We look back at the 1980s with a smile, sometimes almost a little wistfully, at all the things that were coming into being at that time. Much began back then and slowly felt its way into the future. From today's perspective, very slowly. We had to be patient with everything. No email, no smartphone, no WhatsApp – we waited hours, even days, for a reply. Written information arrived by letter or fax, music played on cassette in Walkmans and films, when they were shown. Missed it? Too bad! On demand? No chance. We unfolded road maps in the car and eagerly awaited the collection of our developed photos for many days.
The emergency medical services were also in a transitional phase in the early 1980s, moving from purely "patient transport" to modern emergency medicine. At that time, the main goal was to load patients as quickly as possible and take them to the nearest hospital. Emergency doctors were rarely dispatched and the nationwide emergency number 112 was not yet established. Therefore, the police were often alerted first, who then radioed the ambulance stations. The emergency services finally responded with extremely bulky, heavy and unwieldy hospital equipment. ECG and defibrillator were not yet merged into a single unit and were nowhere near as powerful as today.
From the hobby cellar to the top of the world
Our company founder Günter Stemple knew that it could be done better. Because he knew what needed improvement - from many conversations with people working in the rescue service. That was always the most important thing to him – proximity to the users. And as a clever mind and resourceful tinkerer, he always found ways to put his ideas into action. Setbacks did not deter him. On the contrary. He was blessed with the courage and perseverance it takes to be successful with a groundbreaking innovation.
And so the technology pioneer tinkered away in his wood-paneled hobby basement in Kaufering on the corpuls 300 until he knew: This device can revolutionize the German market: extremely well thought out, light yet robust - with a smart power supply and a functional on-board charging system for vehicle installation. From today's perspective, a clunky, old-school box with a mini-screen and technically obsolete. But at the time, this portable defibrillator was a huge achievement that generated enthusiasm. The corpuls 300 and the corpuls 200 were our foundation - the pioneers of our subsequent innovations. They were the door openers for our journey from the hobby basement to the top of the world.
The hobby basement in our hearts
We still hold the Hobbykeller deep in our hearts today – over 40 years later. After all, this special past has made us who we are today. It shapes our identity to this day and is not a closed chapter, but the foundation on which we still build – the roots that still show us the way and shape our attitude. The corpuls courage to always try new things and the closeness to the users stem from our past.
Stories like ours never go out of style. Stories that started small and grew into something big through courage and passion. Stories that tell of new beginnings and dedication and carry within them this longing for the good old days.
With our new retro shirt, we bring these roots to you. That was, is, and remains corpuls: future-oriented and at the same time rooted in our beginnings. Our past is part of everything we develop today.
Many of you surely still know the corpuls 300, have worked with the device... and carry this time - like us - in their hearts.