Hermann Kemper (5 April 1892 in Nortrup – 13 July 1977) was a German engineer and pioneer in

magnetic levitation Magnetic levitation (maglev) or magnetic suspension is a method by which an object is suspended with no support other than magnetic fields. Magnetic force is used to counteract the effects of the gravitational force and any other forces. The ...

. Herman Kemper began his research on magnetic levitation in 1922. In 1933, Kemper constructed a working circuit for hovering on the principle of

electromagnetic levitation Magnetic levitation (maglev) or magnetic suspension is a method by which an object is suspended with no support other than magnetic fields. Magnetic force is used to counteract the effects of the gravitational force and any other forces. The ...

, using electromagnetic attraction. He was awarded the Reichs Patent number 643316, "Schwebebahn mit räderlosen Fahrzeugen, die an eisernen Fahrschienen mittels magnetischer Felder schwebend entlang geführt wird" (the invention of a hovertrack with wheelless vehicles which hover along iron rails using magnetic fields). This invention eventually led to the development of

Transrapid Transrapid is a German-developed high-speed monorail train using magnetic levitation. Planning for the Transrapid system started in 1969 with a test facility for the system in Emsland, Germany completed in 1987. In 1991, technical readi ...

. In 1972, he received recognition of his research achievements, the Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kemper, Hermann 1892 births 1977 deaths German electrical engineers Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Scientists from Osnabrück Engineers from Lower Saxony