The first German factory which produced machine tools in series, was built in 1844 by Johannes Zimmermann in Chemnitz and known as „Chemnitzer Maschinenfabrik“.

Brothers Carl F. and Ludwig C. P. Bernhard				Johann P. G. Wöhler
1801	Production of spinning machines in Harthau near Chemnitz			1799/1800	Production of spinning machines in Furth near Chemnitz
		Carl Gottlieb Haubold (1782-1856)
		1807	Production of spinning machines and looms at Bernhard and Wöhler
		1826	Acquisition of Wöhler's Factory
Richard Hartmann (1809-1879)				Johann Zimmerman (1820-1901)
1832-1837	Student of C. G. Haubold			ca. 1841-1844	Student of C. G. Haubold
1837	Workshop for textile machines			1844	Factory for spinning machines
1840	Production of steam engines			1848	1st serial-production of machine tools in Germany
1848	Production of railroad engines			1862	Gold medal at Great London Exposition
1857	Production of machine tools			1871	Chemnitzer Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik
David Gustav Diehl (1823-1903)
1850-1852	Tool smith at R. Hartmann
1852	Founding of the company
1872	Maschinenfabrik UNION
1875	1st horizontal boring machine

Paris Exposition Universelle 1867, exhibition stand of Zimmermann
(Source: G. Spur, Vom Wandel der industriellen Welt durch Werkzeugmaschinen, published by Carl Hanser Verlag, 1991)

Subsequently, a multitude of machine factories have been established. Its products, machine tools, textile machines, railroad and steam engines gave Chemnitz the reputation as „Saxon Manchester.“

1964	1st numerically controlled turning machine of Germany
1971	1st flexible manufacturing system „Prisma“ for the production of machine tools components
1997	1st german hexapod machine tool „MIKROMAT 6X“
1998	1st applicable spin extrusion machine „BDM 2000“ worldwide

1956	Establishment of the Institute for Machine Tools – Prof. H. Berthold
1958	Taking charge of the Institute for Machine Tools – Prof. R. Piegert
1967	Transfer of the institute in the scientific field Tooling Development – Prof. R. Piegert
1968	Restructuring of the scientific field Tooling Development – Prof. R. Piegert - Fundamentals of Machine Tool Design – Prof. E. Herling - Automation of Machine Tools – Prof. R. Wätzig
1988	Taking charge of the scientific field – Prof. R. Wätzig
1993	Taking charge of the Professorship for Machine Tools – Prof. R. Neugebauer
1998	Establishment of a honorary professorship „Innovation Management for Product and Process Development“ at Professorship for Machine Tools – Prof. C. Schmitz-Justen (President BMW Manufacturing Co., USA)
2000	Establishment of the Institute for Machine Tools and Production Processes (IWP) – Prof. R. Neugebauer
2004	Establishment of the Virtual Reality Center Production Engineering (VRCP) – Prof. D. Weidlich
2006	Ceremony to mark the 50th founding anniversary of the Institute Establishment of a honorary professorship „Optimization Production Processes in Automotive Industry“ at Professorship for Machine Tool Design and Forming Technology – Prof. J. Heizmann (Board Member of VOLKSWAGEN AG)
2007	Organization of 57th CIRP General Assembly in Dresden
2008	Integration of Professorship Control and Feddback Control Technology in Professorship for Machine Tools and Forming Technology
2010	Integration of Professorship Manufacturing Technology in Professorship for Machine Tools and Forming Technology
2012	Prof. R. Neugebauer becomes 10th President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

1836	Establishment of the Royal Trade School
1929	Establishment of the National Academy of Engineering
1947	Establishment of the Technical Colleges Chemnitz
1953	Establishment of the School for Mechanical Engineering
1963	Granting the status „Technical College“
1986	Granting the status „University of Technology“

For more detailed information on the history of Chemnitz University of Technology, click here.