The National Tube Factory (PWLR) was the first polish factory producing electron tubes after the war.
It was established in 1945 in Dzierzoniow (during the war called Rychbach) on the basis of the german tube factory (Telefunken) that existed there before.
This was possible due to the relatively small damage of factory equipment. The production was launched by prof. Wieslaw Barwicz,
delegated for this purpose to Silesia with a handful of staff (two engineers, two masters and six qualified workers).
Here he is also on the frame of the Polish film chronicle from 1947.
Professor Wiesław Barwicz (in the middle) at the pumping carousel
The first produced tube in PWLR was the AZ1 rectifier double diode. The first copies were evidently made from post-German stocks. It is typical
oval bulb for these lamps, like in Telefunken tubes.
AZ1 tube from PWLR with oval bulb
Noteworthy is the fact that among the tubes produced by PWLR are tubes with a typical designation for Telefunken (RES964) and also tubes marked with the American method (5Y3GN).
These tubes were probably manufactured as spare parts for receivers that survived the war,
among which a large number had to be ex-German receivers.
The overall number of tubes produced in PWLR is difficult to determine.
So far, this site has been able to collect photos and describe 20 types of lamps. It is known that a 100 watt power lamp
and oscilloscope tube (CRT) were manufactured, however, it is impossible to determine their types.
Around 1948, the factory was moved to Warsaw (instead of the former Philips factory on Karolkowa street) and the name changed to Zaklady Wytwórcze Lamp Elektrycznych im. Rose Luxemburg (ZWLE).
