Deutschlandsender Zeesen
Deutschlandsender Zeesen was a facility for longwave broadcasting near Zeesen, a village south of Königs Wusterhausen in Germany. Built by the German Reichspost in 1927, it served the nationwide Deutschlandsender radio transmissions by the Deutsche Welle broadcaster.
History
Construction started after the capacity of the first Königs Wusterhausen radio transmitter became insufficient to meet the growing demand. The completion of the Zeesen facility was delayed for three weeks, when the western of the two masts collapsed as its construction reached a height of 40 metres. The station was inaugurated on 20 December 1927, then called Deutschlandsender II.
The Zeesen transmitter's antenna comprised a 280 metre long and 12 metre wide T-antenna spun between two guyed 210 metre tall masts, which were 450 metres apart from each other. It was connected directly with the transmitter which was housed in a building in the middle of the two masts. Until 1928 Deutschlandsender II used the frequency 240 kHz. Afterwards its frequency was 183.5 kHz and, after 1934, 191 kHz. Its transmission power initially was 35 kilowatt; in 1931 it was increased to 60 kilowatt. A neighbouring short-wave transmitter was erected in 1931
In 1939 the Zeesen transmitter was replaced by Deutschlandsender III at Herzberg. In World War II it was used as reserve transmitter for the Herzberg station and for transmitting messages to agents of German's secret services. The facility was not destroyed in World War II, however, it was dismantled in 1945 by order of the Soviet occupation forces.