From Expert

Siemens at heart was the rationalist-inventor, and, can, therefore the quantity of its inventions totals some tens. It has made the first invention to support a family. In May, 1888 the Kaiser of Germany has erected the son of farmer Verner Simensa in advantage of noble family (to surprise court, that was unaffected by an event very much). Siemens was the gallant soldier and the supporter of revolution. Its company - the largest manufacturer electrical engineers in Europe. And it has lifted it on the Russian orders.

Werner Siemens was born on December, 13th, 1816 in a small village to the Tape, nearby to Hanover. His father was the small farmer. Family incomes hardly probable sufficed on desjateryh offsprings. By the way, the origin of Siemens did not allow to it almost any chances to become neither a nobleman, nor the academician. But then the background Siemens admitted, that from all awards received by it it appreciates only a rank of the academician of the Berlin academy of sciences.

School teachers appreciated Siemens ingenuity, and in 15 years the father has decided to send Werner in the Ljubeksky grammar school. In two years young Siemens has ended it with distinction, and the dream to study engineering science did not leave it. But there were some poor harvest years, the family has appeared on the verge of bankruptcy, and Verner has been compelled to move in Prussian army.

Verner on poverty has reached Berlin on foot, and then and to a service place at artillery school of Magdebourg. The young gunner has quickly taken a great interest in pyrotechnics. Once Verner has organised fireworks which has very much liked the Prussian prince. The prince has invited Siemens to take part in the regatta which has followed it. And the son of its farmer has won, having bypassed all persons of royal blood.

To do some fighting to Siemens too it was necessary. The sea mines constructed by it and the coastal battery have well proved to be in war with Danes. During revolution in March, 1848 Verner has directed to brother Wilhelm the enthusiastic description of bloody events: «the Last night was perfect and awful simultaneously. The full and clear moon has been surrounded by the light, all windows if behind them there were no severe fights, shone pleasure». Later Siemens spoke, what exactly the military service has helped it «to find feeling of a self-trust and to direct to the high purposes».

Parents of Siemens have died one behind another, and he should care itself of the devjateryh brothers and sisters. Siemens said, that invention is a heavy business, and it results the few in success, the rest breaks a teeth. But poverty has forced it to put into practice ideas coming to mind, and, contrary to its own forecasts, invention has brought to it riches and glory.

The idea of the first invention, brought to Siemens money, has visited him on a guardroom of the Magdebourg garrison. Verner has got there for participation in duel where it was the second. The invention consisted in galvanic drawing of gold and silver on metal subjects. Having perfected this method, Verner has charged to younger brother Wilhelm to sell the patent in the Great Britain which were then the largest industrial power. As a result the industrialist from Birmingham for 1500 pounds (the big sum on those times) has bought a new method.

In 1847 Siemens has developed the first model of electric telegraph. The highlight of this device consisted in synchronisation of the passing and reception mechanism. Siemens has shown the device to the friend, the expert in mechanics Johann Galske, and the device so has liked Galske, that he has suggested to create firm on its release. Under the contract on October, 1st, 1847 Verner Simens and Johann George Galske have based Telegraphen-Bau-Anstalt von Siemens und Halske (the Organization on building and development of telegraph of Siemens and Galske). The new company was in small workshop Galske and totaled only three employees. "Ready cash" at a rate of 6842 thalers in the company was brought by cousin Verner, the adviser of justice Johann George Simens who has received 20 % from profit.

Soon Siemens writes to brother Wilhelm: «I have almost decided to connect the career with telegraphy irrespective of, whether it will be combined with military service. The telegraphy becomes in due course separate important branch of technics, and I see the calling in acting as the organizer in this area which is in the beginning of the development».

Siemens has started to develop new production with a pedantry typical for Germans. It has thought over the whole system necessary for economic functioning of all passing technics which concerned molnieotvody, repeaters, cables and insulators for them. In general, exact study of all details also became the main competitive advantage of the future company.

In 1848 Siemens has received the first large-scale contract for building of the first electric cable line in Europe. It has connected Berlin and Frankfurt am Main where the first German parliament has taken places. And when on March, 28th, 1849 on telegraph news about election of Prussian king Fridriha Wilhelm as IV hereditary Kaiser of Germany has been passed, Verner Simens became the man of the hour. It has received podrjady on a lining of cable lines to Cologne, Hamburg, Breslau and Stettin.

