Arthur Scherbius facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur Scherbius
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Arthur Scherbius, inventor of the Enigma cipher.
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| Born | 30 October 1878 |
| Died | 13 May 1929 (aged 50) |
| Nationality | German |
| Education | Technical University Munich & Leibniz University Hannover, PhD in Engineering |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Engineering career | |
| Significant design | Enigma machine |
Arthur Scherbius (born October 30, 1878 – died May 13, 1929) was a clever German electrical engineer. He invented a special machine called the Enigma machine. This machine was used to send secret messages. He got a patent for his invention and sold it under the name "Enigma." His work showed how important secret codes (called cryptography) were for armies and governments.
Biography
Early life and education
Arthur Scherbius was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. His father was a businessman.
He studied electrical engineering at the Technical University Munich. Later, he continued his studies at the Leibniz University Hannover. He finished his studies in March 1903. The next year, he earned a special degree called a doctorate in engineering. His project was about how to build a special water turbine.
Career and inventions
After finishing school, Scherbius worked for several electrical companies. These companies were in Germany and Switzerland. In 1918, he started his own company called Scherbius & Ritter.
He invented many things during his career. These included special motors and heating parts. His ideas for motors were so important that a rule for them is named after him. It is called the Scherbius principle.
The Enigma machine
Scherbius applied for a patent for his secret code machine in 1918. This machine used spinning wheels with wires inside. Today, we call these "rotor machines."
His first Enigma machine was called Model A. It was very big and heavy, weighing about 50 kilograms (110 pounds). It looked like a cash register. Later, he made smaller, portable versions like Model B and Model C. These models showed the coded letters using small lamps. The Enigma machine often looked like a typewriter inside a wooden box.
Scherbius named his machine "Enigma," which is a Greek word. It means "riddle" or "mystery." The military version of the Enigma machine was very complex. It had many different settings. This made it incredibly hard to crack its codes. It had nearly 159 quintillion possible settings!
At first, people were not very interested in his invention. But Scherbius believed his Enigma machine would be useful. Eventually, the German Army became interested. They wanted a new way to send secret messages. The Enigma machine started being made in large numbers in 1925. The first machines were used in 1926.
Scherbius' Enigma machine gave the German Army a very strong way to protect their messages. During World War II, German military messages were sent using Enigma machines. However, the codes were eventually broken by codebreakers at Bletchley Park in England. They found a small flaw in how the machine worked.
Sadly, Arthur Scherbius did not live to see his machine used so widely. He died in 1929 in a horse carriage accident in Berlin. He had lived there since 1924.
Patents
- U.S. Patent 1,556,964
- U.S. Patent 1,584,660
- U.S. Patent 1,657,411
