Drägerwerk

Founding and early years

The company was founded in Lübeck in 1889 as Dräger & Gerling by J. Heinrich Dräger and Carl Adolf Gerling. In the same year, the Lubeca valve, a pressure reducer, was patented. In 1899, Dräger introduced a pressure gauge for breathing gas cylinders, which is still referred to today as a finimeter. In 1902, Dräger developed the Roth-Dräger anaesthesia apparatus, named after Lübeck doctor Otto Roth, which was used in Germany until the end of World War II. Early developments also included the Dräger BG 1904/09, a helmet breathing device used in mines rescue operations.

In 1907, Dräger developed a diving rescue device for submarine crews and the emergency ventilator Pulmotor, and the company opened its first branch in the United States in the same year. In 1912, Heinrich Dräger's son, Bernhard Dräger, became the sole owner of the company. From this point on, the company was known as Drägerwerk Heinr. und Bernh. Dräger (also: Drägerwerk Lübeck. Heinr. & Bernh. Dräger).

In 1937, Dräger developed the first so-called Dräger tube, a test tube for the early measurement of carbon monoxide in the air. This system improved safety in mining by replacing the traditional use of canaries, which had previously served as early warning indicators due to their sensitivity to even small amounts of toxic gases.

World War II

During the Third Reich, forced labourers were employed at Dräger. In 1941, approximately 1,200 forced labourers were employed. In June 1944, nearly 500 women were transported from the Ravensbrück concentration camp to Dräger’s facilities in Hamburg-Wandsbek for forced labour. Until April 1945, they lived in the Hamburg-Wandsbek subcamp of the Neuengamme concentration camp in barracks on the factory grounds. They were employed in the production of gas masks and in clearing debris after bombings in Hamburg. Some of the prisoners were subjected to human experiments on survival in gas-tight air-raid shelters. Approximately 550 women were liberated in May 1945 by British soldiers and the Swedish Red Cross.

In 2010, a memorial site was opened next to the former Hamburg-Wandsbek camp, and a memorial was erected for the forced labourers. In 2022, the Initiative Stolpersteine placed five Stolpersteine in front of Dräger in Lübeck. Dräger sponsored these memorial stones, which are dedicated to five executed forced labourers and the camp inhabitants of former factories in Siems, Herrenwyk, Schlutup, and other businesses that employed forced labour during the Nazi period.

Product expansion and growth

In 1953, Dräger introduced the first alcohol test tubes, which were continuously improved and later adopted worldwide by police forces and companies. In 1998, results from measurements taken by officially approved devices became valid in court. In total, more than 30 million test tubes were produced before being replaced by electronic measuring devices, with production ending in 2016.

In 1970, Dräger became a public limited company, and its initial public offering (IPO) followed in 1979. In 1984, Heinrich Dräger's son, Christian Dräger, succeeded him as CEO after having worked at Dräger since 1961. In 2003, the aerospace division was sold to Cobham plc., and in 2004, Dräger acquired Air-Shields.

In the 1990s, Dräger developed an alcohol interlock device that could be installed in vehicles. These devices are linked to the vehicle’s ignition system and can only be started after a breath sample is provided. If alcohol is detected in the breath, the vehicle will not start. The interlock devices are primarily used in Australia, France, and the Scandinavian countries. In the following years, Dräger developed additional interlock devices.

Medical technology

In its medical technology division, Dräger develops and manufactures systems, devices, and services that work together in acute care medicine. Before merging with the parent company in 2015, the medical technology division operated independently under the names Dräger Medical AG & Co. KG and later as Dräger Medical GmbH. Since 2003, Drägerwerk AG held a joint venture in medical technology with Siemens AG, in which Dräger held a 75% stake and Siemens 25%. In 2009, Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA repurchased Siemens AG’s 25% minority stake. In 2024, the division generated revenue of €1.9 billion.

Dräger’s medical technology products include anaesthesia workstations, ventilators for intensive and emergency care, patient monitoring systems, and equipment for neonatal and preterm infant care in perinatal medicine. In 1975, Dräger introduced the Babylog ventilator for premature infants. During the 1980s, Dräger also introduced a device maintenance centre (GPZ) with separate clean and unclean sections, similar to earlier disinfection facilities. Other hospital systems include ceiling supply units, IT systems for operating theatres, and gas management systems. In 1985, Dräger introduced the Evita series, incorporating advanced screen and computer technology to improve the integration of mechanical ventilation with spontaneous breathing.

The company also developed the Babyroo warming unit, designed to support neonatal postnatal care. This system features an integrated resuscitation function that automatically regulates ventilation parameters, including oxygen concentration and Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP).

Dräger also provides various services, including manufacturer-independent maintenance, repair, and management of medical devices. Additionally, the company offers financing models for hospital equipment fleets.