Arthur Burkhardt (designer)

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Arthur Burkhardt (born January 24, 1857 in Apolda ; † July 21, 1918 in Glashütte ) was a German engineer and designer . Arthur Burkhardt was one of the pioneers of German computer science .

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Burkardt arithmometer
Structural details of the arithmometer

Arthur Burkhardt had been encouraged by his father to work on warp knitting machines and was a master of this subject. During his studies he made friends with Curt Dietzschold , who asked him to go to Glashütte in 1878. After his military service he teamed up with Dietzschold and took over the construction of a calculating machine and founded the First German Calculating Machine Factory in Glashütte .

In 1880 Arthur Burkhardt married Johanna Lousie Lange , the daughter of the watch manufacturer Ferdinand Adolph Lange .

He did not continue the construction of Dietzschold, instead he analyzed the machine of Charles Xavier Thomas and developed his own calculating machine. From 1883 to 1885 he worked on the mechanism of a double-pedal harp in Braunschweig. The construction of the Burkardt arithmometer began around 1885, around 1892 around 500 machines were built. Around this time he began working with Hugo Bunzel from Prague, who ensured increasing sales in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Sales in Germany declined around 1900, but Bunzel imported raw works from Arthur Burkhardt. Since 1909, Burkhardt was supported in the company by his son Erich Burkhardt.

Arthur Burkhardt was a respected citizen, a member of the District Council of the Amtshauptmannschaft, a member of the Association of German Engineers , Knight I Class of the Albrechts Order . His calculating machines received top places at national and international exhibitions.

After his death, his son took over the management of the company. In 1920 the company merged with the calculating machine manufacturer Saxonia to form the United Glashütte calculating machine factories.

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personal data
SURNAME Burkhardt, Arthur
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Burkhardt, Arthur Gotthilf Robert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German engineer and designer
DATE OF BIRTH January 24, 1857
PLACE OF BIRTH Apolda , Thuringia
DATE OF DEATH July 21, 1918
Place of death Glashütte , Saxony