AEG Appliance Factory (1890)

The Allgemeine Elektricitäts Gesellschaft (AEG), founded by Emil Rathenau, rose to become a world leader in the electrical engineering industry. This history is still reflected in its magnificent factory buildings. Starting in 1890, trend-setting appliances and electrical parts were produced here. The facade along Ackerstraße, designed by Franz Schwechten (Kaiser Wilhelm II’s chief architect), features the floral ornamentation typical of historicist architecture as well as a rising sun, symbolizing the great expectations for electric power. The factory was soon too small to meet the company’s needs. Thus in 1894 AEG bought a portion of the neighboring stockyard. The former AEG appliance factory now houses the Technical University of Berlin’s Institute of Food Technology.