Standard Villamossági Rt., Budapest

Fehérvári út, Buda, Budapest

Standard Villamosági Rt. was founded at 1st January 1928 by spinning-off telegraph and telephone division of Egyesult Izzólámpa ás Villamossági Rt.

New company has two owners, Egyesult Izzólámpa 49% and International Standard Electric Corporation (ISEC) 51 %.  ISEC in 1930 bought half of Egyesult Izzo shares, in 1934 ISEC became the 100% owner, until nationalizing in 1949.

However, ISEC itself was a subsidiary company of giant plant International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT), having headquarter on Manhattan in New York. ITT was until 70´s the world leader in long distance telecommunication industry.

Egyesult Izzólampa transferred to Hungarian Standard company complete mechanical division in Újpest 4, Budapest, including staff, inventory, customer list and orders, telecommunication patents. Under ITT company was responsible for Hungarian, Rumanian, Bulgarian and Yugoslavian markets and should pay 1,5% fee for patents of parent company and Standard products should be compatible with ITT products. To guarantee this, representative of ISEC continuously was present in Hungary, paid by Standard.

Unfortunately, on beginning of 1930´s the expected  turn-over was not achieved, caused by world crisis and anti-Hungarian moods in neighbor countries. Through that Standard representatives had a big merit in ITT contracts for telephone systems in Rumania and Yugoslavia, but caused by boycott of Hungarian products, contract was realized by other pert of ISEC. Standard achieved bigger success in radio production market, their radios got very popular between citizens, moreover company was successful in broadcasting high power  station equipment  delivery for Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, but income from radio division was not able to cover losses in telephone market. Number of employees was 1980 people in 1931, but in 1934 already 650 only.

Standard used in big volumes for its radios Tungsram tubes (trade mark of Egyesult Izzólámpa), but since 1932 based on Telefunken and Philips pressure, Standard could sell radios equipped with Tungsram tubes in Hungary, Balkan, Spain and Portugal only. It is a reason, that some models were marked "Tungsram-Standard Radio".

Company achieved better results since 1937, caused by big investments of Hungarian King Poste and new Rumanian contracts.

In 1938 company moved to new area on Fehérvári út, Buda, Budapest, leaved by Ericsson at this time.

In this year company received big military orders for delivery of mobile or portable military vehicle communication systems,  air cover watching and alarm system.

In 1941 company became under military control, company area grown twice, number of employees in 1943 was 2383, in 1944 over 5200 people.
 

During WW2 company stayed formally US property, but since 1941 became part of Standard Elektrizitäts Gesellschaft, Berlin and started production of FuG16 aircraft transmitter.

Production of company went on the full capacity and caused by clever „to-slow“  performing of some German commands and good luck during Soviet attack production equipment was not fully damaged and since February 1945 company started production of field telephones and battery radios, in mid of 1945 company worked by 50% capacity already.

In September 1945 came back ISEC representatives too,. Standard take a big part in after WW2 telecommunication infrastructure reconstruction and in war indemnities for allied forces.

Through that Hungarian government provided negotiations with ITT, in 1949 Standard was nationalized based on fictive lawsuit, two senior managers were executed and ISEC representatives arrested. Standard was transformed to new company Beloiannisz Híradástechnika Gyár, BHG , (based on name of Greece communist, Nicos Beloiannis).

Tungsram Rt Torténete 1898-1996, Aschner Lipót Alapítvány, 2004.

A Standard-per elozményei és elokészítése 1948-1950, PhD Work by Attila Szorényi, 2012

Magyar elektronikus konyvtár, Magyarország a XX. században.

Magyar Országos Levéltár, Standard Villamossági Rt., archive Z(9421)