38th History of Technology Conference 2015

"Just in time" – Logistics in an Historical Perspective
13 and 14 November 2015

On November 13 and 14, the Iron Library, Foundation of Georg Fischer Ltd., held the 38th Conference on the History of Technology (TGT) entitled "Just in time" – Logistics in an Historical Perspective. More than 70 participants from Austria, Belgium, Czechia, England, Germany and Switzerland attended this year’s TGT. The participants gathered at the Klostergut Paradies which is the traditional conference venue.

The thematic spectrum ranged from Paul van Heesvelde's (Brussels) presentation "What we talk about when we talk about logistics - Logistics, transports and the problems of the last mile in the Belgian army 1870-1918" to the question put by Stefan Geisler (Zurich): "Lloyd‘s List – basis for maritime logistics in the 19th century?". Ragah Dorenkamp (Cologne) gave a talk about "Lean manufacturing and just in time logistics at Ford in Cologne" and Claude Fischer (Schaffhausen) emphasized that "GF Piping Systems gains competitive advantages through flexible and future-oriented logistics." The conference program was enriched by a visit at the logistics center of Rhenus Contract Logistics Ltd. in Schaffhausen.

Contributors

Heike Bazak, Historical Archives and Library PTT, Köniz, Switzerland
History of Postal Logistics in Switzerland

Prof. Dr. Monika Dommann, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Resources for every purpose: Archaeology of the ramp

Ragah Dorenkamp, Ford GmbH, Cologne, Germany
Ford's lean manufacturing and just-in-time logistics in Cologne

Dr. Michael Farrenkopf, German Mining Museum Bochum, Germany
Logistics in the german coal industry. A means of controlling an efficient run-down process?

Claude Fischer, GF Piping Systems, Schaffhausen, Switzerland
Flexible future-oriented logistics creates competitive advantages at GF Piping Systems

PD Dr. Hans Rudolf Fuhrer, University of Zurich and Military Academy of ETH Zurich, Switzerland
"La Battaglia dei Giganti": Battle of Marignano 1515. Was it really only superior logistics that won?

Stefan Geissler, University of Heidelberg, Germany
Lloyd's List - the basis of maritime logistics in the 19th century?

Prof. Dr. Mark Häberlein, University of Bamberg, Germany
Carters, muleteers, skippers: Logistical problems and practices of the Augsburg Welser and Fugger (ca. 1500-1600)

Dr. Gisela Hürlimann, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Final comment

Alexander Klose, Office for Precarious Concepts, Berlin, Germany
Containers in chains - theory and history of logistics as the history of containers, from antiquity to the present

Prof. Dr. Martin Knoll, University of Salzburg, Austria
Tourist mobilities and their interfaces

Prof. Dr. Kurt Möser, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT, Karlsruhe, Germany
Logistics in the First World War

Prof. Dr. Ebbe Nielsen, Cantonal Archaeology Lucerne and University of Berne, Switzerland
Trade and transport in the Swiss Stone and Bronze Age

Dr. Hans-Ulrich Schiedt, ViaStoria Foundation for Transport History and University of Berne, Switzerland
Institutions, functions and personnel of early modern freight forwarding: Crash course in pre-modern logistics

Prof. Dr. Richard Vahrenkamp, Berlin, Germany
Introductory presentation: Logistics in the mass consumption society

Paul van Heesvelde, Vrije University Brussels, Belgium
«What we talk about when we talk about Logistics» – Logistics, transports and the problems of the last mile in the Belgian army 1870-1918