Groups > alt.folklore.computers > #214470

Re: Curta Calculators

From	"Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid>
Newsgroups	alt.folklore.computers
Subject	Re: Curta Calculators
Date	2020-09-21 22:39 +0200
Message-ID	<ikfn3h-7ua.ln1@Telcontar.valinor> (permalink)
References	<rk8dja$ceg$1@dont-email.me> <slrnrmgpce.42k.maus@dmaus.org> <kiohmfdbh7bm4vjdibuhjqpa06cjfg17js@4ax.com> <IL6aH.3149844$6_j.1760340@fx37.ams4> <1ba6xioqic.fsf@pfeifferfamily.net>

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On 21/09/2020 21.53, Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
> Elliott Roper <nospam@yrl.co.uk> writes:
>> On 21 Sep 2020 at 18:28:24 BST, "J. Clarke" <jclarke.873638@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> On 21 Sep 2020 08:34:22 GMT, maus <maus@dmaus.org> wrote:
>>>> On 2020-09-20, Jason Evans <jsevans@mailfence.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>   If we're going to talk about really retro tech like pencils, why hasn't
>>>>>   anyone come out with a reproduction Curta calculator? You can buy plans
>>>>>   to build your own with 3d printed parts, but nothing really substantial.
>>>>>   I can imaging that they would sell even if the relatively price is high
>>>>>   and available in small batches and the patent must have run out on them
>>>>>   years ago. People are paying $2000+ for them on ebay so I don't see how
>>>>>   they wouldn't be profitable.
>>>>>
>>>>>   For those who don't know what this is:
>>>>>   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curta
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Curta's are cute, but had a sorta bad reputation, having been made
>>>> by slave labour in the early days. I have enough old tackle resuing in
>>>> drawers.
>>>
>>> I was not aware that prisoners at Buchenwald had access to slave
>>> labor.  Tell us more.
>>
>> The explanation is in the link to the Wikipedia article you snipped
>> _________________________
>> While I was imprisoned inside Buchenwald I had, after a few days, told the
>> [people] in the work production scheduling department of my ideas. The head of
>> the department, Mr. Munich said, 'See, Herzstark, I understand you've been
>> working on a new thing, a small calculating machine. Do you know, I can give
>> you a tip. We will allow you to make and draw everything. If it is really
>> worth something, then we will give it to the Führer as a present after we win
>> the war. Then, surely, you will be made an Aryan.' For me, that was the first
>> time I thought to myself, my God, if you do this, you can extend your life.
>> And then and there I started to draw the CURTA, the way I had imagined it.
>> __________________________
>> The snipped link
>>   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curta

I don't see what the issue is. He saw a way to survive and took it. The 
slave labour was the inventor himself, and the manufacturing happened 
after the war... The slavers did not benefit.

> So the actual inventor was slave labor when he developed it, and then of
> course profited from it when it actually went into production after the
> war.  Sounds to me like that would give it an extra good reputation...

Indeed.

-- 
Cheers, Carlos.

