Albrecht Berblinger

Albrecht Berblinger

Albrecht Ludwig Berblinger (June 24 1770, Ulm – January 28 1829, Ulm), also known as the Tailor of Ulm, is famous for having constructed a working flying machine, presumably a hang glider.

Early life

Berblinger was the seventh child of a poor family. When he was 13 his father died and he was sent to an orphanage. There he was forced to become a tailor although he wanted to become a watchmaker.He became a master craftsman at 21, but he still was interested in mechanics. In his spare time in 1808 he invented the first artificial limb with a joint.

Flight attempts

His most important invention was a hang glider, which was supposed to let him fly. He worked on it for years, improving it and watching the flight of owls. People made fun of him and he was threatened with exclusion from the guild. He was ordered to pay a large fine for his working outside of the guild. Nevertheless he invested his whole income in his project. King Frederick I of Württemberg became interested in his work and sponsored him with 20 Louis.

He tried to demonstrate that the glider could really fly on the evening of May 30 1811 in the presence of the king, his three sons and the crown prince of Bavaria. The king and a large number of citizens waited for the flight but Berblinger cancelled it, claiming that his glider was damaged. The next day May 31 he made a second attempt from a higher location - the Adlerbastei ("Eagles Bastion"). This structure no longer exists but a plaque commemorates it on the banks of the river in Neu Strasse just past the Dreifaltigkeitskirche ("Holy Trinity Church"). The king had left by this time, but his brother Duke Heinrich and the princes stayed to watch. Berblinger waited so long for a good wind, that a policemen finally gave him a push and Berblinger fell into the Donau ("Danube"). Other versions of this account have no mention of the policeman and claim that the difference in temperature over the cold Donau (Danube) limited thermal updrafts and therefore the glider failed to lift. He survived and was rescued by fishermen.His reputation was effectively ruined as a result and his work suffered. He was 58 years old when he died in a hospital .

Reception

* A reconstruction of Berblinger's flying device (in the form of a pair of wings) can be seen in the Ulm Rathaus ("City Hall") suspended above the stairwell near the Standesamt ("Registrary") where civil weddings are held. There is also another reconstruction of the glider in the ground level of building B in the Fachhochschule ("University of Applied Science") Ulm.

* In 1986 it was proven that Berblingers glider was capable of sustained flight, but it was almost impossible to cross the danube even with most modern gliders.

* Bertolt Brecht wrote a ballad about Berblinger in 1934

External links

* [http://www.itravelnet.com/destinations/europe/germany/ulm/adlerbastei.html Adlerbastei (Eagles Bastion) - Where Berblinger launched from. ]

References

*de icon [http://www.tourismus.ulm.de/arts_detail.dpx?art_id=18]
*de icon [http://www.berlin-ehrungen.de/Ehrung/b/berblinger_albrecht_ludwig.htm]

Persondata
NAME=Berblinger, Albrecht
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Berblinger, Albrecht Ludwig;Taylor of Ulm;Schneider von Ulm
SHORT DESCRIPTION=aviation pioneer
DATE OF BIRTH=June 24 1770
PLACE OF BIRTH=Ulm, Germany
DATE OF DEATH=January 28 1829
PLACE OF DEATH=Ulm, Germany


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Albrecht Berblinger — Der tragische Flug des „Schneiders von Ulm“ (zeitgenössische Darstellung). Albrecht Ludwig Berblinger (auch bekannt als Der Schneider von Ulm; * 24. Juni 1770 in Ulm; † 28. Januar 1829 ebenda) war ein deutscher Schneider, Erfinder und Flugpionier …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Albrecht Ludwig Berblinger — Der tragische Flug des „Schneiders von Ulm“ (zeitgenössische Darstellung). Albrecht Ludwig Berblinger (auch bekannt als der Schneider von Ulm; * 24. Juni 1770 in Ulm; † 28. Januar 1829 ebenda) war ein deutscher Schneider, Erfinder und Flugpionier …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Berblinger — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Albrecht Ludwig Berblinger (1770–1829), deutscher Schneider, Erfinder und Flugpionier Frank Berblinger (* 1977), deutscher Handballspieler Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur U …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Albrecht-Ludwig-Berblinger-Preis — Deutsche Gesellschaft für Luft und Raumfahrtmedizin (DGLRM) Zweck: Forschung Luft und Raumfahrtmedizin Vorsitz: Dr. med. Klaus Kimmich Gründungsdatum: 1961 Mitgliederzahl: ca. 700 Sitz: München Website: www.dgl …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Berblinger — Bẹrblinger,   Albrecht Ludwig, genannt Schneider von Ụlm, Flugpionier, * Ulm 24. 6. 1770, ✝ ebenda 28. 1. 1829; konstruierte 1811, angeregt von J. Degen, einen halb starren Hängegleiter, mit dem er aber bei der Vorführung am 31. 5. 1811 in die… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Der Schneider von Ulm — Der tragische Flug des „Schneiders von Ulm“ (zeitgenössische Darstellung). Albrecht Ludwig Berblinger (auch bekannt als Der Schneider von Ulm; * 24. Juni 1770 in Ulm; † 28. Januar 1829 ebenda) war ein deutscher Schneider, Erfinder und Flugpionier …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Schneider von Ulm — Der tragische Flug des „Schneiders von Ulm“ (zeitgenössische Darstellung). Albrecht Ludwig Berblinger (auch bekannt als Der Schneider von Ulm; * 24. Juni 1770 in Ulm; † 28. Januar 1829 ebenda) war ein deutscher Schneider, Erfinder und Flugpionier …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Böfingen — Wappen Deutschlandkarte …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Grimmelfingen — Wappen Deutschlandkarte …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Michelsberg (Ulm) — Wappen Deutschlandkarte …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”