Jolanta PAWNIK: The History of Wrocław’s ‘Silicon Valley’ – How Poland’s First Computers Were Made

en Language Flag The History of Wrocław’s ‘Silicon Valley’ – How Poland’s First Computers Were Made

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Jolanta PAWNIK

Journalist, lecturer and media advisor. Enthusiast of new media. A Cracovian in love with her hometown Sandomierz.

The name of Poland’s first computer referenced the river running through Wrocław and the country’s one-thousandth anniversary. On 26 January 1961, the ELWRO electronics plant (Wrocławskie Zakłady Elektroniczne) produced the first Polish computer – the Odra 1001. The machines manufactured in Wrocław, known for their reliability and user-friendliness, played a key role in the early computerisation of Polish businesses and institutions. In the 1970s, ELWRO calculators were highly coveted among students. Unfortunately, the plant failed to withstand the pressures of capitalism and faded into history as Poland’s free-market economy began to emerge.

.The T-21 facilities, otherwise known as Wrocławskie Zakłady Elektroniczne, were established on 6 February 1959 at 30 Ostrowskiego Street in the Grabiszyn district of Wrocław. The location was chosen in anticipation of a steady flow of graduates from the Faculty of Communication at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology. Initially, the plant was intended to produce components for the UNITRA Association, that is, for the Warsaw Television Works (Warszawskie Zakłady Telewizyjne) and the DIORA Radio Works (Zakłady Radiowe DIORA) in Dzierżoniów. In the early years of its existence, ELWRO’s products included channel switches and FM heads for radio receivers.

The future designers of the Odra computer trained at the Institutes of Mathematics and Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The first team tasked with developing the Odra 1001 was formed within ELWRO’s Design Department under the leadership of Jerzy Bromirski. The Odra 1001 never entered mass production; successive iterations followed, yet none fully met the designers’ expectations. The Odra 1204, released in 1967, finally satisfied those expectations. A total of 179 units were manufactured, most of which were exported.

Compared to similar devices developed in Western Europe, the Odra 1204 had very limited software. To address this, ELWRO collaborated with engineers from the British company International Computers and Tabulators. This partnership laid the foundation for the Odra 1304, which entered production in 1970. Unlike its predecessors, this model featured a card reader and printer, supported multiple programming languages, and had a library of over 1,000 programs, including for planning and management.

The Odra 1304, 1305 and 1325 – the latter built using integrated circuit technology – quickly became the best computers in Central and Eastern Europe. Their state-of-the-art software facilitated the digital transformation of numerous enterprises and strategic government institutions, such as the Central Statistical Office (GUS) and the Voivodeship Statistical Offices (WUS). They were also widely adopted by universities.

The Odra computers were renowned for their reliability, though they did struggle to start up in cold rooms. They remained in use for an impressively long time – the last Odra 1305 was operational at the Hutmen factory in Wrocław until 18 July 2003. Similar devices were used even longer at Wrocław-Brochów railway station and Lublin-Tatary station, remaining in service until 2010.

Beyond these well-known computing machines, ELWRO also developed specialist computers. The Odra 1325 and 1305 – designated as Rodan 10 and Rodan 15 – became the backbone of radar systems used by the Warsaw Pact military forces. The final model, Rodan 15, was produced in 1991.

The Odra computers and other devices manufactured by ELWRO were unparalleled across the Eastern Bloc. The plant also housed a thriving training centre, which taught thousands of people programming and computer operation skills. The plant’s particularly noteworthy product was the ELWRO 800 Junior, a microcomputer introduced into thousands of schools. The first computer training sessions for teachers were held and dedicated computer classrooms were established. It is estimated that more than a million students gained their first experience with IT using ELWRO equipment.

Wrocław was also a hub for the development of highly regarded industrial automation systems, measuring instruments and office calculators. Furthermore, the late 1970s and early 1980s saw ELWRO release its first video game console, the Pong-inspired TVG-10, and the Elwirka electronic keyboard.

.With the advent of the free market, ELWRO was privatised. In 1993, it was acquired by the German conglomerate Siemens, which did nothing to support the struggling plant for seven years. Eventually, the factory was shut down, and most of its production halls were demolished. Today, the remaining buildings house the SWPS University and the Wrocław branch of Radio Eska. In 2015, a monument commemorating ELWRO was erected at the intersection of Ostrowskiego and Grabiszyńska streets at ELWRO Square. Wrocław’s computers can now only be admired in technology museums.

Jolanta Pawnik

This content is protected by copyright. Any further distribution without the authors permission is forbidden. 29/01/2025
Fot. Łukasz Dejnarowicz / Forum