opera

house is to be renovated, and extended, or whether it

is to be replaced by a completely new building.

© Photos: PorjektSchmiede

© Photos: Entwürfe: RKW Architektur + | Visualization Formtool, Anton Kolev

EK Connect Magazine | 2322 | www.kronenberg-eduard.de

The Bauhaus is regarded today as one is the most influential schools for art, architecture and design of the 20th century, although it only existed from 1919 to 1933. Following its foundation in Weimar under its first director Walter Gropius, subjected to political pressure, the Bauhaus moved first of all to Dessau in 1925 and then finally in 1932 to Berlin. Inspired by the ideals of the mediaeval masons‘ lodge, in which the master masons, craftsmen and artists worked together on the construction of a building, the intention in this case is was to bring together the various trades and skills in order to create a new design.

� www.bauhaus.de

In 1919, Walter Gropius founded the most modern and most controversial art school of the 1920s: the „State Bauhaus in Wei-mar“. The name itself indicates that it was modeled on the me-diaeval masons’ lodge, where artistic skills and craftsmanship joined forces to make possible the building of huge cathedrals. That is the ideal of Bauhaus philosophy: to return the architects, sculptors and painters to the crafts.

In his founding Bauhaus manifesto, Walter Gro-

pius outlined visions that even today have rev-

olutionary potential. For example, that instead

of academic teaching, a pluralistic educational

concept would be established in which every

talented young person would be able to study

— regardless of educational background, sex or

nationality. That art would again serve the needs

of society. And that the divisions between the

individual craft disciplines would be eliminated.

In so doing, he rejected any essential difference

between arts and crafts.

Bauhaus –consistency in theory and practice

These visions were systematically implemented

in a practical way initially in Weimar. The Bau-

haus students were required to familiarize them-

selves with the properties of materials and the

characteristics of colors and shapes in so-called

preliminary courses. Famous avant-garde artists

of the time, such as Wassily Kandinsky and Paul

Klee, supervised the students as ‚masters‘. On

completion of the preliminary course, the stu-

dents could then choose a field such as metal,

weaving, ceramics, furniture, typography or mu-

ARCHITECTURE

ral painting in the Bauhaus workshops equipped

for the purpose. These were headed by an artist

and a master craftsman to demonstrate the

unity of art and craftsmanship in practice.

Design — „Form follows function“

This maxim that has been famous since the

19th century is also stressed by the Bauhaus.

New kinds of materials and technologies are

used in the Bauhaus workshops. Prototypes of

numerous pieces of furniture and household

appliances are created that also find their way

into industrial mass production. Many of them

are still used today in style-conscious house-

holds in both their original form and as further

developments, such as the cantilever chair, the

Wagenfeld lamp or Bauhaus wallpaper.

Bauhaus, 100 years on REVOLUTION IN TEACHING METHOD

Architecture – building for the future

Students are involved in construction projects from

the very beginning, because the whole point of the

exercise is to bring together all the skills required

to construct a building of the future. The Bauhaus

school building and the masters‘ houses in Dessau are

brilliant examples of this collaboration. In addition, the

Bauhaus further strengthens its position with the con-

struction of housing estates for its subsidized housing

concept.

This is what the Bauhaus version of the “EK CONNECT“ logo might look like.

© Foto: Stockfotos-MG – stock.adobe.com

EK Connect Magazine | 2524 | www.kronenberg-eduard.de

„Rethinking the world“

With this motto, there are numerous events celebrat-

ing the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus. We have

included below a selection of the events being held

throughout Germany.

Berlin

In the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (House of the World’s

Cultures), an exhibition showing the global influence of

the Bauhaus entitled „bauhaus imaginista“ can be seen

(since 15 March). The Centenary Exhibition organized

by Berlin‘s Bauhaus Archiv can be seen in the Berlin-

ischen Galerie (as of 6 September 2019).

Weimar

“The Bauhaus comes from Weimar“ is the title given by

a confident Klassik Stiftung Weimar (Weimar Classical

Foundation) to its centenary exhibition, with which it

opens its new Bauhaus Museum. In addition to design

icons, contemporary documents will also be on display.

ARCHITECTURE

Dessau

“Versuchsstätte Bauhaus“ (Bauhaus Laboratory. The

Collection): as of 8 September 2019, Stiftung Bauhaus

Dessau (Bauhaus Dessau Foundation) will be present-

ing a new Bauhaus Museum, the extensive collection of

which points out very clearly to what extent Bauhaus

objects are part of day-to-day living — from typefaces

to furniture, textiles and wallpapers, to architecture.

Triennale der of Modernism

Three architectural weekends in Weimar (26 to 29

September 2019), Dessau (4 to 6 October 2019) and

Berlin (11 to 13 October 2019) will focus on Bauhaus

architecture, starting with the UNESCO World Heritage

Sites of modernism in the three cities.

Kassel

The „Bauhaus/documenta. Vision and Brand“ exhibition

in the Neue Galerie (from 24 May to 8 September 2019)

is presented as a joint project by documenta archiv,

the University of Kassel and the Museumslandschaft

Hessen Kassel.

Halle an der Saale

From 23 June to 25 August 2019 the Moritzburg Art

Museum presented a film installation about the Bau-

haus master and designer Läszlö Moholy-Nagy and

his partners Lucia and Sibyl between 1929 and 1935

entitled THINGS TO COME.

