Elektrit

Elektrit
IndustryManufacturing
Founded1925
Defunct1939
HeadquartersWilno, Second Republic of Poland
ProductsRadio receivers
RevenueUS$1 million
Number of employees
1100
Elektrit factory in 1938

Elektrit Radiotechnical Society (Polish: Towarzystwo Radiotechniczne „ELEKTRIT”) was the largest privately owned company in Wilno, Second Republic of Poland (now Vilnius, Lithuania) (1925–39).[1]

With over 1100 workers, the society produced approximately 50 thousand radio receivers annually.[1] A large percentage of the production was exported abroad, mostly to Sweden, Germany, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.[1] The annual turnover exceeded US$1 million.[1] Elektrit proved to be a very successful company and soon became a leading radio manufacturer in Poland.

Following the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939, Wilno was occupied by the Soviet Union and the company was nationalized.[1] In 1940 the factory was hastily dismantled and transported to Minsk, where the "Vyacheslav Molotov" Radio Factory was set up.[1] After the war the plant was renamed Minsk Radio and Television Association "Horizont" (Horizon). It produced "Minsk" radio receivers, being copies of Polish pre-war models but with Soviet tube set.

The former Elektrit buildings in Vilnius were used for the Kailis forced labor camp during the German occupation[2] and by a secret Soviet radio factory of the Ministry of Aviation Industry, known as PO Box 555.[3]

  • Splendid
    Splendid
  • Komandor
    Komandor
  • Presto
    Presto
  • Victoria
    Victoria
  • Allegro
    Allegro
  • Opera
    Opera
  • Czempion-Z
    Czempion-Z
  • Fidelio
    Fidelio

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Roman Stinzing; Eugeniusz Szczygieł; Henryk Berezowski (2000). Złote lata radia w II Rzeczypospolitej (in Polish). Nowy Sącz: V.I.D.I. ISBN 83-909628-6-1.
  2. ^ Guzenberg, Irina (2 July 2008). "Vilniaus geto darbo stovyklos ir 1942 m. gyventojų surašymas" (in Lithuanian). The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  3. ^ Dumalakas, Arūnas (2014-10-05). "Sostinės Naujamiestis – vieta, kurioje sustojo laikas" (in Lithuanian). Lrytas.lt. Archived from the original on 2015-04-17. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
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54°40′38″N 25°16′1″E / 54.67722°N 25.26694°E / 54.67722; 25.26694