35 years VW Polo: Memories and challenges in the Zwickau work!
35 years VW Polo: Memories and challenges in the Zwickau work!
Zwickau, Deutschland - Vor 35 Jahren, am 21. Mai 1990, wurde im VW-Werk Zwickau der erste Polo gefertigt. A small but fine anniversary that the employees celebrate with pride and a little nostalgia. The first polo, a steep rear with a 1.3-liter engine and 55 hp in alpine white, has now reached the status of a museum piece. This started the success story of a work that has not only produced polos, but also other models such as the Golf and Passat since then. Trabant models were also produced in the early days, and many of the current employees like to remember the modest beginnings in the Moselle district.
When the work was opened, it was a joint venture between Volkswagen and the Vehicle Construction Industry Association (IFA), which makes change clear in the German automotive industry. Jörn Kaiser and Udo Friedrich, both of whom were already working at VEB Sachsenring, went to act at the new beginning in Zwickau. At that time there was still a close connection to the past when the employees received parts in wooden boxes from the west from which they assembled cars. „Unser Herz hing dran“, fasst ein Mitarbeiter die Leidenschaft für die Arbeit zusammen und blickt voller Optimismus in die Zukunft.
Der Wandel zur E-Mobilität
A lot has changed in the past five years. The Zwickau plant has been modernized since 2020 by only producing fully electric vehicles, including models such as ID.3 and ID.4. Diese Umstellung ist Teil eines größeren Trends in der Automobilindustrie, die derzeit an einem Wendepunkt steht. The changeover to e-mobility shows both opportunities and challenges. Many employees are skeptical about what the future brings, especially older generations, while the younger ones are open to the new models. For Jörn and Udo, the generation change is an exciting but also challenging time.While some employees threw the towel due to hard working conditions and short breaks, others experience the positive change in corporate culture. In the past, workers were smiled at when they started night shifts. Today there is a different view of the valuable work of the employees that goes far beyond the assembly line.
outlook for the future
Volkswagen has a central role in the German economy and offers numerous jobs. Despite the current challenges, such as a downward trend in the industry, there are enough orders. „Es bleibt abzuwarten, wie sich die E-Mobilität entwickelt“, so Udo. Für die Belegschaft bleibt die Hoffnung auf erfolgreiche Jahre zur Unterstützung der sächsischen Automobiltradition. Das Zwickauer Werk zeigt sich optimistisch und bereit für die Vielzahl an neuen Herausforderungen, die die Zukunft mit sich bringt.
The evolutionary history of the automobile in Germany, starting with the first models by Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler in 1886, shows that the fire of progress burns in the Zwickau work. At a time when cars are increasingly perceived as status symbols or expression of individual freedom, the question remains: What will the car of the future look like? All of this is documented in the exciting chronicle of the automobiles, which illuminates many ups and downs in the industry and reminds us of the responsibility that goes hand in hand with this development.
A big thank you to everyone who has contributed to the success of the VW plant in Zwickau in the past 35 years-for many more years of innovation and passionate cooperation!
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| Ort | Zwickau, Deutschland |
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