Frankfurt

Frankfurt‘s pioneering role in modern urban planning

in the 1920s is associated primarily with the city‘s plan-

ning commissioner Ernst May, who the German Archi-

tectural Museum paid tribute to from 23 March to 18

August 2019 with an exhibition entitled „New human,

new housing“.

Bauhaus Grand Tour

100 destinations right across Germany — from the

Weissenhof Estate to Siemensstadt in Berlin, from

Kaufhaus (Schocken Department Store) in Chemnitz to

the „Teepott“ (Tea Pavilion) in Warnemünde, from the

Zollverein Coal Mine in Essen to the Einstein Tower in

Potsdam.

� www.bauhaus100.de

UNESCO World Cultural Heritage: The Fagus factory in Alfeld by Bauhaus architect and founder Walter Gropius.© Photo: pure-life-pictures – stock.adobe.com

The Model B3 — better known as the „Wassily Chair“ by Marcel Breuer from 1925/1926, with Bauhaus lamp around 1920© Photo: goldpix – stock.adobe.com © Photo: 3dmitruk – stock.adobe.com

„The White City of Tel Aviv“ is the largest collection of Bauhaus buildings in the world.© Photo: Per – stock.adobe.com

EK Connect Magazine | 2726 | www.kronenberg-eduard.de

Two people who know exactly what goes on at EK. One of them celebrated her 30th anniver-sary in our company, while the other in January celebrated over 20 years at EK. Both of them are more than good in their jobs, extremely well liked as members of the EK team and otherwise know what life’s all about. A portrait of two employees everyone likes to deal with.

Michaela Asbeck is the sample expert at EK and is the

first person people speak to in glass logistics, because,

in addition to her actual job, which is packing and

dispatching over 200 million connectors a year, she not

only knows instinctively where every individual carton

that contains the required connecting elements is

located, but she also knows which sample connector is

still up-to-date or is now obsolete as a result of due to

the company’s continuous innovative drive.

This kind of knowledge is something that has been

acquired over a period of many years, but it didn’t

look like that at all when Michaela Asbeck first joined

EK. She had genuinely thought about throwing in the

towel after the first four weeks: hired for the sorting de-

partment, she was supposed to check small stamped

washers for rust.

IN FOCUS: MICHAELA ASBECK ... ... AND

DIRK KLESPER

PEOPLE AT EK

Not a job for someone like Michaela, who, as she her-

self admits, „needs action“! Max and Hans Kronenberg,

however, had some understanding for her situation

and placed Michaela in what was at that time still a

new and „cute little“ logistics department with respon-

sibilities relating to the relatively new business area of

connecting elements.

After just a short time, this decision proved to be just

what the doctor ordered. Or as we say today, 30 years

later a win-win situation. Michaela Asbeck is now the

main contact person in the glass division — she is the

focal point – she agrees delivery dates with sales, coor-

dinates outgoing goods, collects all the data and enters

it into the system, unloads pallets and then gets them

ready for shipping to our (major) customers and pre-

pares sample collections for customers and trade fairs.

And the genuine all-rounder, she takes care to ensure

that everything runs smoothly.

When from time to time she thinks about herself for a

change, she dreams of going on a cruise to enjoy the

pristine beauty of the Scandinavian fjords. And of a nice

Labrador or German Shepherd — but that’s something

she’ll look into when she retires. Before that, there are a

few thousand shipping cartons to deal with ...

No stress on the road with ’Klespi‘ in the driving seat

While normal office workers are generally only in-

terested in traffic news twice a day, and then only

half-heartedly, checking the traffic forecasts 5 minutes

after every half an hour is compulsory listening every

day for Dirk Klesper. As a the professional truck driver

for EK, he’s on the road to our customers every day with

his Mercedes Atego. Behind the wheel, Klesper in most

cases is as cool as a cucumber. “Of course the traffic can

certainly be very stressful some days. But to counter

that there‘s traffic information on the radio of course.

My motto – only the early bird catches the worm!“

Dirk Klesper hasn’t had an accident in over 20 years

(well done, our respects!) driving for EK. He well

remembers the time he was interviewed by all the Kro-

nenbergs — not only had he to answer questions from

the senior bosses Hans and Max Kronenberg, but also

from Frank and Ralf M. Kronenberg, who were getting

ready to take over as successors. Also because he, as a

driver, is also the face EK shows to the outside world —

in particular for suppliers and partners. Since that time

he has been delivering goods to local customers, takes

stamped parts for further processing to the hardening

shop or for electroplating and parts for final assembly.

Most of these journeys are short distance, but even so

he travels 100 kilometers every day.

What ‘Klespi‘, as his mates at EK call him, likes most of all

about his job is that he is something of his own boss. It

means that these always in a good mood and the work

is never too much for him. He can organize his journeys

as he sees best and even plan the routes himself: ”I

start at the point furthest away from the company and

work around in a circle from customer to customer.“

Incidentally, he also likes to spend his leisure time as a

lonesome rider — he then swaps the seat in his truck

for the saddle of his mountain bike and goes off on 25-

km bike tours along the Wupper and the Rhine through

the Bergisch region. But what the family man Dirk really

likes most of all is to spend lots of time on the sunny

beaches of Zeeland — with his wife, his three children

and his grandson Louis, who is just a few weeks old.

012019

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