PGH Elektro was a German electronics brand associated with the Produktionsgenossenschaft des Handwerks (PGH), a form of state-sanctioned craft cooperative in East Germany. The brand name appears on a range of manufactured goods, including lamps and watchmaking tools, produced by various PGH cooperatives across the country.[1][2]
Design and History
The PGH Elektro symbol was originally designed by Horst Wenzel in 1965.[3] The logo database categorizes the mark as an arrow-shaped, square-shaped design with a swirl element, reflecting the geometric style common to mid-1960s industrial branding.[3]
Beyond the individual brand mark, PGH cooperatives also used a standardized emblem for the Produktionsgenossenschaft des Handwerks. This official logo featured a chimney with two crossed oak branches, surrounded by a laurel wreath, with the letters “PGH” at the top.[4] This emblem was a modified version of the German Handwerkszeichen (crafts emblem), which was used from 1934 until 1994, including in the GDR where it served as the symbol for PGH cooperatives.[5]
Many PGH cooperatives were founded in the late 1950s and 1960s. For example, PGH Elektromechanik Berlin-Kaulsdorf was established in 1958 and operated until 1972, when it was converted into a VEB (state-owned enterprise).[4] Similarly, PGH Elektro-Anlagen und Steuerungen Leipzig was active until its conversion in 1991.[6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The PGH emblem’s elements carried specific meaning within the East German craft cooperative system. The chimney represented the industrial and craft production heritage, while the oak branches and laurel wreath were traditional symbols of strength and achievement in German heraldry.[4] The letters “PGH” identified the organization as a Produktionsgenossenschaft des Handwerks, or craft production cooperative.[4]
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