Johan Vaaler

The Norwegian Johan Vaaler ( born March 15, 1866 in Aurskog near Oslo, † March 14, 1910 in Kristiania, now Oslo) was the inventor of the paper clip, one of the most famous inventions of Norway.

He studied physics and mathematics ( completion 1887) and worked from 1892 in Oslo patent office. The imperial patent was granted on 12 November 1899 in Germany, another was issued in 1901 in the United States. Norway had no patent law at that time. His patent was the world's first for a non- infringing the paper Papierklammerung.

Invented by him paperclip did not reach a commercial success, but a political one. After Norway was occupied in April 1940, many Norwegians wore a paper clip on the collar of the jacket. She was a symbol of loyalty to the King Håkon VII and the government went into exile in England. This port was banned by the occupying forces under hard punishment.

Johan Vaaler was also because of the political message of the paper clip, set by the Norwegians for his invention in Oslo a monument in the form of a very large paper clip ( 7 m high).

In 1999, a century after the invention was another honor in the form of a postage stamp.

Swell

• Paperclip battle of the bits of paper. ZDF TV report