Alois Riedler (May 15, 1850 - October 25, 1936) was a noted

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mechanical engineer Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations o ...

, and, as professor in

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, a vigorous proponent of practically oriented engineering education.

Career

Riedler was born in

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, and studied mechanical engineering at the Technische Hochschule (TH) Graz from 1866 to 1871. After graduation he took on a succession of academic appointments. He first became an assistant at the TH

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(1871-1873); then in 1873 moved to the TH Vienna, first as an assistant, then from 1875 onwards as a designer of machines. From 1880 to 1883, Riedler worked as associate professor at the

TH Munich The Technical University of Munich (TUM or TU Munich; ) is a public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It specializes in engineering, technology, medicine, and applied and natural sciences. Established in 1868 by King Ludwig II ...

. In 1883 he became full professor at the TH Aachen. In 1888 he joined the Technische Hochschule Berlin as Professor for Mechanical Engineering, where he remained until retirement in 1921. From 1899 to 1900, he was appointed the school's principal (rector) and led discussions on how to celebrate its 100th anniversary. As a result, Riedler and

Adolf Slaby Adolf Karl Heinrich Slaby (18 April 1849 – 6 April 1913) was a German electronics pioneer and the first Professor of electro-technology at ''Technische Hochschule Charlottenburg'' (today Technische Universität Berlin, 1886). Education Slab ...

(1849–1913) convinced

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(1859–1941) to allow

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

n ''

Technische Hochschulen A ''Technische Hochschule'' (, plural: ''Technische Hochschulen'', abbreviated ''TH'') is a type of university focusing on engineering sciences in Germany. Previously, it also existed in Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands (), and Finland (, ) ...

'' to award doctorates. Although the government did not immediately consent, this effort led eventually to the school's reconstitution as today's Technische Universität Berlin. Riedler first received international recognition for his reports on the

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(1876) and

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. He was later widely known for his efficient, high-speed pumps widely adopted in waterworks and in draining mines. In 1893 Riedler and some employees traveled to

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. He delivered a detailed report on American institutes of technology and their labs which he deemed more suitable for engineering education. Riedler was heavily involved in the following reform process with regard to technical education. In 1896, Riedler established the first German mechanical engineering lab which was located in

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. In the following years technical labs were established at all the other German TH as well and the study program became more practice oriented. Alois Riedler was also known for his 1896 book "Das Maschinen-Zeichnen", (Machine Drawing) which introduced modern

technical drawing Technical drawing, drafting or drawing, is the act and discipline of composing drawings that visually communicate how something functions or is constructed. Technical drawing is essential for communicating ideas in industry and engineering. ...

. Riedler was actively involved in the early development of

internal combustion engine An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal comb ...

s, both for

gasoline Gasoline ( North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When for ...

and

diesel fuel Diesel fuel, also called diesel oil, heavy oil (historically) or simply diesel, is any liquid fuel specifically designed for use in a diesel engine, a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignition takes place without a spark as a re ...

. In 1903 he established the Laboratory for Internal Combustion Engines at the TH Berlin, expanded in 1907 to include investigations of motor vehicles. As laboratory director, Riedler designed a pioneering roller test stand. He also received what was probably the first research contract to investigate fuels specifically for

aircraft engine An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Aircraft using power components are referred to as powered flight. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbin ...

s (particularly

benzene Benzene is an Organic compound, organic chemical compound with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecular formula C6H6. The benzene molecule is composed of six carbon atoms joined in a planar hexagonal Ring (chemistry), ring with one hyd ...

). Alois Riedler also tried to establish an academy of technical sciences. Despite the emperor's support those efforts failed.

Private life

Alois Riedler was married to ''Fritza'', née Friederike Langer. Fritza was born on September 9 1860 in Berlin. Together with her siblings Paul, Emilie and Alfons she owned a house in Vienna. Alois and Fritza therefore had residences in Berlin and Vienna. Riedler declined an appointment to the TH in Vienna in 1903, where he was supposed to succeed Leopold von Hauffe. Riedler claimed that the German Emperor himself fervently asked him to stay in Berlin. In 1921 the Riedlers moved to Vienna for good. Fritza is well-known for

Gustav Klimt Gustav Klimt (14 July 1862 – 6 February 1918) was an Austrian symbolist painter and a founding member of the Vienna Secession movement. His work helped define the Art Nouveau style in Europe. Klimt is known for his paintings, murals, sket ...

’s painting of her. In 1906 Klimt depictured her in oil on canvas based on a series of more than 20 sketches. Fritza, who passed away in 1927, and Alois had no descendants. In 1937, Emilie Langer sold Klimt’s portrait to the Belvedere collection.

Honours

In 1897 Riedler received the Grashof medal, the German Engineers' Association's highest honor. The Austrian Engineers' and Architects' Association appointed him honorary member in 1900 and awarded him their gold medal in 1931. In 1904 he was awarded the

Order of Franz Joseph The Imperial Austrian Order of Franz Joseph () was founded by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria on 2 December 1849, on the first anniversary of his accession to the imperial throne. Classes The order was originally awarded in three classes: ''G ...

in the rank of a ''Commander with Star''. In 1911 his alma mater TH Graz awarded him an honorary doctorate.

Notes

References

* Kees Gispen, ''New Profession, Old Order: Engineers and German Society, 1815-1914'', Cambridge University Press, 2002, pages 194–196. . * Ernst-Heinrich Hirschel, Horst Prem, Gero Madelung, ''Aeronautical Research in Germany: From Lilienthal Until Today'', Springer, 2004, page 253. .

External links