Béla Barényi

Béla Barényi ( complete: Béla Viktor Karl Barényi ) (* March 1, 1907 in Shepherd, Lower Austria, † 30 May 1997 Böblingen ) was a design engineer who is considered one of the founders of passive safety in the automotive industry. Barényi had Hungarian roots. Over the decades changed the nationality of Austria, Czechoslovakia and Germany.

Life and work

Béla Barényi was born on March 1, 1907 in the Villa Keller'schen the stream in the Lower Austrian mountain shepherds. Since his father Eugen Barényi (1866-1917) was born in Pressburg, he was at the foundation of the Czechoslovak Republic (1918 ) Czechoslovak citizens. Barényi father was a lieutenant colonel in the k.u.k. Army, instructor at the Infantry Cadet School Kamenitz and Professor of Natural Sciences at the military secondary school in Fischau; his mother, Mary, was from the very wealthy family cellar. Barényi great-grandfather was Seraphin Keller (1823-1882), founder of the Hirtenberger cartridge factory, his grandfather, Fridolin Keller (1849-1923), in 1890 became its own company Gulden millionaire who owned a luxury Austro-Daimler and founded and thus deepened Béla interest on the automotive industry. Béla's brother, Friedrich Barényi († 1984), was involved as a mathematician at Junkers in the development of the first jet engine.

After graduating from elementary school ( Pressburg ), citizens and junior high school (Vienna and Waidhofen an der Ybbs ) and an excellent conclusion [note 2 ] on the public private college for mechanical and electrical engineering in Siebenbrunnengasse 35 in Vienna Margaret he collected from 1928 experience at the Steyr -Werke in Vienna, the eagle works in Frankfurt, the company GETEFO in Berlin and Société Pendelastic or Soprotec in Paris.

From 1939 Barényi worked on the help of his friend Karl Wilfert study for Daimler -Benz AG and made the passive safety of cars to his career and life goal. A year later he became a German citizen and married in the same year Maria Killian - the marriage remained childless. Together with Daimler-Benz Development Officer Hans Scherenberg formulated Barényi 1966 is still valid today allocation of active and passive safety.

After the Second World War, he began with the Terra and Concadoro project. In 1946, he was, as he joined the Nazi party before the Anschluss, dismissed as politically charged, but in 1948 was his reinstatement as a development engineer with the task area specialized studies and preparation of design proposals.

1953 sat Barényi his claims on registered by Ferdinand Porsche patents in court. Barényi could prove that he already explained the concept of the Beetle in the 1920s in detail, but had not sufficiently protected by patents. 1955 sued Barényi Volkswagenwerk GmbH copyright infringement, whereupon his authorship was recognized by the court on VW Type 1.

His visions, designs and inventions made ​​sure that vehicles of the Mercedes-Benz brand among the safest in their time were. The first project was a new platform frame for the Mercedes -Benz 170V Cabriolet ( W 136 series ), the occupants better protected in a side impact than in previous designs. His issued on October 30, 1952 patent with the number (DE- ) 854157 is now considered the basis of passive safety in vehicle. The series concept was introduced in 1953 was in the " Ponton" series W 120 1948 he invented a principle for recessed windscreen wipers, which are obscured when disconnected from the body and thus represent a lower risk of injury to pedestrians. This idea was realized in the 1979 -built and 1991 S -Class W 126 The safety steering column goes back to a Barényi idea from 1947.

1951 succeeded Barényi a breakthrough in the development of safety, when he registered the basis of the safety passenger cell for a patent. The concept of the defined crumple zone in conjunction with a high-strength passenger cell is a cornerstone of passive safety. In the version presented in August 1959 luxury model series W 111, the " tail fin ", this innovation was the first time in series. 1963 Barényi invented the " safety steering shaft for motor vehicles " and patented this technology. As a complete system, this safety steering system in 1976 had 123 premiere in the W series. In addition to his commitment to the passive safety Barényi also developed pioneering automotive concepts such as the motorhome Mercedes -Benz Grand touring car and the compact vehicle K- 5th

From 1955 until his retirement in 1974, he headed the Advanced Engineering at Daimler -Benz. His house in Maichingen and is furnished archive sold Barényi mid-90s to the Mercedes -Benz AG.

Béla Barényi, the father of passive safety, copyright 2500 pending patents, died on 30 May 1997 at the age of 90 years in Böblingen. Parts of his estate received the Technical Museum in Vienna.

Awards, Prizes

Appreciation

• A plant of Daimler AG in Sindelfingen is in the Béla Barényi Street.
• The town of Baden bei Wien named in 1990 in her spa a Béla Barényi - seat; on 1 March 1994 at the Villa Welzergasse 33 ( former Villa Georgsberg respectively, from June 12, 1920, Castle hotel "Bellevue" ) [note 3] a plaque unveiled.

Béla Barényi price

He will honor since 2005 by the Association for motor veterans (AMV ) and the Robert Bosch company for benefits to persons who have made ​​outstanding contributions in the past to automobile traffic, which awarded Béla Barényi Prize at the Vienna headquarters of the ÖAMTC.

• 2005: Patricia H. Fischer
• 2006: Ernst Fiala
• 2007: Martin Pfundner (* 1930), co-founder and publisher of the Auto Revue ( 1964-1975 ), editor of car year ( 1973-1998 ), Director at British Leyland Austria ( 1975-1983/84 ), Director of Public Relations and Director General Motors Austria (1984-1996) and Vice- President and Board Member of FIA (1967-1973)
• 2008: Gustav Trubatsch, General Director of Castrol Austria
• 2009: Fritz Indra, 1985-1998 Director of Advanced Development at Adam Opel AG
• 2010: Heinz Prüller sports reporter
• 2011: Jürgen Stockmar ( Former CEO of Audi, Opel and Magna )
• 2012: Hans Peter Lenz
• 2013: Hans Herrmann racing driver

Swell

• H ( arry ) Niemann: Barenyi, Bela. In: Austrian Biographical Encyclopaedia 1815-1950. 2nd revised edition. (online) ( paid registration required)
• Karl Hinträger: Villa of the Lord city architect Josef Tischler in Hirtenberg ad Triesting. ( Text). In: General Bauzeitung, born in 1887, LII. Year, pp. 77 ( online at ANNO ) Template: ANNO / Maintenance / abz, Karl Hinträger: Villa of the Lord city architect Josef Tischler in pastoral mountain. (Views, floor plans, map). In: General Bauzeitung, born in 1887, LII. Year, pp. 61 f (Online at ANNO ) Template: ANNO / Maintenance / abz.
• Fritz Hanauska: History Book of the market town of Shepherd Mountain. Market town of Shepherd Mountain, Mountain Shepherd 1980 OBV.
• Viktor Wallner: From the Headquarters on Kongrasscasino. 50 years swimming in data and images. From 1945 to 1995. New Baden leaves, band 6.1, ZDB - ID 2161928-1. Publishing House of the Society of Friends of Baden and the municipal collections, Baden 1993 (? ), OBV.