Special factory for electrical control devices Gebr. Cruse & Co

The brothers Johannes and Friedrich Cruse founded the "Spezialfabrik elektrischer Steuerapparate Gebr. Cruse & Co.“ in 1914 and received the corresponding license with trade license no. 1551 dated 15 November 1914. From 1916, their company headquarters were located at Wachsbleichstrasse 26/28 in Dresden-Friedrichstadt, which they and their 80 employees initially had to share with Arnhold and Petzoldt (safe manufacturing) and later with Maschinenfabrik Kreiselrad and Blumenfabrik Oscar Alexander & Co.

„After the death of Friedrich Cruse (1920), his brother hired the previous AEG chief designer Herman Wencken and granted him sole power of attorney. In the mid-1920s, the production program included, among other things Star-delta switches, flat track starters, switching drum control switches, regulators and marine switchgear.“ In the search for new manufacturing premises, „Cruse & Co.“ was established at Lützowstra&sz;e 5 (today: Fritz-Lehmann-Str.) in Dresden-Mickten. The Dresdner Zigarettenfabrik „Kulenkampff & Co. GmbH“ was previously located here. The move was completed in 1928 and the new company address was now: „Spezialfabrik elektrischer Steuerapparate Gebr. Cruse & Co.“, Dresden-N 30, Lützowstraße Nr. 5. When Johannes Cruse died in 1931, his widow joined the company as a limited partner.

From: https://pieschen-aktuell.de/2018/brendlers-geschichten-von-der-cruse-co-zum-veb-elektroschaltgeraete-dresden/