Emil Kolben

Emil piston ( born 1 November 1862 in Strancice, Prague-East District, † September 3, 1943 in the Theresienstadt concentration camp ) was a Bohemian entrepreneurs in electrical engineering.

Life

His parents were German -speaking Jewish shopkeeper. He studied at the German Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague. He received a scholarship that enabled him to a two-year study abroad. In 1887, he went to Zurich, Paris, London and ultimately remained five years in the United States.

He first worked as an engineer at the Edison Machine Company in Schenectady, then as an assistant to Thomas Edison in Orange as chief engineer of the Edison's laboratories. In 1889 he met Nikola Tesla, who convinced him of the AC - which Edison displeased.

In 1892 he went to Switzerland, where he was head of development at the Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon.

In 1896 he returned to Bohemia and founded the Prague district of Vysočany his company pistons a spol (1899 renamed Elektrotechnická as). His first product was a 60 kW converter. Later he built locomotives and other products.

1921 to 1927 he merged with other companies, from which CKD was created, whose director he was.