Franz Reuleaux

Franz Reuleaux [fʁants ʁœlo] (30 September 1829 – 20 August 1905), was a mechanical engineer and a lecturer of the Berlin Royal Technical Academy, later appointed as the President of the Academy. He was often called the father of kinematics. He was a leader in his profession, contributing to many important domains of science and knowledge.

Biography

Early life

Franz Reuleaux was born in Eschweiler in Germany (at the time part of Prussia). His father and grandfather were both machine builders. His technical training was at the Karlsruhe Polytechnic School. He then studied at universities in Berlin and Bonn.

Middle years

After a time spent in the family business he became a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute in Zurich. Eventually, in 1879 he became Rector at the Königs Technischen Hochschule Berlin – Charlottenburg. This was a major technical institute, with about 300 professors. He became widely known as an engineer-scientist — a professor and industrial consultant, education reformer and leader of the technical elite of Germany.