Ballonfabrik’s first century:

1897 - Formation of Ballonfabrik by August Riedinger in Augsburg

until 1918 - Design and manufacture of free balloons, tethered observation balloons, non-rigid airships and gas storage balloons

1918 - At the end of the First World War the manufacture of military Balloons was forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles.

1930 - Design of the first stratospheric balloon with 14.000 m³. Professor Auguste Piccard cancels the first planned flight info the stratosphere because of poor weather conditions

1931 - From the grounds of Ballonfabrik the first human flight into the stratosphere reaches 15.781 m. After 17 hours the balloon lands on the Obergurgl glacier in Austria.

1932 - The Endras family takes over Ballonfabrik




until 1945 - Design and manufacture of barrage and observation streamlined balloons, gas storage balloons and gas cells for Zeppelin airships.

after 1945 - At the end of the second world war the manufacture of military balloons ceases.

1946 - The rebuilding of the factory, destroyed by bombing in 1943, begins. Manufacture of free and thethered advertising balloons.

from 1951 - In-house design and manufacture of survival, safety and personal protection equipment. Cooperation with leading British manufacturers for air-crew protective clothing and flexible fuel tanks for helicopters and armoured vehicles.

1991 - German partner for the design and manufacture of air-crew clothing for the Eurofighter EF 2000.

1996 - Manufacturing unit set up in Brandenburg in East-Germany.

since 1997 - Ballonfabrik ready with potential and ethusiasm to enter its second century in the hands of the third generation of the Endras/Hassold family.