Werner von Siemens (1816 - 1892)

Since the 14^th century, the Siemens family resided in Lower Saxony, in North Harz and the Lowlands, although they were based mainly in Goslar. Later, occasional emigrations to the Netherlands, North America, Russia, and Africa, took place. Werner was born on December 13, 1816, in Lenthe, a town close to Hanover. His father, Christian Ferdinand (1787 - 1840) was a farmer, first in Lenthe, then in Menzendorf (Mecklenburg).

Initially, Werner received tutoring at home, and then attended high school in Luebeck from 1832. In 1834, in Magdeburg, he began his military training to become a bombardier. After completing the basic training he moved to Berlin to begin a three-year training course at the technical and scientific artillery and engineering school. He finished school in 1838. His mother passed away in 1839, closely followed by his father, who died in January 1840. Werner was one of 11 children. As the eldest he took over the role of his late father. In the autumn of 1840, he moved to Wittenberg, a small garrison town, where he attempted to precipitate the metallic form of copper from a vitriol copper solution, utilizing a Galvanic current. However, since he was caught in a situation acting as the fugleman (wing man) to a friend of his, an artillery officer, he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, which ended with a pardon. Nevertheless, he spent half a year in a cell. He used this opportunity to arrange a laboratory in his cell, thereby continuing with his experiments. During this time, he discovered gilding, as well as

Werner von Siemens (1816 - 1892) © Siemens-Forum Munich

silver plating, for which he received the patent. Surprisingly, after one month, a cabinet decision was made to release Werner with immediate effect. He attempted to delay his release for a few days in order to finish the experiments in his cell. However, the delay was not granted. His brother, William, traveled to England, selling the patent for £1500 in 1842. On October 1, 1847, he founded the telegraph buildings of Siemens & Halske (Johann Georg Halske, born 1814) on Schoeneberger Street 19, in Berlin. At this time, the company had three employees. In 1851, during the world industrial show in London, he demonstrated his pointer telegraph, earning him the "Council Medal".

Werner moved the factory onto Markgrafen Street 94, marrying Mathilde Drumann in the same year. They had two children together, Arnold in 1853, and William in 1855. His invention of the double-"T" anchor followed in 1856, which was used further in different applications: ringing inductors, telephones, explosive device fuses and magnetic pointer telegraphs.

During the autumn of 1866, Siemens discovered the electro-dynamic principle, arguably his most important discovery. He built an inductor through which the double-"T" anchor, with a close air gap between the pole shoes, ran electromagnets through soft iron. Several other scientists, in different countries, were working on this problem concurrently. Electro-magnetic induction, discovered by Faraday in 1831, had simply become the fundamental basis for physics work in the realm of high voltage current engineering.

Werner von Siemens in 1887 based on a drawing by Ismael Gentz © Siemens-Forum Munich

Halske resigned from the Berlin head office in 1867. He was not an entrepreneur; instead he wanted to devote himself to Berliner arts and crafts as a town councilor. The Indo-European telegraph line between London and Calcutta started to be built in 1868, coming into operation in 1871. Georg Siemens, the nephew of Werner, was a crucial figure during the process of gaining a franchise issuance in Persia.

After the death of his wife, Mathilde, Werner married Antonie Siemens in 1869. She was the daughter of a distant cousin, a professor of technology at the University of Agriculture in Hohenheim, near Stuttgart. They lived in Charlottenburg with a daughter, Hertha (born 1872), and a son, Carl Friedrich (born 1872).

The first electrotechnical world exhibition took place in 1881. Thomas Alva Edison and Werner Siemens came out on top as the most successful. Edison demonstrated his phonograph and electric mantle light made from bamboo fibers, carbon fibers, and an incandescent lamp. Siemens brought dynamos, electrical lamps, telegraphs, and precision instruments to the exhibition. On December 31, 1889, Werner Siemens stepped down as head of his company. Arnold, Wilhelm and Carl were his successors. In 1890, he traveled to Caucasus, visiting Corfu and Nepal in 1891. He passed away in Charlottenburg, on December 6, 1892.