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The Schwarzenburg Mystery

I recently obtained a German-language postcard showing a scene in "Schwarzenburg."  The card contains the heading, "Schwarzenburg.  Wirtschaft Linde Radio-Station fur Konzerte aus Paris ect.," referring to a building with the sign, "Wirtschaft zur Linde" (roughly "Linde Company").  Schwarzenburg was for many years the home of the major Swiss SWBC facility.  Although this card must have long predated Schwarzenburg as a SWBC center (the card appears to be circa 1920s-1930s), the location of some sort of "radio station" in Schwarzenburg in those early years is in itself interesting.  George Zeller of Cleveland, Ohio, recently visited the site and reported as follows:

"There is no question whatsoever that your Schwarzenburg radio postcard is a picture from Schwarzenburg, Canton Bern, in Switzerland.  This is, of course, the same town that had the Swiss Radio International transmitter site three miles east of town for decades.

"The complex of three buildings on the right of the postcard is still standing.  The Linde Company bulding with the radio station has been torn down, but on the vacant lot there is a sign announcing a 'Linde Dorfzentrum' development project. (See Photo 1.)  Behind the Linde building on the card is another building with a tower sticking up at the far left. I stood at the same spot where the postcard photographer stood, and that tower still stands.  (See Photo 2.)  The tower is on a very large house now occupied by a notary.  Note that 'Dorfzentrum' translates into 'City Center' in English.

"In the postcard's three-building complex on the right, four businesses currently occupy this complex.  Starting at the far left where the covered wagon is parked out front is 'Feldschossen, Le Village Bar,' according to the sign on a small tavern.  Also in that building, up a small stairs above the bar, is 'Frisor Und Kosmetik,' apparently a beauty parlor.  In the middle building is 'Bierladen," a retail beer store.  Finally, in the same building closest to us with the five windows on each floor, is 'Hauser Antiqitaten' ('Hauser's Antiques'). They sell antique furniture. (See Photo 3.  Also see Photo 4 for a view of the three-building complex from the vacant lot.)

Thanks, George.  Does anyone know more about this station?


Ontheshortwaves visitor Daniel Weber from Switzerland provides this valuable additional information:

"Because I worked for a couple of years in the transmitter station of Schwarzenburg, I was interrested in your investigations about this old picture postcard. In fact I found someone who told me the story of the 'Linde-Radio station.' The 'Linde' was a restaurant in the heart of the village of Schwarzenburg and is no longer existing. It must be in the early 1920 when the owner of the Linde bought a medium wave receiver and a lot of people came into the restaurant to listen to the concerts already transmitted by the station on the Eiffel tower at Paris. I think at this time the Paris transmitter was one of the most listened to stations in central Europe."