Help on an old Hahn Cruciform key

Adrian Weber

Hey guys,

A fellow collector recently gave me this key. At first sight I thought I had seen it before but obviously I did not. I contacted the person in charge of the Zeiss Ikon Lock museum and he told that this would an earlier version key of the Berolina lock from Zeiss Ikon. Sadly I have no lock for this key. If anyone has information on it I would be interested in it thanks!

Here is a link to the Berolina lock from Zeiss Ikon:
http://www.zeiss-ikon-schlossmuseum.de/zeiss_ikon_kastenriegelschloss_berolina_nr._183.html

Richard Phillips

Is that an active ball in the bit?

Adrian Weber

They are not active if that is what you mean. They do not move.

Arcade Al

In the book “Colditz” by prisoner of war Pat Reid, he describes the Germans fitting “Cruciform Locks” to certain doors in order to prevent the inmates picking them.
I wonder if this is the type that he was talking about?

Arcade Al

Correction the book is properly called “The Colditz Story”.

Tom Gordon

I have been to Colditz and they did not have that pin.

Arcade Al

Tom Gordon wrote
I have been to Colditz and they did not have that pin.

Any photos of the actual ones there please?

🙁nod):

[unknown]

Tom Gordon

Arcade Al wrote
Any photos of the actual ones there please?

🙁nod):

Sorry no I havent

[unknown]

Adrian Weber

You guys should really watch my video on the Hahn Exenterlock:
[video=youtube;oP2lgG1rTWU][/video]

I do explain in that video that Hahn was bought by Zeiss Ikon BEFORE the 30s. It is therefore high unlikely that the Nazis used a Hahn lock. The probably used the Berolina which had 12 pins (4 pins on each side). It is the only early production Zeiss Ikon Cruciform lock that had 12 pins.

🙂

Adrian Weber

Here is the video with the key showing it with attention to detail:
[video=youtube;n70Bmfo7ZEw][/video]