History

You could download the complete chronicle of Sartorius here:
Sartorius Chronicle 1870 to 2005 (PDF, 4.6MB)

1870	The Goettingen "university mechanician" Florenz Sartorius founds the fine-precision machine company called "Feinmechanische Werkstatt F. Sartorius" and begins with the production of short-beam analytical balances.
1922	Richard Zsigmondy, chemist and physicist as well as Nobel Prize laureate in 1925, invents the membrane filter in 1918 and the "cold ultrafilter." These filters serve as the basis for commercial-scale production of Sartorius separation and filter technology products.
1948	On the recommendation of Otto Hahn (chemist and Nobel Prize winner in 1944 and President of the Max-Planck Institute in Goettingen), Sartorius commences industrial-scale manufacture of hydrodynamic bearings.
1955	The first microbalance for weighing under normal atmospheric conditions is introduced.
1960	Sartorius uses the first machine for automatic manufacture of synthetic membrane filters. As part of its global expansion, Sartorius establishes a growing number of international subsidiaries and sales offices.
1963	The cellulose acetate membrane is introduced as a carrier matrix for electrophoresis.
1964	The first laboratory balances with an analog output debut.
1969	The first plate-and-frame crossflow ultrafiltration system for relatively large volumes premières.
1970	Sartorius builds the first electronic precision and analytical balances. The resulting boom in orders leads to the founding of numerous foreign subsidiaries, and contributes decisively to the significance of the Sartorius Group today.
1971	The first nanogram balance sets the world record for the most precise weighing. This balance is used to weigh the moon rocks that astronaut Neil Armstrong brought back to Earth from his expedition.
1972	The first compact analytical balance with a digital, electronic weight display, stability control and digital output (BCD) is launched.
1975	A precision balance featuring microprocessor electronics (Intel4004) premières.
1976	The first autoclavable, integrity-testable filter cartridge with a pleated membrane filter is unveiled.
1977	The first fully electronic analytical balance with microprocessor electronics is launched.
1979	The first toploading analytical balance (160 g) is presented.
1982	The first explosion-protected version of an electronic precision balance in the world makes its debut.
1983	The first automatic unit for integrity testing of membrane filter systems is launched.
1988	The first electronic toploading microbalance is presented.
1989	The first large-area filter cartridge with progressively finer, targeted filtration (Jumbo cartridge) is unveiled.
1990	The first electronic laboratory balance series featuring MC1 technology is introduced. Sartorius AG goes public.
1996	The world's first ultra-microbalance with a weighing capacity featuring a resolution of 21 million digits and an accuracy of 0.1 µg debuts.
1997	The first monolithic weigh cell technology is presented. The monolithic weigh cell replaces a complicated weighing system made up of up to 150 different parts. This new mechatronic system is the basis for many successive generations of balances and scales.
1998	Capital is successfully raised.
	Boekels is acquired (leading in quality control in the processing industry and in metal detection)
1999	Three companies are acquired:
	: Vivascience (innovative products for cell culture technology, protein purification and ultrafiltration)
	: Denver Instruments (laboratory balances and measurement technology)
	: GWT (formerly known as Phillips Wägetechnik and leading in high-capacity weighing technology)
2000	B. Braun Biotech International, the world’s leading manufacturer of fermenters, bioreactors and cell cultivation systems, is acquired.
2001	With the GENIUS analytical balance, Sartorius AG wins the Innovation Award of the German Economy in the category of medium-sized companies. German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder officially opens "Plant 2001" for production of filters in Goettingen. This plant is the largest single investment ever made in Sartorius’s corporate history.
	Sartorius College for internal and external transfer of knowledge is inaugurated.
2002	The "Combics" modular series of industrial scales and related equipment is launched.
	A new Sartorius Knowledge Center is inaugurated in Bangalore, India.
2003	Change at the helm of the Executive Board: Dr. Joachim Kreuzburg becomes Spokesman of the Executive Board and Group CEO.
	Sartorius competes for and receives the Initiative Prize for Training and Continuing Education from the Otto Wolff Foundation, the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the German-language weekly financial journal, Wochenmagazin.
2004	Brands are integrated and new names are created for Group member companies:
	: Sartorius Aachen GmbH & Co. KG (formerly Boekels)
	: Sartorius Hamburg GmbH (formerly GWT)
	: Sartorius BBI Systems GmbH (formerly B. Braun Biotech International)
	Sartorius receives renowned Frost & Sullivan Award for its innovations in product differentiation in biotechnology.
2005	The international management consultant A.T. Kearney and a leading German-language business magazine "WirtschaftsWoche" confer the "Best Innovator 2005" award in the category of "Time-to-Profit" to Sartorius.
	Sartorius buys a 100% stake in application specialist Omnimark Instrument Corporation based in Arizona, USA.
2006	The international consulting company "Frost & Sullivan" confers the "2006 Growth Strategy Leadership Award" in market segment of moisture analysis to Sartorius.
	The cornerstone is laid for a new Sartorius plant designed for the manufacture of laboratory equipment and industrial scales in Beijing, China.
2007	Sartorius acquires Toha Plast GmbH and strengthens its position in plastics technology for biopharmaceutical disposables.
	Official opening ceremony with Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Christian Wulff. By constructing a new laboratory building complex, Sartorius continues to build up R&D capicities for the Biotechnology Division at its headquarters in Germany.
	Sartorius combines its Biotechnology Division with the French-based biotech supplier Stedim S.A. to enable their combined business Sartorius Stedim Biotech to become a globally leading technology provider to the biopharmaceutical industry.The new company is listed on the Paris Euronext Stock Exchange.