History
Around the turn of the 20th century a classical problem of high-seas navigation was reliable course-keeping, especially near the poles. Since the magnetic compass does not work properly near a pole, the young Dr. Hermann Anschütz-Kaempfe was obsessed with finding a suitable course-keeping instrument and concentrated on locating the geographical north direction with the help of a gyro. In 1904 he invented the world's first gyro compass which could be used on board a ship. This was the starting point for a history full of maritime innovations and - for the history of Raytheon Anschütz.
1898 First Polar expedition by Dr. Hermann Anschütz
Idea: to find a new travel route to USA via the North Pole with a submarine
1904 Invention and patenting of the first gyro compass “GYROSCOPE”
1905 Founding of ANSCHÜTZ & CO in Kiel
1907 The world's first gyro compass in operation
1912 The first three gyro compass on board a ship
1920 World's first autopilot for ships (“Iron Helmsman”)
1925 Start of production of the two-gyrosphere compass (developed with help of Max Schuler, Prof. Albert Einstein)
1930 Dr. Anschütz-Kaempfe transfers his majority shares to Carl Zeiss
1945 Destruction and dismantling of the factory during World War II
1952 Reconstruction of the Anschütz factory in Kiel-Wik
1952 Further development of the gyro compass and beginning of production for commercial shipping around 90 employees
1956 Development of an autopilot which controls the ship's heading on an electro-mechanical basis
1964 Development of a horizon gyro system; about 400 employees
1969 Development of a gyro compass with scaleddown gyrosphere
1969 Development of the first electrical autopilot
1974 Development of the first computersupported course and track controller
1976 Incorporation of the sister company Zeiss Ikon AG, Kiel with there cinemascope product program into Anschütz & Co. GmbH
The company employs about 1,300 people in Kiel
1980 Development of a heading reference, 3-axial stabilized platform for technical research and naval applications
1982 Development of an "adaptive autopilot"
1985 Development of microprocessor-controlled navigation and steering control systems
1988 Development of a navigation and information display for the "modern bridge"
1991 Introduction of a product line for sophisticated seagoing yachts
1991 Development of navigation and planning system
1995 Raytheon Company, USA, acquires the nautical and cinema product line of Anschütz & Co. GmbH
New company name: Raytheon Anschütz GmbH
1995 Introduction of the modular bridge design IBS
1996 Introduction of the Electronic Sea Chart
1996 Raytheon Anschütz acquires Standard Radio, Sweden
1998 Introduction of the new Pathfinder/ST MK 2 Radar Generation
2000 Relocation of Radar and ECDIS production to Kiel
2003 Introduction of the new Gyro Compass-Series Standard 22
2004 Introduction of the new PC-based NSC Radars
2008 Development of Multifunctional Workstations
2010 Development of new adaptive NautoPilot 5000 series
2010 Development of new Synapsis Intelligent Bridge Control series
2011 Development of the new NautoSteer AS CAN-bus steering control system
2011 10,000 Standard 22 Gyro Compasses sold – most popular gyro compass of all times
