History of DLR

Model testing facility of the Motorised Airship Study Society in Göttingen
This photograph from 1908 shows the Institute of Model Testing of the Motorised Airship Study Society (Modellversuchsanstalt der Motorluftschiff-Studiengesellschaft; MVA), DLR’s first predecessor organisation. The building housed the first wind tunnel of the Göttingen type – developed by Ludwig Prandtl in 1907 – and otherwise consisted only of an observation room and a writing room.

The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and its predecessor organisations look back on more than 115 years of aviation research, including one of the world's first institutions dedicated to aeronautical research. Numerous inventions and research achievements that continue to influence and improve everyday life can be traced back to DLR and its predecessors – for example the fundamental theories of flight, and the swept wing design that made modern passenger aviation possible.

At the same time, some of DLR's predecessor organisations were also involved in the war economy during both the First and Second World Wars – their research supported military objectives, and they made use of forced labourers. Human experiments conducted in concentration camps were also linked to a predecessor institution of what is today the Institute of Aerospace Medicine. Ludwig Prandtl, the founder of the first DLR predecessor, also held a leading role in the military research of the Nazi regime.

DLR actively engages with this history and supports historians and journalists in their efforts to reappraise it. Numerous publications have already explored the history of the predecessor organisations. In addition, an independent academic study was launched in 2022 which, from 2023 to 2026, will research the history of DLR's predecessor organisations between 1907 and 1945. A dedicated voluntary advisory board is overseeing the project and supporting the transparency and independence of the research.

Reappraising DLR's predecessor organisations from 1907 to 1945

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History of aviation research in Germany

Modern aviation research in Germany began with Otto Lilienthal in the late 19th century. Between 1880 and 1896, he conducted his own flight experiments. In 1889, he published his seminal work 'Der Vogelflug als Grundlage der Fliegekunst' (Bird flight as the basis of aviation).

History of space research in Germany

The origins of rocket research in Germany date back to the 1920s. In 1957, the Soviet Sputnik satellite was launched into space – the first time a human-made object entered Earth orbit. The ensuing race for supremacy between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War reached its peak with the American Moon landing in 1969. As far back as the 1950s, the predecessors of today's DLR were contributing to the development of space technology.

History of DLR's sites

Every DLR site has its own history, milestones and unique contributions to research. Dive into the world of innovation – from the early days of aviation to pioneering space missions.

Publications on DLR and its predecessor organisations

A list of publications on the history of DLR and its predecessor organisations, popular science contributions on the history of DLR and its predecessor organisations, and introductory literature on the history of aviation research.

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Contact

Andreas Schütz

Head of Corporate Communications, DLR Spokesperson
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Corporate Communications
Linder Höhe, 51147 Cologne
Tel: +49 2203 601-2474

Jessika Wichner

Head of Central Archive
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Central Archive
Bunsenstraße 10, Göttingen