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Karl von Drais Facts & Worksheets

Karl von Drais was a prolific German inventor known for the earliest form of bicycle (then called the Laufmaschine), earning him the moniker “father of the bicycle”.

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Karl von Drais was a prolific German inventor known for the earliest form of bicycle (then called the Laufmaschine), earning him the moniker “father of the bicycle.” During the Biedermeier period in Central Europe, Karl von Drais also invented the earliest typewriter, hay chest, the first meat grinder, and a device that recorded piano music on paper. Aside from being an inventor, he was also a forestry official.

See the fact file below for more information on Karl von Drais, or you can download our 28-page Karl von Drais worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

  • Karl von Drais was born Karl Friedrich Christian Ludwig Freiherr Drais von Sauerbronn on April 29, 1785, in Karlsruhe, the capital of Baden, Germany.
  • Both his father and mother were highly influential civil servants.
  • His father was Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig, Baron von Drais, who worked as a senior civil servant.
  • Ernestine Christine Margaretha, born Baroness von Kaltenthal, was his mother, who died in 1799 when Karl was 14 years old.
  • Karl Friedrich, the Grand Duke of Baden, was his godfather who was instrumental in getting him into a forestry career later and support for his inventions in life.
  • As a young boy, Karl developed an interest in science and mathematics.
  • These early interests led him to study forestry at a private school owned by his uncle in Pforzheim, Germany.
  • He went on to study at the University of Heidelberg, where he specialized in Mathematics, Physics, and Architecture from 1803 to 1805.

CAREER AS A FORESTRY OFFICIAL

  • In 1805, Karl von Drais shifted to a forestry career and transferred to the forestry office in Rastatt in order to receive practical training.
  • He trained in that office until he transferred to his uncle’s forestry school in Schwetzingen in 1807.
  • He successfully passed his forestry exam in 1808.
  • In 1808, he got his first job pro forma as a forestry inspector at the upper forestry office in Schuttern. 
  • His father became the prime judge of Baden and relocated to Mannheim in 1810.
  • Karl followed suit a year later after being released from active service as a Baden forestry official.
  • Even without a forestry office and official duties, he still retained his salary, in a sort of paid leave, with the help of his father’s royal connections.
  • He used that time to develop his inventions.

FIRST INVENTIONS

  • Karl von Drais was a prolific inventor who was passionate about creating innovative solutions and executing original ideas.
  • One of Karl’s earliest inventions was a “formula for the general resolution of numerical equations of every degree,” which he came up with in 1810.
  • In 1812, he invented a “notation machine,” which allowed people to record piano music on paper.
  • In the next two years, Karl’s main inventions were two four-wheeled human-powered vehicles.
  • He presented the second vehicle to the Congress of Vienna at the time of Napoleon’s final defeat in 1815.

HISTORY OF THE LAUFMASCHINE

  • Karl’s most famous invention, arguably, among all his ideas, is the “Laufmaschine,” which means “running machine.”
  • Simply put, the Laufmaschine is the earliest form of a bicycle, with the exception of having pedals.
  • Karl invented the Laufmaschine in 1817, during the Biedermeier period in central Europe.
  • At the time, there was no existing patent law in Baden.
  • However, Karl von Drais was awarded a grand-ducal privilege by the younger Grand Duke Karl on January 12, 1818, to protect his invention for 10 years in Baden.
  • Grand Duke Karl also gave the honorary title of Professor of Mechanics to Karl von Drais.
  • Later, the Laufmaschine became more popularly known as “draisine” in English and “draisienne” in French.
  • It also went by the name of “velocipede,” “hobby horse,” and “dandy horse.”
  • Karl invented this two-wheeled mechanized vehicle mainly for people who depended on horses for transportation.
  • He wanted to invent “horseless travel” for those who need it.

PARTS OF THE LAUFMASCHINE

  • The two-wheeled vehicle consisted of two small carriage wheels attached and aligned to a wooden frame.
  • To steer the vehicle, the rider would use a triangular steering column.
  • There was an armrest fitted over the swiveling front wheel for balance.
  • A padded saddle is also provided for the rider to sit on.
  • Since the vehicle had no pedals, the rider would propel himself by paddling his feet against the ground.
  • The rider would eventually coast between strides as the machine picked up speed.
  • A cord to stop the back wheel was included for brake purposes.

