berühmte deutsche

KARL FREIHERR VON DRAIS

1785-1851: Karlsruhe

https://shorturl.at/6ehnC

200 years ago in Germany Baron Karl von Drais demonstrated his newest invention: the 'draisienne' (which was also known as the 'Laufmachine', 'running machine' or 'Vélocipède'), a two-wheeled horseless vehicle propelled by its rider.

On 12 June 1817, a crowd gathered along the best road in Mannheim, Germany to watch Baron Karl von Drais demonstrate his newest invention: the 'draisienne', a two-wheeled horseless vehicle propelled by its rider. Drais climbed on and set out for the Schwetzinger switch house, a strategic point along the postal route. Less than an hour later, he was back, having completed the 8-9 mile round trip in a quarter of the usual time. Two hundred years later, we salute Drais and his draisienne as a significant milestone on the long road of innovation leading to the bicycle of today.

Die von Karl Drais erfundene hölzerne Laufmaschine ist eine Schlüsselinnovation auf dem Weg zur individuellen Mobilität – und somit weit mehr als „nur“ eine Vorläuferin des Fahrrads.

Laufmachine or 'Vélocipède

FUN FACTS

Karl’s most famous invention, arguably, among all his ideas, is the “Laufmaschine,” which means “running machine.” It also went by the name of “velocipede,” “hobby horse,” and “dandy horse.”
Karl invented the Laufmaschine in 1817, during the Biedermeier period in central Europe among other inventions.
Karl’s first ride on the Laufmaschine reportedly happened on June 12, 1817.
He rode the vehicle for about seven kilometers from Mannheim to Rheinau, now a suburb of Mannheim.
Karl took a little over an hour to ride to Rheinau and back to Mannheim, which was faster than foot travel.
In the same year, Karl undertook his second trial run from Gernsbach to Baden over a steep 800-foot hill.
With an average speed of four miles per hour, his invention was consistently impressive.
The following year, he took his demonstration to the next level by exhibiting in Paris’ Luxembourg Gardens. The grand exhibition was visited by thousands of spectators.
Karl invented this two-wheeled mechanized vehicle mainly for people who depended on horses for transportation. He wanted to invent “horseless travel” for those who need it.
Even though he secured a five-year patent in France in 1818, "draisienne" knockoffs were quickly being produced throughout Europe.
In England, coachmaker Denis Johnson patented a revised model of a draisienne in 1818 and called it the “pedestrian curricle,” later popularized as a “hobby horse.”
Three-wheeled and four-wheeled velocipedes became the focus of many inventors for the next 40 years.

A fitting memorial to Drais has since been erected in Karlsruhe cemetery. Postage stamps, a Google Doodle and a 2017 German €20 coin have also been released in his honour,

The draisienne may not have been a pedal bike like we think of today, but it represented an integral stage in cycling design. Two centuries after the draisienne first came to prominence, it is fair to look back at the legacy of Karl Von Drais and declare him the father of the bicycle.