The Founding History of the Rosenheim Window Industry Congress.
It is one of the largest and most popular industry events in the field of windows and curtain walls, with a history of 50 years: Rosenheim Window Congress! And people who have attended before often attend again. However, few people know how it all started and who should be thanked for hosting the event. It all started with an exciting start and has since gone on to be both significant and successful.
The 1st Rosenheim Window Industry Congress
Looking back at the Rosenheim Window Industry Congress would be incomplete if we did not trace back to the origins of the Window Technology Institute (Institut für Fenstertechnik e.V.). This origin can be traced back to 1960. At that time, several wooden window manufacturers came together to promote industrial window manufacturing and promote standardization and standardization through technical cooperation. At that time, window technology still followed traditional manual craftsmanship and experience, emphasizing the efficiency of large-scale serial production. In this context, a forward-looking idea was conceived: to establish an institution dedicated to laying the technical and scientific foundations for the field of windows and transforming this knowledge into practical applications for practitioners. Therefore, on March 10, 1966, the Wooden Window Manufacturers Association established the Window Technology Research Institute.
Figure 1 The Founding History of the Rosenheim Window Industry Congress 1
The first director of the institute, Oberbaurat, and Professor Erich Seifert, coordinated many opinions with their outstanding talents. Soon the first wooden window manual was published, providing architects, construction companies, and building authorities with practical tools. All this thrust the institute into the limelight.
To showcase the Institute's achievements to its members, Professor Erich Seifert makes full use of the Annual General Meeting, which is seen as an excellent opportunity. For the first time in 1973, after his "Institute Work Report", five members of the Institute gave a speech called "Technical Lecture Event" and gave wonderful sharings on their respective work fields. This moment can be considered the beginning of the Rosenheim Window Congress.
Figure 2 The Founding History of the Rosenheim Window Industry Congress 2
Many of the topics covered are still relevant today. These topics include "Sound Insulation", "Glazing and Sealant Materials", "Latest Test Results of Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Insulating Aluminum Profiles", "Small Pins for Frame Connections in Window Construction", and "Testing of Doors". According to the sign-in list, 73 members had attended the event, held at the Kronbach Park Hotel in Rosenheim.
Extraordinary development history
1974
Just one year later, in addition to technical professional presentations, half-day technical seminars were offered to members. The seminar was held at the then-Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences. For the first time, this seminar invited external experts to serve as speakers together with the staff of the institute to discuss areas such as "window sound insulation", "glass", "surface treatment" and "composite sections of window and curtain wall structures" key issues.
The general meeting and technical speaking engagements will still be held at the Kronbach Park Hotel as in previous years. However, due to limited space, the staff of the institute had to return to the institute after delivering the speech and continue their daily work.
1975
1975 also brought an innovative move. Following the General Meeting, a formal tour of the laboratory was offered for the first time, sparking widespread interest and curiosity. But it wasn't enough: Bad Aibling hosted the first gala dinner in the history of the Rosenheim Window Congress.
1976
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Institute of Window Technology, the organizers sought to bring unique highlights to the participants of the General Assembly. They successfully invited the famous Munich architect Hans-Busso von Busse as a special guest speaker at the celebration and even made some procedural adjustments for this purpose.
The evening event also brought something new: a gala dinner with Bavarian characteristics was held for the first time in the Intal Hall. It is worth mentioning that it includes the wonderful performance of diver Heinz Scholze. He was a two-time German diving champion and was an employee in the lift window inspection department.
1978
The first conference brochure of the Rosenheim Window Congress was originally a brochure called "Windows and Curtain Walls". The Handbook, a quarterly members magazine, features for the first time a selection of professional speakers from the event.
1982
In 1982, the opening of the Rosenheim Town Hall (today’s Ku’Ko, the cultural and congress center) presented an important opportunity for ift due to a sharp increase in the number of participants at the Rosenheim Window Congress. This innovative venue created the conditions for ift to become the first organizer to hold a large-scale conference here. However, it is worth mentioning that during the dinner we were unable to light candles on the table due to fire safety concerns. In the end, only after intense negotiations and accompanied by four firefighters, the guests were able to celebrate this wonderful evening by candlelight.
During the meeting, Mr. Kurt Blaschke, Chairman of the ift Board of Directors, formally bid farewell to Professor Erich Seifert. Professor Erich Seifert resigned as dean at the end of the year and passed on the leadership position to Mr. Josef Schmid.
Figure 3 The Founding History of the Rosenheim Window Industry Congress 3
Out of the start-up period
After reviewing the first 10 years of the Rosenheim Window Industry Congress, Heraklit's insight is once again confirmed: "The only constant is change itself." Every year there are new changes in technical themes, organization, and event processes. This situation continues to this day. With the Rosenheim Window Congress relocating to its present-day cultural and congress center, it has grown and developed into an important meeting place for the window, door, and facade industry.
This international conference now attracts attendees from more than 20 countries and has established a prominent position in the industry. It not only provides a platform for people to communicate with each other and have constructive discussions but also showcases the most important trends in technology, science, regulations, and certification through presentation content, providing innovative inspiration for practical applications. Rosenheim Window Industry Congress will continue to uphold this mission, deliver groundbreaking information and ideas to the market, and lead the future.
Figure 4 The Founding History of the Rosenheim Window Industry Congress 4
Author
Gabriele Tengler
References
[1] 25 Jahre Institut für Fenstertechnik e.V., 1991
[2] Unterlagen aus Privatarchiven sowie aus dem Archiv des
[3] Bauelemente BAU, Oktober 2005
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