Giving Form to Thought – A Fictional AI Conversation with August Baggenstos | 100 Years of Baggenstos

The 100-year history of Baggenstos reveals a powerful thread connecting generations: technology changes, but people do not. Organisations transform as digitalisation accelerates, yet the human being remains at the centre. A fictional AI-driven dialogue with company founder August Baggenstos explores this idea.

Mr AI Baggenstos, what fascinates you about typewriters?

Ah, you know… what fascinates me most about the typewriter is its mechanics — the interplay of levers, springs and type bars that turns a keystroke into a crisp letter. No electricity, no magic – just precision.
When I opened my small workshop in Zurich in 1925, every machine felt like a tiny clockwork. Open it up and you instantly see whether it had been treated with care or neglected. It was this craftsmanship – repairing, adjusting, lubricating, polishing – that always captivated me.
And there is something else: a typewriter forces people to work with focus. Every keystroke matters, and the result is visible immediately. Technology that doesn’t get in the way, but gives structure to one’s thinking.

We don’t need typewriters anymore. What do you say to that?

Well, you touch on something I’ve often thought about myself. If I’m honest: the world certainly doesn’t need my typewriters anymore. Everyday life has changed — offices, communication, even the pace of thought. People type on glass surfaces, dictate text, or have machines write entire paragraphs for them. For the basic function of putting letters onto a medium, the typewriter is long outdated.

Baggenstos might open a branch on Mars in a hundred years. What do you think?

My whole life I’ve seen technology push boundaries. When I started my workshop in 1925, typewriters were the pinnacle of office communication. Today, devices with unimaginable processing power fly into space. Will people live on Mars? I think so — but not as romantically as some imagine. It’s only a matter of time, money and persistence. Everyday life, however, won’t emerge there quickly. But yes, we will do it, because humans cannot resist going where things are difficult.

Last question, Mr Baggenstos: comparing a typewriter with a cloud-connected computer or smartphone — do you see a common thread?

Yes, I do, and it is perhaps more conceptual than technical. A typewriter and a cloud-enabled computer ultimately do the same thing: they help a person give lasting form to their thoughts. Both are tools of expression — only on entirely different levels.

In the 1920s, typewriters were the most advanced communication device you could imagine in an office. Every keystroke triggered a small mechanical process, but the purpose was the same as today: to capture, structure and share information. A computer does this infinitely faster, more flexibly and more connected — but the underlying intent remains remarkably similar. Yet on a typewriter, one works in full concentration, undisturbed. A cloud-connected device, on the other hand, constantly brings new distractions.

Thank you for the conversation, Mr Baggenstos. And how is your son doing, by the way?

I’m pleased you ask. My son, Thomas Baggenstos, is doing well and is very active in the family business. He joined the company in 1984 — unfortunately, I never had the chance to work with him. Luckily, he didn’t become a typewriter mechanic as I had once hoped. By shifting towards computer technology, he showed real foresight. Today, with great dedication, he ensures that our traditional company has grown into the modern IT world — and will continue to deliver outstanding service well into 2125 and beyond. Only digitally now, rather than mechanically as in my time.