The year 2025 opens with celebrations and new opportunities for Unda Radio.
The initiative to commemorate the centenary of the company’s foundation (22 August 1925) was launched by Edith Strobl, director of the Hans Glauber Library, with the support of the Committee for Lifelong Learning of Dobbiaco (chaired by Andreas Walder) and Antique Radio Magazine.
The project, combining cultural outreach and community involvement, has culminated in the creation of a commemorative book and a temporary exhibition.
THE OPENING
On 22 August 2025, exactly one hundred years after its foundation, Mrs. Lisa Glauber, daughter of Max Glauber, the founder of Unda, cut the ribbon to open the exhibition celebrating the company’s centenary. The establishment of Unda Radio, both in its time and in its geographical context, had a profound local and social impact, fostering economic and cultural growth that continues to resonate today.
For the occasion, the documentary “Unda Radio – The Story of a Pioneer” (directed by Cornelia Schöpf and Federico Campana) was screened, followed by tributes from several dignitaries.
THE EXHIBITION
The impressive Gustav Mahler Cultural Centre in Dobbiaco provided a prestigious setting for the exhibition.
In the ground floor atrium, an oil portrait of the young Max welcomed visitors and led them towards the main hall on the first floor. There, seven large display cases, interspersed with smaller ones, showcased original devices and documents. Twenty large panels formed a central timeline running through the hall, serving as the backbone of the exhibition. Their text and images presented Unda’s milestones within the broader historical context in an accessible and immediate way.
Along the side corridor, three panels illustrated the Glauber family tree and told its story.
The exhibition concluded with an interactive area curated by the Radio Museum Association of South Tyrol in Bressanone. Volunteers guided visitors through the displays and offered a Repair Café: advice, technical demonstrations, and assistance for owners wishing to bring their vintage radios back to life.
THE BOOK
A commemorative volume was also produced and presented during the event. It retraces the history of the Glauber family and its social and historical background, while also documenting the evolution of Unda’s radio production. The book highlights the company’s pioneering role in combining technology, design, and product quality.
Several chapters are devoted to a detailed timeline of product development and manufacturing. The book closes with direct testimonies from former employees (or their families), sharing memories and emotions connected with Unda — vivid, touching recollections that bring history to life.
LISA GLAUBER’S THANKS
I would like to thank my father, who founded Unda, and the workers — women and men of Dobbiaco and the surrounding area — who, despite the difficulties of the 1930s and 1940s, laid the foundations of the company.
I also thank all vintage radio enthusiasts, who with their passion have kept alive the memory of the “glorious Unda” and involved me in rediscovering its past, in particular: Alessandro and Mosè Battocchio, Marco Manfredini, Domenico Cramarossa, Marco Puccini, Nicolò Rubini, Cornelia Schöpf, and Federico Campana.
Finally, my heartfelt thanks go to all those who, with equal passion and dedication, made this event possible, far beyond my expectations: Edith Strobl, director of the Hans Glauber Library in Dobbiaco; Andreas Walder, chairman of the Committee for Lifelong Learning; Alessandro Battocchio, author of the commemorative book; Alex Pergher, curator of the exhibition; Cornelia and Federico, authors of the documentary; the Municipality of Dobbiaco; the Department of Culture of the Autonomous Province; and the Gustav Mahler Cultural Centre.
And last but not least, I would like to thank all those who kindly lent their radios for the exhibition.
Lisa Glauber
IN THE PRESS
