Henri Kunkler
Heinrich Otto "Henri" Kunkler (born October 23, 1886 in St. Gallen ; † April 15, 1951 there ) was a Swiss aviation pioneer.
Kunkler's father was a master baker and confectioner. After graduating from the St. Gallen Cantonal School , Kunkler did a commercial apprenticeship in an embroidery shop . In 1909 he married Emma Maestrani, daughter of the chocolate manufacturer (see Maestrani ) and businessman Robert Richard Maestrani.
From 1910 Kunkler was involved in aviation and began in May 1911 with a monoplane of the Blériot XI type from the Dübendorf military airfield with the first flights. From 1912 he worked as an aircraft designer at the then airfield in St. Gallen Breitfeld and built in particular the high-wing "Rossier-Kunkler" - with this aircraft he flew in July 1912 in 12½ hours and with two emergency landings to Dübendorf . Kunkler carried out show and passenger flights. On March 19, 1913, Kunkler caused a sensation when he was the first to fly over the city of St. Gallen in an airplane. During the First World War, Kunkler was a flight instructor at German military aviation schools. a. in Freiburg im Breisgau . In 1927 Kunkler gave up aviation - it offered him too few professional opportunities - and became a sales representative.
In Dübendorf a street is named after Kunkler.
literature
- Kunkler Henri (1886–1951) Collection of documents. in the Swiss Economic Archives, Basel
Web links
- Marcel Mayer: Kunkler, Henri. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kunkler, Henri |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Kunkler, Heinrich Otto |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swiss aviation pioneer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 23, 1886 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | St. Gallen |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 15, 1951 |
| Place of death | St. Gallen |