Thread

Curta Calculators Jason Evans <jsevans@mailfence.com> - 2020-09-20 20:20 +0000
  Re: Curta Calculators J. Clarke <jclarke.873638@gmail.com> - 2020-09-20 16:51 -0400
  Re: Curta Calculators "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2020-09-20 22:48 +0200
  Re: Curta Calculators Chris <xxx.syseng.yyy@gfsys.co.uk> - 2020-09-20 23:30 +0100
    Re: Curta Calculators J. Clarke <jclarke.873638@gmail.com> - 2020-09-20 18:46 -0400
      Re: Curta Calculators Chris <xxx.syseng.yyy@gfsys.co.uk> - 2020-09-21 00:56 +0100
        Re: Curta Calculators J. Clarke <jclarke.873638@gmail.com> - 2020-09-20 20:10 -0400
          Re: Curta Calculators Niklas Karlsson <anksil@yahoo.se> - 2020-09-21 08:49 +0000
        Re: Curta Calculators JimP <chucktheouch@gmail.com> - 2020-09-21 09:15 -0500
    Re: Curta Calculators Dave Garland <dave.garland@wizinfo.com> - 2020-09-22 17:12 -0500
      Re: Curta Calculators Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2020-09-22 15:46 -0700
        Re: Curta Calculators David Lesher <wb8foz@panix.com> - 2020-09-23 04:00 +0000
        Re: Curta Calculators John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> - 2020-09-23 18:53 +0000
          Re: Curta Calculators Chris <xxx.syseng.yyy@gfsys.co.uk> - 2020-09-23 23:32 +0100
            Re: Curta Calculators "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2020-09-24 11:33 +0200
              Re: Curta Calculators Chris <xxx.syseng.yyy@gfsys.co.uk> - 2020-09-24 17:44 +0100
                Re: Curta Calculators Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2020-09-24 11:21 -0700
                Re: Curta Calculators Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2020-09-24 15:32 -0300
                Re: Curta Calculators J. Clarke <jclarke.873638@gmail.com> - 2020-09-24 15:46 -0400
                Re: Curta Calculators Chris <xxx.syseng.yyy@gfsys.co.uk> - 2020-09-24 23:38 +0100
                Re: Curta Calculators Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2020-09-24 19:44 -0600
                Re: Curta Calculators scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2020-09-25 15:28 +0000
          Re: Curta Calculators Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2020-09-23 15:36 -0700
          Re: Curta Calculators Dave Garland <dave.garland@wizinfo.com> - 2020-09-23 18:22 -0500
  Re: Curta Calculators Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2020-09-20 17:46 -0700
    Re: Curta Calculators J. Clarke <jclarke.873638@gmail.com> - 2020-09-20 20:53 -0400
    Re: Curta Calculators Chris <xxx.syseng.yyy@gfsys.co.uk> - 2020-09-21 13:10 +0100
    Re: Curta Calculators Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2020-09-25 20:23 -0700
      Re: Curta Calculators Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2020-09-25 20:25 -0700
      Re: Curta Calculators David Lesher <wb8foz@panix.com> - 2020-09-26 22:58 +0000
  Re: Curta Calculators maus <maus@dmaus.org> - 2020-09-21 08:34 +0000
    Re: Curta Calculators Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2020-09-21 01:55 -0700
      Re: Curta Calculators maus <maus@dmaus.org> - 2020-09-22 12:14 +0000
    Re: Curta Calculators Niklas Karlsson <anksil@yahoo.se> - 2020-09-21 08:56 +0000
    Re: Curta Calculators J. Clarke <jclarke.873638@gmail.com> - 2020-09-21 13:28 -0400
      Re: Curta Calculators Elliott Roper <nospam@yrl.co.uk> - 2020-09-21 19:00 +0000
        Re: Curta Calculators Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2020-09-21 13:53 -0600
          Re: Curta Calculators "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2020-09-21 22:39 +0200
        Re: Curta Calculators J. Clarke <jclarke.873638@gmail.com> - 2020-09-21 18:17 -0400
          Re: Curta Calculators Elliott Roper <nospam@yrl.co.uk> - 2020-09-21 23:01 +0000
          Re: Curta Calculators Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2020-09-21 19:05 -0600
      Re: Curta Calculators maus <maus@dmaus.org> - 2020-09-22 12:16 +0000
  Re: Curta Calculators Joy Beeson <jbeeson@invalid.net.invalid> - 2020-09-21 18:58 -0400
    Re: Curta Calculators JimP <chucktheouch@gmail.com> - 2020-09-22 09:27 -0500
    Re: Curta Calculators Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2020-09-22 19:20 +0000
      Re: Curta Calculators J. Clarke <jclarke.873638@gmail.com> - 2020-09-22 15:44 -0400

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