Friedrich Koenig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Friedrich Koenig
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| Born |
Friedrich Gottlob Koenig
17 April 1774 |
| Died | 17 January 1833 (aged 58) |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation | Inventor |
Friedrich Gottlob Koenig (born April 17, 1774 – died January 17, 1833) was a German inventor. He is famous for creating the first high-speed, steam-powered printing press. He built this amazing machine with a watchmaker named Andreas Friedrich Bauer. This new press was super fast. It could print up to 69,000 sheets every hour. Even better, it could print on both sides of the paper at the same time!
Contents
The Journey to London
In 1804, Friedrich Koenig moved to London, England. He wanted to find support for his new printing machine. In 1810, he received a patent for his invention. A patent is like an official document. It gives an inventor the only right to make, use, or sell their invention for a certain time. This meant no one else could copy his press without his permission.
First Tests and The Times
The first test run of Koenig's press happened in April 1812. He set up the machine in his workshop. Then, he invited possible customers to see it work. One important visitor was John Walter, who owned the famous newspaper The Times.
The trials were kept very secret. Koenig and Bauer did not want to upset the people who worked as pressmen. These workers used older, slower presses. The new machine was a huge success. On November 29, 1814, The Times newspaper was printed using Koenig's new presses for the very first time. This was a big moment for printing!
Returning to Germany
In August 1817, Koenig decided to go back to Germany. He had a disagreement with Thomas Bensley. Bensley was a book printer in London and Koenig's partner. Koenig believed Bensley wanted to own all the rights to the new printing machine. This was not what Koenig wanted.
Starting Koenig & Bauer
After thinking carefully, Koenig chose an old, empty monastery in Würzburg, Germany. This became the new home for his factory. He started a company there called Koenig & Bauer. This company continued to build and improve printing presses. It became a very important name in the printing world.
