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WAGO - The Story behind the Company

WAGO was founded over 70 years ago. But how did it all begin? Learn about our company's history here.

It all started with the original patent for spring pressure connection technology, which led to the founding of the family company. It was 1950. While playing cards in Berlin, brothers-in-law Heinrich Nagel and Friedrich Hohorst learned about a patent for screwless leaf spring clamps with pushbuttons, and spontaneously purchased all of the rights, including the housing, springs, current bars and rivets for a first assembly batch. This laid the cornerstone for the new family company: WAGO Klemmenwerk GmbH was founded on April 27, 1951 in Minden. Initial concepts followed, as well as highs and lows, but they were always accompanied by the conviction that screwless connection technology would be successful. The first decade was characterized by innovations, products, patents, and the first successes at home and abroad.
  • 1951: Acquisition of the original Terminal Block (including patent)
  • 1952: SUPRAFIX Banana Plug
  • 1953: SUPRAFIX terminal strips with pressure spring connection (12-pole); SUPRAFIX compact terminal blocks with push-buttons on both sides (2-pole)
  • 1954: Small SUPRAFIX modular terminal block with pressure spring connection
  • 1957: First WAGO Rail-Mount Terminal Block Family with leaf spring connection, for standardized DINrails

In 1961, Wolfgang Hohorst joined the company, bringing several new ideas with him. His vision for spring pressure connection technology – better, safer, more economical – served as an incentive for the course that he charted for the company. One pioneering decision in 1966 was the use of polyamide 6.6 instead of Duroplast for the housings for the rail-mount terminal blocks – a global first. In addition, pluggable connectors and solderable modules with spring clamp connection for printed circuit boards expanded the company’s product portfolio in the 1960s, while the use of spring pressure connection technology in electronic ballasts and capacitor terminal blocks provided WAGO with an entry into the lighting industry.