Friedrich Koenig

Johann Friedrich Gottlob Koenig ( * April 17, 1774 in Eisleben, † January 17, 1833 in Upper cell ) was a printer and inventor of the flatbed press. He was co-founder of Koenig & Bauer, the oldest press manufacturer in the world.

Biography

Although Koenig's parents were simple peasants, he was allowed to visit the private tuition of a clergyman in Eisleben next to the elementary school because of its above-average talent. His family came after the early death of his father in a still more humble circumstances; nevertheless the visit of the high school it was made possible. At his departure the young king was certified special knowledge in mechanics and mathematics.

In 1790 he began an apprenticeship as a printer in the traditional printing press " Breitkopf & Hartel " in Leipzig. A study he could not afford due to its financial situation. After four and a half years, he was able to complete the lesson. Normally this training lasted then five years.

The interest in printing presses certain the further life Koenigs, even if he began to work immediately in his profession, but an intern at university lectures to educate yourself. In 1802 he signed a contract with his childhood friend Friedrich Riedel to set up in his home town a bookstore with attached printers. Later it was agreed to invest the money in this particular development of an improved manual letterpress printing machine. In 1803 he began in Suhl with the construction of a machine- operated printing press, which could be carried out but only as a functional weak wood construction ( " Suhl - press "). In pre-industrial Germany lacked both sufficient skills in metalworking and on the necessary capital to put into practice ideas Koenigs.

London years

1806 moved to London and joined Koenig therefore in 1807 a treaty with the English print shop owner Thomas Bensley for the use of his inventions from. Koenig met in London to precision engineers and scientists Andreas Friedrich Bauer (* 1783, † 1860 ), who was born in Stuttgart and had come in 1805 for training purposes in the British capital. In England, the industrial revolution had already begun in the second half of the 18th century - about 50 years before Germany and France - and the English engineering was the 1800's as unmatched. With Bensleys capital and Bauer mechanical skills could it go completely to build the " Suhl - Press " with specially manufactured metal parts.

A supplementary agreement dated September 9, 1809 between Koenig and Bensley regulated that the printer Richard Taylor ( * 1781, † 1858) and Thomas Wood case (* 1774, † 1848), the Company acceded to the printing presses, and certain Andreas Bauer to Koenigs rightful heirs in fatality. 1810 could Koenig and Bauer patented a platen machine they finished set 1811. The machine had an inking unit, the ink distributed by means of rollers and to the printing form auftrug. In the same year, the first mechanical printing of a book succeeded.

1812 Koenig invented the cylinder speed printing press, which revolutionized the printing press. On 29 November 1814, the London " Times " was produced as the first daily newspaper in the world with this cylinder printing press and the steam engine power because their innovative publisher John Walter ( the younger) had Friedrich Koenig bought a machine. After Koenig had acquired several patents, he fell out with his financiers: They wanted to use the patented printing machines exclusively in their own printing, while Koenig was interested in the industrial production of large numbers of its machines.

In 1817 he moved back over to Germany and founded with his business partner Andreas Bauer in the former convent upper cell at Würzburg Maschinenfabrik KBA. 1828 directed Friedrich Koenig in the monastery mill Muensterschwarzach the first paper mill in the Kingdom of Bavaria in. After his death in 1833 in the upper cell, his widow Fanny Koenig ( * 1808, † 1882) with Andreas Bauer running the business.

Under Wilhelm Koenig Koenig's sons (* 1826, † 1894) and Friedrich von Koenig ( * 1829, † 1924), the factory developed very successfully in the 19th century. They built printer and high-speed presses since 1876 presses. Koenig & Bauer bought 1919 Schnellpressenfabrik L. Emperor's sons in Mödling near Vienna. Since 1920, the company operated as a public company.

Wilhelm Koenig's son, Albrecht Bolza, had a son, Hans Bolza (1889-1986), which began its activity from Koenig and Bauer 1919. The end of 2007, Koenig & Bauer AG employed 8,250 employees at 9 locations worldwide and reported 2006 global revenues of 1.704 billion euros.

In Würzburg is named after the inventor and entrepreneur since 1974, the Friedrich Koenig Gymnasium. In his hometown of a monument to him was put to the Friedrich- Koenig Memorial.

Pressure capacity

The table compares the production capacity of invented by Koenig presses with its hand-powered precursor:

Quotes

• Friedrich Koenig: " We tend to forget that happiness is the result of this is not to get something that we do not possess, but rather to recognize that and appreciate that we possess. " (English " We tend to forget happiness did. does not come as a result of getting something we do not have, but rather of Recognizing and appreciating what we do have " ) (cited by: Amit Kothari: quotationsbook.com, London)
• " The physically rather frail Koenig invented the engine-driven printing press for completely selfish Drive: In his apprenticeship, he often suffered under the power strenuous operation of the old hand- presses. " (Christian Vordemann: The machines that print the money, Münchner Merkur 10 June, 2005 )