Reinhard Schäfer walks on historical ground
The first Astra F built in Eisenach, a Corsa B or the new Grandland as a plug-in hybrid – a dozen automotive contemporary witnesses from 30 years of Eisenach stand guard for visitors at the “Open Day” in mid-September. We meet Reinhard Schäfer in the exhibition area. He’s standing by a Vectra. The Opel model that made contemporary history. It rolled off the assembly line on October 5, 1990, just two days after the reunion. Most of the Opel exhibits shown here are normally in the “automobile world eisenach” museum. Along with DIXI, BMW and Wartburg, they are among the youngest exhibits there. Because: “When the Eisenach plant was opened 30 years ago,” says Schäfer, “Opel was part of a long tradition.” Automobiles have been built in Eisenach for over 120 years. Without interruption.
“I am a fourth-generation vehicle builder from Eisenach.”
Reinhard Schäfer himself is part of this tradition: “I am a fourth-generation vehicle builder from Eisenach.” As early as 1898, his great-grandfather was one of the first iron lathe operators in the city to produce the “Wartburg Motor Car”, and his grandfather made DIXI models in the pre-war years. His father, in turn, assembled the Wartburg in the service of the GDR automobile combine. Reinhard Schäfer himself was still an apprentice vehicle fitter at the AWE factory. In 1992 he started in production at the Eisenach plant, became team spokesman and a member of the core team. He was a member of the works council for many years, including deputy chairman of the works council. In order to give the many memories of the city a home, he founded a regulars’ table and works as a tour guide at the “automobile world eisenach” museum on a voluntary basis. And his son continues the family tradition. “But with the tools of the 21st century,” says Reinhard Schäfer. Under the name “CarRanger” he shows the full breadth and depth of the automotive universe on a YouTube channel with over 100,000 subscribers.
Tommy Schumann creates an innovative spirit
Tommy Schumann was 16 when he entered the factory for the first time. “With awe,” he remembers the first day of his training as an electronics technician for automation technology 18 years ago. “Everything was huge, everything was strange.” For him, getting the apprenticeship was like winning the lottery, the apprenticeship has an excellent reputation. And it went very well. Strangers became colleagues, colleagues became friends. He learned and understood quickly. After his apprenticeship, the native of Eisenach first assembled the Corsa and Adam on the line, then he joined the maintenance team in the paint shop. “And these systems are huge,” he says, “250 meters long, spread over five levels.” A labyrinth peppered with technology such as plunge pools, robots, lifters and conveyor belts. Today he knows: It takes at least three to four years to understand the plant in all its dimensions. And he did. And so intensively that at some point he started to see what could be done better.
“And then I just reprogrammed the robots.”
In the meantime, he has acquired several programming languages to optimize the movement sequences of the robots. For example, when it became apparent during the test runs of the Grandland that the edges of the fenders below the bonnet were not sufficiently coated with paint, he got started. Instead of fitting every body that goes through the painting process with bonnet holders, as initially planned, two robots are now used. You briefly lift the hood at the crucial moment and the paint application is perfect. He has also changed the rest position of some robots so that colleagues can clean them better. In any case, the improvement management employees at the plant now know Tommy Schumann well. His ideas regularly end up on their desks. Today, the 34-year-old also looks after trainees who explore the facilities with awe – and is still learning: “The fun and the motivation to get to grips with the details are growing all the time.”
Arto Savolainen on the proverbial quality
Arto Savolainen noticed right away that the Finnish and the Thuringian souls harmonize: The tackling, simply doing, without lengthy discussions – that impressed him. That was in September 1992. The plant had just officially opened, and the Finn was on site as a consultant. He wanted to stay a year to help implement a new manufacturing method at the plant: “It wasn’t just about procedures and processes, we wanted to establish a new way of thinking about manufacturing.” Employees bear responsibility, constant improvement is Obligation, quality right from the start – all of this was new in this sense. “For the many colleagues who had previously assembled the Wartburg in the AWE factory, anyway,” says Savolainen. But the way of thinking fell on fertile ground. The 60-year-old describes the atmosphere at the time as “euphoric”. Coupled with the will to find a creative solution for everything, the basis for what Opel CEO Florian Huettl called the “proverbial Eisenach quality” was created in the early 1990s during the ceremony. Arto Savolainen calls it the “Wartburg spirit”.
“Canadians or Thais – everyone was here to learn something.”
And so the Eisenach plant has been in the front row ever since when it comes to the most modern automotive technology in Europe. The colleagues from Eisenach also set the highest standards in the field of environmental management – and are therefore also role models for others: “Whether Canadians or Thais – colleagues from sister plants were always guests to learn something from us.” The will to improve things is there firmly anchored. The plant has reinvented itself several times, he says. And for him, one year turned into decades. The Finn managed the paint shop, was responsible for the body shop for a while, and then returned to the paint shop. One of the most fundamental conversions that he accompanied was not long ago. “We rethought everything for the Grandland and introduced a modernized painting process – emissions are significantly reduced, water consumption lowered.” After that, he is now retiring after 30 years. The “Wartburg spirit” that he helped to establish in the Eisenach plant is here to stay.
MILESTONES Opel in Eisenach
30 YEARS OF OPEL IN EISENACH After reunification, Opel was one of the first West German car manufacturers to get involved in the new federal states. A total of 3.7 million Opel models have already rolled off the assembly line here – manufactured in the proverbial Eisenach quality.
5 OCTOBER 1990 It all starts just two days after Germany’s reunification: the first Opel Vectra is assembled in cooperation with the Eisenach automobile plant. Guest of honor at the starting gun is Federal Chancellor Dr. Helmut Kohl.
SEPTEMBER 23, 1992 The new Opel plant is inaugurated in the presence of Chancellor Dr. Helmut Kohl opens, the Astra rolls off the assembly line. From then on, Eisenach is regarded as one of the most successful and productive car factories in Europe.
MAY 14, 1998 The Thüringisches Werk has great appeal. On the occasion of the 750.00. manufactured Opel model, US President Bill Clinton is a guest. Together with Chancellor Dr. Helmut Kohl he inspects the production.
AUGUST 28, 2000 Production of the Corsa C begins. 220 million German marks are invested in the plant. With the three- and five-door Corsa and the Astra, three body variants are produced on one line for the first time.
JANUARY 10, 2013 Series production of the Opel ADAM begins in Eisenach. 190 million euros will be invested in the plant for its production.
APRIL 23, 2014 The three millionth Opel “Made in Eisenach”, a white Opel ADAM, rolls off the assembly line in the presence of Thuringia’s Prime Minister Christine Lieberknecht.
AUGUST 28, 2018 With the Grandland X, a new model is coming to Eisenach.
ANNIVERSARY YEAR 2022 The new Opel Grandland with its distinctive Vizor front will be launched in January. In addition to petrol and diesel engines, the plug-in hybrids are currently also being manufactured in Eisenach.
Sep 2022
Photos: Alexander Bonn, Opel Archive