100 Years of Innovation: Reinhausen Celebrates the Jansen Patent
Secretary Füracker pays tribute to “a history of technology that shapes the future” – 200 guests of honor celebrate a century of the Jansen patent at the marinaforum in Regensburg.
A component that operates almost invisibly within the power grid took center stage on Monday morning: At the marinaforum Regensburg, Reinhausen GmbH celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Jansen patent with a festive matinee. Around 200 invited guests from the worlds of politics, business, academia, and the energy sector gathered to commemorate the patent application for the rapidacting resistor switch filed by Dr.-Ing. Bernhard Jansen on July 13, 1926 – accompanied by an interactive exhibition on the Jansen patent and musical performances by the Elias Prinz Trio.
Among the distinguished guests were Albert Füracker, Bavaria’s Secretary of State for Finance and Home Affairs; Dr. Thomas Burger, Mayor of Regensburg; and Dr. Egon Leo Westphal, Chairman of the Board of Bayernwerk AG.
In his welcoming remarks, Secretary of State Albert Füracker acknowledged the company’s importance to Bavaria and the Regensburg region: “100 years of resistance switches – that’s technological history shaping the future!” He particularly highlighted the global familyowned company’s clear commitment to Regensburg as a business location and emphasized that a sense of connection to the region and innovative strength have been successfully working together at Reinhausen for generations.
The high-speed tap-changer is considered one of the most significant innovations in 20th-century energy technology. Developed by Dr. Jansen, this principle – known as the “gearbox of power grids” – enables the uninterrupted regulation of transformers under load and remains, to this day, a prerequisite for stable power grids, the integration of renewable energy, and the energy transition. The patent was industrially implemented in Regensburg, laying the foundation for Reinhausen’s development into today’s global market and technology leader.
The anniversary matinee combined a ceremonial event with a dialogue about the future. An accompanying exhibition traced the evolution from the first resistance circuit breaker to today’s digital solutions for the intelligent monitoring and control of power grids, bringing to life how an invention from 1926 evolved into 21st-century technology.
Dr. Thomas Burger, Dr. Egon Leo Westphal, Albert Füracker, Dr. Nicolas Maier-Scheubeck
"An anniversary as a transit station toward the future"
"An anniversary as a transit station toward the future"
“We face many new challenges. Global population growth, urbanization, and artificial intelligence are driving up energy demand. At the same time, climate change is accelerating the transition to an energy system free of fossil fuels. No single invention will ever be able to achieve the decarbonization required by 2050. It is therefore essential to intelligently combine the best available solutions across all levels of the energy system. We need people with knowledge and experience who can take on responsibility in a solution-oriented manner within the expanding ecosystem of electrical power engineering. In this spirit, we at Reinhausen view today’s anniversary matinee as a stepping stone toward the future,” said Dr. Nicolas Maier-Scheubeck, spokesperson for the Management Board of Reinhausen GmbH, in his address.
Matinee Recap
Wilfried Breuer is Maier-Scheubeck’s successor as spokesperson for the management board. “Essentially, we are continuing on the path toward digitalization.” That was also the reason why the company changed its name from Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen to Reinhausen GmbH. “We want to offer solutions for the energy transition worldwide,” says Breuer. “We’re based in Regensburg, but we operate globally.” Nevertheless, Reinhausen is currently making the largest investment in the company’s history in its Regensburg location – as a commitment to Bavaria and to Regensburg.
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About Reinhausen
Reinhausen is a family-owned company founded in 1868 and headquartered in Regensburg. In 1926, the company filed a patent for the high-speed resistive circuit breaker, which forms the basis of its current business. Today, Reinhausen employs approximately 5,500 people, generates annual revenue of 1.5 billion euros, and is represented by 50 subsidiaries at 57 locations in 27 countries. The company’s innovative solutions regulate about half of the electricity consumed worldwide.
