Siren

About the sound

The electric siren Elektror S0 KB from the 1960s was in use as a factory siren until the 1990s. It was used to alert personnel when machines were starting up and as a civil defense signal. Today it is a part of the collection of the LWL-Industrial Museum.
The siren consists of a drum similar to a paddle wheel in a housing which has air slots in it.
An electric motor sets the drum rotating, creating an air stream which is continually cut off, thus producing a loud (101 dB, recording distance 30 m) howling sound.
In the course of industrialisation sirens were increasingly used in factories in order to signal the beginning of work, change of shift, work breaks and the end of the workday. Additionally, sirens were used as a warning in case of dangerous situations such as fires, air alerts or natural disasters.

Sound recordist: Konrad Gutkowski/Jonathan Nicolai
Photographer: Konrad Gutkowski/Jonathan Nicolai