Lot 31A

Johannes Hermann Wolff (1896-1976) German-Swedish engineer & pioneer

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Johannes Hermann Wolff (1896-1976) German-Swedish engineer & pioneer

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Estimate: $50 - $75

Starting Bid: $25

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by East Coast Books
August 6, 2026 3:00 PM EDT
Timed Auction
PO Box 849
Wells, ME, US 04090

Johannes ( Hans ) Hermann Wolff (1896-1976) German-Swedish engineer and pioneer in the manufacture of cemented carbide. Wolff was part of the group at Osram in Berlin that created the first cemented carbides in the early 1920s. When the Nazis came to power, he was forced to leave both work and homeland because he was of Jewish descent. The escape went to Sweden in 1937 where he was employed by Luma , especially for his skills in the production of tungsten wire for light bulbs. In Sweden, Fagersta had started a small production of hard metal in 1930 and a few years later presented a hard metal under the name Seco.  Luma, not considering the production of light bulbs to be compatible with that of cemented carbide, offered Fagersta to hire Wolff for his expertise in cemented carbide manufacturing, but Fagersta declined. When war broke out in 1939 , Wolff, with the support of then Minister of Defense Per Edvin SkÃÃÃÃÃöld , persuaded the management at Luma to produce carbide tips for ammunition.  The production became large-scale and continued until the end of the war. In 1941, Luma concluded a ten-year cooperation agreement with Sandvik ABwho later employed Wolff. In 1947, Sandvik completely took over cemented carbide production after the product proved its commercial potential and the company became the world leader in the field. Offered here is a ALS, 190?, 2pp. VG

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