A few years ago I visited the old IBM facility in Sindelfingen where they had built a very nice museum (since moved to the research facility at Böblingen, where it is far less accessible). I was treated to a presentation about the role of German companies, in particular DEHOMAG, in the foundation of what would become IBM.  By their account, the technological contributions of DEHOMAG were significant - they stopped just short of claiming that IBM was originally more a German company than an American one.  

Richard, I will be presenting at the Vintage Computer Festival - Berlin this weekend.  If you happen to be in attendance it would be a pleasure to make your acquaintance.  Regards -- Ian King 

On Thu, Oct 5, 2017 at 12:43 AM, Richard Vahrenkamp <vahrenkamp2@gmx.de> wrote:

Dear all,

60 years ago the German sociologist Theo Pirker made the assertion that machinization of information leads to rapid expansion of information volume and to broadening the stream of information. I used this approach in my paper on punch card technology in Germany in the recent issue of the German journal Technikgeschichte. I showed how the introduction of punched cards induced the first information explosion in history. Further I raised some doubts on the current view that the industry in the United States were leading in the application of punched cards based control systems. I showed that in Germany the industry reached the same level of punched cards based control systems as in the United States. On your demand I can provide an English translation of my paper as a working paper 1/2017.

 

With kind regards

Richard Vahrenkamp

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Prof. Dr. Richard Vahrenkamp
Logistik Consulting Berlin
Phone 0177- 628 3325
E-Mail: Vahrenkamp2016@gmx.de
Web: www.vahrenkamp.org
Trendelenburgstr. 16
14057 Berlin

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--
Ian S. King, MSIS, MSCS, Ph.D. Candidate
The Information School
Dissertation: "Why the Conversation Mattered: Constructing a Sociotechnical Narrative Through a Design Lens

Principal Investigator, "Reflections on Early Computing and Social Change", UW IRB #42619


University of Washington

There is an old Vulcan saying: "Only Nixon could go to China."