Biography of Karl Drais

The invention of the bicycle

19 April 1785
10 December 1851
Karl Drais-whose full name was Karl Friedrich Christian Ludwig Freiherr Drais von Sauerbronn-was a famous German intellectual active in the first half of the nineteenth century, whose most important invention was the draisine, ancestor of the bicycle. Very cultured man, was pushed by profound democratic ideals for this never used his name from noble and eliminated even the nickname Von, which in German means a person of high rank. Born to father judge and noble mother in 1785, he studied architecture at the University of Heidelber. Civil service as forestry official took place, which allowed him to have a pension for life, and then devote himself completely to his inventions since 1810.
He designed different machines, primarily a typewriter keys, a meat grinder, a fire extinguisher and a submarine with periscope. His first important invention was a "travel machine" that he presented to Tsar Alexander I in 1813. He was enthusiastic but the invention did not have the success hoped for. The "machine to run" or draisine dating back to the same years but had much more success: is considered the ancestor of the bicycle without pedals. He presented the invention first in Germany, covering a distance of about 28 km, obtaining the patent by the Grand Duke of Baden Charles II, who gave him the title of Professor of mechanics, purely honorific and without references to the academic world. Then came the presentation of draisine in France and then in England where he obtained great success and was called hobby horse, that horse for fun.
He continued for the rest of his life to design new items to improve the living conditions of the population and participated actively in the 48 revolutions in Europe to spread the ideals of democracy. He did declare mentally ill for his political views and made intern. He died in poverty in 1851.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.