FIRST RIDE AND DEMONSTRATIONS

  • Karl’s first ride on the Laufmaschine reportedly happened on June 12, 1817.
  • He rode the vehicle for about seven kilometers from Mannheim to Rheinau, now a suburb of Mannheim.
  • Karl took a little over an hour to ride to Rheinau and back to Mannheim, which was faster than foot travel.
  • In the same year, Karl undertook his second trial run from Gernsbach to Baden over a steep 800-foot hill.
  • With an average speed of four miles per hour, his invention was consistently impressive. 
  • The following year, he took his demonstration to the next level by exhibiting in Paris’ Luxembourg Gardens.
  • The grand exhibition was visited by thousands of spectators.
  • However, Karl’s bicycle precursors did not have sustained commercial success.

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

  • The patent granted to Karl for his invention was not valid beyond Baden.
  • Even though he secured a five-year patent in France in 1818, draisienne knockoffs were quickly being produced throughout Europe.
  • In England, coachmaker Denis Johnson patented a revised model of a draisienne in 1818 and called it the “pedestrian curricle,” later popularized as a “hobby horse.” 
  • He produced 300 vehicles, but production ended after six months due to a decline in popularity.
  • Three-wheeled and four-wheeled velocipedes became the focus of many inventors for the next 40 years.

LATER LIFE AND INVENTIONS

  • After he invented the Laufmaschine, Drais retired from the civil service and continued to receive his salary as a kind of inventor’s pension.
  • In 1821, he invented the earliest typewriter with a keyboard.
  • In 1822, he became a fervent liberal who supported the revolution in Baden, then relocated to Brazil to escape persecution.
  • Returning to Mannheim in 1827, he developed a stenograph that used 16 characters.
  • He also invented the first meat grinder in the 1840s, a wood-saving cooker and the earliest hay chest. 
  • During the German Revolutions in 1898-99, he gave up his title of Baron and dropped the “von” from his name.
  • He adopted the name Citizen Karl Drais as a tribute to the French Revolution.
  • After the revolution crumbled, Karl’s pension was confiscated and the Prussians seized his assets to pay for the “costs of revolution.” 

DEATH

  • With nothing to his name, Karl Drais died in his hometown of Karlsruhe on December 10, 1851.

Karl von Drais Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Karl von Drais across 28 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Karl von Drais. Karl von Drais was a prolific German inventor known for the earliest form of bicycle (then called the Laufmaschine), earning him the moniker “father of the bicycle.”

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Karl von Drais Facts
  2. Life Summary
  3. Terminology Search
  4. Fact or False?
  5. Brief History
  6. Then and Now
  7. Invention Review
  8. Ingenious Inventors
  9. Benefits of Biking
  10. Inspired to Invent
  11. Appreciating Ali

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Karl von Drais?

Karl von Drais, born as Karl Friedrich Christian Ludwig Freiherr Drais von Sauerbronn, was a German inventor and inventor of the first commercially successful human-powered two-wheeled vehicle, known as the Draisine or velocipede. He was born on April 29, 1785, in Karlsruhe, Germany, and died on December 10, 1851, in Karlsruhe.

What is Karl von Drais known for?

Karl von Drais is primarily known for inventing the Draisine or velocipede, a precursor to the modern bicycle. In 1817, he built a machine consisting of two wheels connected by a frame and a handlebar for steering. The Draisine was propelled by pushing one’s feet against the ground, allowing the rider to move forward. This invention laid the foundation for the development of the bicycle as we know it today.

When did Karl von Drais invent the Draisine?

Karl von Drais invented the Draisine in 1817. He developed the machine as an alternative mode of transportation to alleviate the horse feed shortage caused by the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815, which led to widespread crop failures. The Draisine provided a practical means of transportation without relying on horses.

How did the Draisine impact transportation?

The invention of the Draisine had a significant impact on transportation. It offered a faster and more efficient mode of personal transportation compared to walking or horse-drawn carriages. The Draisine gained popularity in various European cities, and its design evolved over time, leading to the development of the modern bicycle. The concept of self-propelled, two-wheeled vehicles revolutionized transportation and laid the foundation for future innovations in cycling.

What is Karl von Drais’s legacy?

Karl von Drais’s invention of the Draisine and his contributions to the development of the bicycle had a lasting impact on transportation and mobility. His innovation played a crucial role in the advancement of personal transportation, leading to the bicycle becoming one of the most widely used and environmentally friendly modes of transportation worldwide. Karl von Drais’s work paved the way for subsequent inventors and engineers to refine and improve upon his designs, shaping the modern bicycle industry. His legacy as the “father of the bicycle” remains significant in the history of transportation.

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