Václav Laurin

Václav Laurin ( born October 16, 1865 in Kameni; † August 13, 1930 in Mladá Boleslav ) was a Czech engineer and industrialist.

Life

Laurin learned in time to imperial monarchy belonging Bohemian town of Mladá Boleslav ( Mladá Boleslav ) the profession of the locksmith. In 1883, he passed an examination for the operation of steam engines in Dresden, Turnov ( Turnau ) he earned with his partner Josef Kraus, who came from there, in-depth knowledge in the production of bicycles.

After they had due to conflict, Laurin moved to Jungbunzlau. Looking for a new workshop he met just happens to be on the bike enthusiastic bookseller Václav Klement, who also studied a workshop to let, however, repair his defective wheel. The merchant and mechanic founded in 1895, the company Laurin & Klement, where they produced bicycles in the spirit of the late 19th century, the newly created Czech national movement under the patriotic name Slavia, which, however, not least because of their high stable quality very good sold.

So the company in 1905 eventually grew rapidly, followed in 1899 the manufacture of motorcycles and automobiles. After the collapse of the Habsburg monarchy Laurent & Klement in 1918 Czech, 1925 sold to the company at Škoda (Mechanical Engineering ) (where Václav Laurin until his death was the technical director ).