Heinrich Wommelsdorf


Heinrich Bernhard Felix Wommelsdorf was born at 14 January 1877 in Paderborn, a small town between Hannover and Köln, in Germany. He studied at the "Technische Hochschule" in Hannover, Heidelberg, and Berlin, and ended with a degree of "Diplom-Ingenieur" (Dipl. Ing.) He obtained a "Doktor-Ingenieur" (Dr. Ing.) degree in 1904 with a thesis entitled "Kondensatormaschine mit Doppeldrehung", describing his research about electrostatic machines with counter-rotating disks. He worked for Siemens & Halske starting in1904, teached at the "Technische Hochschule" in Berlin, starting in 1906, and from 1908 worked as Head Engineer in the electric department of the firm "Märkische Überwachungsverein". Later, he become president of the board of the "Fritz Werner A. G.", in Berlin.

From about 1902 to the 1930's, he studied electrostatic machines, and published many papers and patents describing his research. By 1912, he founded a company named "Berliner Elektros Gesellschaft M. B. H." (BEG), that produced his electrostatic machines and accessories for them, with the brand name "Wommella". His main work was around a type of electrostatic machine that he called "condenser machine". He also collaborated in the development of an improved version of the Holtz machine of the first kind, in collaboration with the instrument builder Alfred Wehrsen, and developed several devices for demonstrations about electricity, including a double electrophorus [27]. He was mainly a researcher, but also a manager and business man.

In 1909 he married Elise Werner, daughter of Fritz Werner, the founder of the company "Fritz Werner A. G." in Berlin. They lived in Berlin, and had one daughter and two boys. Besides his work he had other strong interests. He played a lot of instruments, specially the viola and was a member of a string quartet. He composed an opera, but it was never performed. He had a sailing yacht in Berlin and liked to hunt. Who knew him say that his company was not the main thing in his life, and that "Heinz" was a very interesting and charming man.

H. Wommelsdorf died in 29 January 1945 in Berlin.

H. Wommelsdorf, hunting with his dog in 1942. The picture at the top shows him by 1910.

The biographic informations were gentily provided by his grandson Werner Wommelsdorf. Some informations were obtained from [48].


Created: 9 January 2003
Last update: 13 February 2003
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Maintained by Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz

 


Lamento informar que o Prof. Antonio Carlos Moreirão de Queiroz faleceu há algum tempo.
Sei que esta página é visitada constantemente. Assim, gostaria de saber se temos algum visitante (interessado) que seja da UFRJ. Se for, por favor, envie um e-mail para watanabe@coe.ufrj.br.
Comento que é impressionante ver o que Moreirão foi capaz de fazer. Ele não só projetou os circuitos, mas também fez todo o trabalho de marceneiro (melhor que muitos que já vi e eram profissionais).
Segundo Moreirão contou em uma palestra, ele só levou choque uma vez. Sem querer encostou o dedo médio em um capacitor com alta tensão que se descarregou através do dedo. A corrente ao passar por uma das articulações a danificou e doía sempre que dobrava esse dedo. Mas, segundo ele, já tinha acostumado.

E. Watanabe (ELEPOT)