Introduction

Karl Bernhardt was born in Germany in the town of Wiesbaden in 1878. This city is in southwest Germany and is the capital of the Federal state of Hesse. Wiesbaden, together with the cities of Frankfurt am Main and Darmstadtand Mainz, is part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region. Weisbaden was at that time and still is a city of culture and at one time boasted over 20 hot springs and is one of the earliest Spa towns in Europe. Karl Bernhardt had a variety of interests including Music and singing and could have taken up singing as a career.

Karl's father , however, insisted he should complete an apprenticeship in plumbing and thus Karl learned how to cut, solder and weld metals.
Obligations to the army during the First World War saw Karl serve as a cavalry lieutenant, and after the war he lived in the city of Hamburg. Together with a partner whom we believe to have been Carl Schumann the company.

Ingenieur Karl Bernhardt Apparatebau was formed. This association did not last long and soon Karl managed the Company alone. The company specialised in manufacturing Diving Equipment and the skills acquired during his apprenticeship became invaluable.

The ranges of products produced were wide and included Diving Helmets, suits, boots and wading equipment , infact everything required for the diver and water worker.
The symbol for the company became the Trident of the God of the Sea, Neptune.

As well as diving and wading equipment Karl realised the need for breathing apparatus for use in the shipyards in the Port of Hamburg for the workers dismantling ships and during welding processes and with a staff of eight men commenced the manufacture of breathing apparatus.

On the onset of the second World war the company continued operations but in July 1943 the Company's headquarters in Admiralitaetsstrasse were totally lost during a bombing raid. The factory was set up in Johannisbollwerk and the manufacturing process recommenced.

At this time Jost Bernhardt, Karl's son joined the team. As his father gradually withdrew from the company Jost took on more responsibilities and at the time of Karl's death in 1960 his son had taken over the full responsibility of the company. At around this time the company formed a partnership with the Draeger Company of Lubeck. The new partnership became Ing. Karl Bernhardt Apparatebau.

In the years that followed Jost Bernhardt developed a new range of products in the field of emergency sea rescue equipment and developed its production of lifejackets. In time Jost Bernhardt split from Ing, Karl Bernhardt Apparatebau and the production of diving equipment tapered off. A new Company was created, Bernhardt Apparatebau and the brand name of SECUMAR was launched in the serial manufacture of their lifejackets.


Jost Bernhardt in 1959 testing all the lifejackets on the market

With thanks to Anne Finck and SECUMAR Bernhardt Apparatebau GmbH u. Co., www.secumar.com without whose help this article would not have been possible.

• Last edited 25th February 2014