Karl Freiherr von Drais (full name: Karl Friedrich Christian Ludwig Freiherr Drais von Sauerbronn; born April 29, 1785; died December 10, 1851) was a noble German government worker who managed forests and an important inventor during the Biedermeier period. He is known as "the father" and the inventor of the bicycle.

Bicycle

Drais was a very active inventor who created the Laufmaschine, also known as the velocipede, draisine, draisienne, hobby horse, or dandy horse. This was his most famous invention. It used the two-wheeled design that is the basis for bicycles and motorcycles, marking the start of mechanized personal transport. This was the earliest version of a bicycle, which did not have pedals.

Drais first rode his invention from Mannheim to the Schwetzinger Relaishaus, a coaching inn in Rheinau, now part of Mannheim, on June 12, 1817. He used one of Baden’s best roads for this trip, which covered about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles). Karl, Drais’s son, rode the machine, and the round trip took just over an hour. This event is considered a major milestone in the history of horseless transportation.

However, after the velocipede was sold, people noticed that roads were damaged by carriages, making it hard to balance on the machine for long. Velocipede riders began using sidewalks, but they moved too quickly, putting pedestrians at risk. Because of this, officials in Germany, Great Britain, the United States, and even Calcutta banned the use of velocipedes, ending their popularity for many years.

Other inventions

Drais invented the earliest typewriter with a keyboard in 1821. He later created an early stenograph machine that used 16 characters in 1827. He also developed a device to record piano music on paper in 1812, the first meat grinder in the 1840s, and a wood-saving cooker that included the earliest hay chest. He invented two four-wheeled human-powered vehicles in 1813 and 1814. The second vehicle was presented in Vienna to a group of leaders who were dividing Europe after Napoleon’s defeat. In 1842, he designed a foot-driven human-powered railway vehicle. The name "draisine" for this vehicle is still used today for railway handcars.

Time as civil servant

Drais could not sell his inventions to make money because he was still a government worker in Baden, even though he did not work actively. On January 12, 1818, Grand Duke Karl gave Drais a special permission to protect his inventions for 10 years in Baden. Grand Duke Karl also named Drais a professor of mechanics. This title was not connected to any university or institution. Drais left his government job and received a pension because of his appointment as a professor of mechanical science.

Upheaval

In 1820, Drais faced difficulties after the political murder of writer August von Kotzebue, which led to the beheading of the killer, Karl Ludwig Sand. In 1822, Drais strongly supported revolution in Baden. His father, a conservative judge in Baden, did not ask for mercy in the case of Karl Ludwig Sand’s execution. Because of his family connection, Drais was attacked by student groups across Germany. As a result, Drais moved to Brazil, where he lived from 1822 to 1827. He worked as a land surveyor on the estate of Georg Heinrich von Langsdorff. In 1827, he returned to Mannheim. Three years later, in 1830, Drais’s father died, and Drais was attacked again by jealous rivals.

In 1839, after surviving an attack in 1838, Drais moved to the village of Waldkatzenbach in the Odenwald hills, where he lived until 1845. During this time, he invented the railway handcar, later called the draisine. He then returned to his birthplace, Karlsruhe. In 1849, Drais, still a strong supporter of change, gave up his title of Baron and removed the "von" from his name. After the revolution failed, Drais faced serious problems. Royalists tried to prove he was mentally unstable to have him locked away. His pension was taken away to help pay for the costs of the revolution, which was stopped by the Prussians.

Death

Karl Drais faced difficulties after he publicly gave up his noble title in 1848 and chose to be called "Citizen Karl Drais" to honor the French Revolution. He passed away without money on December 10, 1851, in Karlsruhe. The home where he lived his final years is located just two blocks from the place where a young Carl Benz grew up at that time.

Tributes

In 1985, West Germany released a special postage stamp with a 50 Pf and 25 Pf surcharge to honor the 200th anniversary of Karl Drais's birth.

In 2017, Germany issued a commemorative postage stamp priced at 0.70 Euro to mark the 200th anniversary of Karl Drais's first use of his "running machine" on June 12, 1817. The stamp displays the machine and includes a shadow image of a bicycle.