ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FIRM OF SIEMENS & HA.LSKE. 59 



bound me closely, to hand over his business to his 

 partner and to start a telegraph factory, into which I j 

 reserved to myself the right of entry on my discharge. 

 As Halske just as little as I had available resources 

 we had recourse to my cousin, George Siemens, a 

 barrister residing in Berlin, who lent us 6000 thalers 

 for the erection of a small workshop on condition of 

 a share in the profit for six years. The workshop was 

 opened on the 12 th of October 1847 in the back part 

 of a house in the Schoneberger Strasse where Halske 

 and I also took rooms - and grew rapidly and 

 without the aid of outside capital into the world- 

 known establishment of Siemens and Halske in Berlin, 

 with branches in many of the chief cities of Europe. 



The enticing prospect, in virtue of my dominating 

 position in the telegraph commission, of rising to be 

 the head of the future Prussian State telegraphs I 

 had put aside, as a position of dependence was not < 

 congenial to me, and I had the conviction I should 

 be of more service to myself and the world if I 

 obtained my full independence. But I resolved riot to 

 renounce the military service, and therewith my place 

 on the military commission, before the latter had com- 

 pletely accomplished its task, and a definite settlement 

 of the future telegraph-system had been arrived at. 



I urged in the commission that the public should 

 also be allowed the use of the telegraph lines, which 

 met with considerable opposition in military circles. 

 The great celerity and certainty with which my new 

 patented dial and printing telegraphs worked on the 