But further business in Prussia were not took. The head of cable department was bad opinion on Siemens production, and further the telegraph in Prussia was built by American Morze. From now on «Siemens and Galske» were interrupted by manufacturing of turbine counters of quantity of the spent water and deliveries of telegraphs to the railway. It was crisis for their small manufacture, and during this period the order for delivery of 75 telegraphs to Russia for a unique cable line existing at that time between Moscow and St.-Petersburg has suddenly arrived. Aspiring to fix success, Verner in 1852 personally visits capital of Russian empire twice. These travel of a steel for Siemens the rotary: the company has received the order for a lining of a cable line Moscow - Kiev - Odessa, and Siemens, being in transit in Kenigsberge, has met future wife Matildoj. Russia has provided the company with orders for the next three years, becoming for «Siemens and Galske» the largest market. Siemens telegraphs have connected Russia with Finland, Poland, Baltic, Germany and Austria.

Company affairs quickly have gone on lifting. To cope with orders from Russia and England, in 1857 Verner passes from piece manufacture to the serial. However Johann Galske considered, that mass production will inevitably affect decrease in quality of production. In 1867 of a disagreement between partners have reached a maximum, and Galske has left the company. Now «Siemens and Galske» it became pure family business Simensov, and Verner has finished its upgrade. In 1872 the new shop equipped with the newest American machine tools has been opened. At this time in the company 1600 employees worked almost.

Siemens fine realised, that capitalist manufacture has also the unpleasant sides. In 1872 he wrote to brother Wilhelm: «In creation of steady working class I see a problem of exclusive importance which will be in direct dependence on increasing process of a division of labour and replacement of manual skills with job of cars». For this purpose Siemens has created system of pension cash desks for employees and has reduced the working day from nine to eight and a half hours.

And here the sensitive inventor has not lost: employees very much appreciated social initiatives of the owner, and during lifetime of Siemens at its enterprises never was any nedovolstv and strikes.

Between affairs of firm Verner Simens found time for a policy. It was included into number of founders of German progressive party with a democratic orientation. In 1862 it was selected the deputy of parliament and four years represented in parliament interests of the district Lennep-Zolingen known for the steel industry.

But travel were Verner's main hobby. Basically it made them on company affairs, but sometimes it was possible to it to be engaged and purely informative trips. For example, in 1858 Siemens has gone to Egypt where together with group Shamsina has taken part in desert research. But more often Siemens happened on the Russian caucasus where owned copper mine Kedabeg. He explained the uncountable trips there «the perfect nature and feeling of internal rest». Last time Siemens has visited there all two years prior to death.

There was only one electrotechnical innovation which Siemens did not perceive seriously is phone. Verner has agreed on manufacture of phones only at the desire of a postmaster of Berlin in 1877. What surprise when their manufacture during short time has increased to 700 pieces in day was. «A Christmas series» devices in the form of two devils was especially bright bought up. On November, 6th, 1877 he wrote to brother Charles: «I will Soon petition for reception of the patent for phone. We already are on the way middle, and I think, that we will soon overtake Bell».

By that moment of a dynamo-car it has already been invented by Siemens. It has opened gate in a new century of a cheap electricity. In passing Verner has begun manufacture of trams, trolley buses and cable cars. Thanking its invention electricity manufacture in the world steadily grew. In 1900 it made 15 billion in kw-h, and in 1913 has reached 50 billion in kw-h.

When in 1889 Siemens has started to depart from a management of firm, in its company worked more than 5000 persons. Since 1890 the formal director of firm was his brother Charles who has already received the Russian citizenship and constantly lived in a place of Hotel nearby to St.-Petersburg.

In 1877 in drevnejurskih slates the geologist-fan has found fine saved print of an ancient semibird-semilizard. Having heard about this rare find, Siemens has bought it at once. Later it has passed its Berlin museum of natural sciences. The scientific name of a curiosity - Archaepteryx Simensii (Arheopteriks Siemens) reminds till now of this act.

In the last years of life Siemens was engaged in that dictated the memoirs on a country house in Bud-Gartsburge where he lived. «My life has been filled by efforts which almost always were successful», - he wrote. In some days after issue of its memoirs, namely on December, 6th, 1892, the inventor has died. The most popular inventions of Siemens: a method of galvanic gilding and nickel plating, an inertial regulator of a steam-engine (1842), a galvanometre for troubleshooting of a cable cable, a dynamometer for measurement of pressure of a stacked sea cable (1856), duplex cable communication, constant pressure in a cable network (1857), a dynamo-car (1866).

Not so long ago German concern Siemens has made the decision on sale of the division making mobile phones. Such strange course has been undertaken after "mobile phones" began to bring to 152 million euro of losses. Siemens has not sustained a competition to the Asian firms. After American IBM the company is compelled to turn off the business, conceding the right of expansion to the electronic markets to Chineses. Though it directly contradicts the aggressive model of business created once by the son of poor German farmer Verner Simensom.