Videophones in the Third Reich?

[All-Seeing Eye]

What would you guys say about this?

[Tancred]

I would say that the picture quality would have been extremely poor on analogue lines of the day. You need ISDN lines to have proper videophone exchanges, and as far as I am aware ISDN didn't become available to the public until many years later.

[davethelight]

Is there any chance of somebody translating the poster into English so I can see what it says?

[Oberst Mihael]

This is very interesting!

I tried translating it....the usual stuff. Speak with your partner, costs only 0,50 Reichsmarke, etc (the quality of the picture/scan isn't all too good to make it all out).

[DarExc]

My friend says this is pre-war and is asking his wife if she knew about these or used them as she went to Berlin a few times during that era. Can you tell me what year this was exactly?

[LEVE]

1. Video Phones were first dispalyed at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
2. They did not make entry, in any numbers into homes.
3. Yes, Picture quality was poor.
4. But this was 1936.
5. The Olympics were also broadcasted to TV Receivers located in Kiosks throughout Berlin.

[davethelight]

So the poster was basicly advertising a two way, closed circuit TV, personal communication service? Like video conferencing, incredible.

I wonder who else was attempting to do this kind of thing in those days.

[kelty90]

The first "videophone" was developed By Bell in the USA in 1927...In 1938 the Germans linked Berlin with Nuremberg using phones which produced a 180-line picture.

[Chuck_jm]

Wow, it´s very interesting.

/Chuck

[Oberst Mihael]

I'd love to see the picture quality...

[DarExc]

My friends wife knew of this corner as her aunt lives only a little ways out of the picture. She however never heard of these. Too bad her aunt is dead.

[Christoph Awender]

Very interesting indeed! Never heard of that before.

Translation of the poster text:

"Did you make a video communication. You talk with your partner and see him right in front of you.
Visit the telecommunication office of the Deutsche Reichspost at the Zoo, Hardenbergstrasse corner Kantstrasse.
Between 8-20 hours you can communicate within Berlin to following locations:
Potsdamer Platz, Columbushaus
Haus der Technik, Friedrichsstrasse 110-112
Ausstellungsgelände
A local videophone call costs just 0,50 RM.
You can make an appointment with your partner yourself or you can get him to the videophone by the Reichspost for 40Pf.
Outside BErlin you can call:
Stadt der Reichsparteitage Nürnberg
Stadt der Bewegung München
Messestadt Leipzig
More information at communication-offices, post-stations or information-offices."

[panzertruppe2001]

Pierre Miquel says in his "Second World War" that in Zossen HQ there was TV technologie to be used by the Army