Technical Department

The workplace of engineer Kurt Prüfer, responsible for crematorium construction

Picture: The exhibition with the historical ISIS drafting machines Picture: © Stadtverwaltung Erfurt

ISIS, the brand name of the drafting machines, makes reference to the ancient Egyptian goddess who offered protection to all who “invented something useful for mankind.”

In keeping with the Topf & Sons corporate principle of combining the spirit of invention with the joy of creation and diligence, the designers in the drafting rooms were proud of finding innovative solutions for specific customer needs.

From 1939 onwards, the Specialized Furnace Construction Department on the third upper storey of the administration building worked most intensively for the SS. The windows of this room afforded an unobstructed view of Ettersberg Mountain near Weimar, where Buchenwald Concentration Camp was located.