Johann Puch
Encyclopedia
Johann Puch (June 27, 1862 in Sakušak
near Ptuj
– July 19, 1914 in Zagreb
) was an inventor and mechanic
who went on to become a very significant vehicle producer in Europe
. He completed special training as a locksmith (his only formal education
) and lived and worked most of his younger life in multi-national Styria, then part of Austria-Hungary
.
- July 19, 1914 in Zagreb, was an inventor and mechanic who was born to Slovene-speaking parents in a part of historical Austria
that now lies in Slovenia
. In 1885 moved to Graz, Austria
(Slovene Gradec) in modern Austria, where in 1891 he started to manufacture bicycle
s which he sold in Austria, as well as exporting to England
and France
. His success led to the founding of his own company in 1899, which was called "Erste steiermärkische Fahrrad-Fabriks-AG" (First Styrian Bicycle Company).
The company started producing motorcycle
s in 1903 and cars in 1904. By 1912 Puch's factory employed 1,100 workers and manufactured 300 cars, 300 motorcycles and 16,000 bicycles per year. He retired in 1912 but remained honorary president of the company.
Up to 1914 Puch developed 21 different types of cars, and also lorries
, bus
es, military and some other special vehicles, including sedan limousines for the imperial Habsburg
family and vehicles for the Austro-Hungarian Army
during World War I
.
Puch's motorcycles and cars were successful in races and rallies
all over Europe carried his name among vehicle producers.
The tradition was continued by the Steyr-Daimler-Puch
company in Graz and Vienna
.
He successfully obtained patent
s for more than 35 invention
s and improvements.
Sakušak
Sakušak is a settlement in the Slovenske gorice hills in the Juršinci municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Styria. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Podravje statistical region....
near Ptuj
Ptuj
Ptuj is a city and one of 11 urban municipalities in Slovenia. Traditionally the area was part of the Lower Styria region. The municipality is now included in the Podravje statistical region...
– July 19, 1914 in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
) was an inventor and mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
who went on to become a very significant vehicle producer in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He completed special training as a locksmith (his only formal education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
) and lived and worked most of his younger life in multi-national Styria, then part of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
.
Biography
Johann Puch (June 27, 1862 in SakušakSakušak
Sakušak is a settlement in the Slovenske gorice hills in the Juršinci municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Styria. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Podravje statistical region....
- July 19, 1914 in Zagreb, was an inventor and mechanic who was born to Slovene-speaking parents in a part of historical Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
that now lies in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
. In 1885 moved to Graz, Austria
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
(Slovene Gradec) in modern Austria, where in 1891 he started to manufacture bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s which he sold in Austria, as well as exporting to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. His success led to the founding of his own company in 1899, which was called "Erste steiermärkische Fahrrad-Fabriks-AG" (First Styrian Bicycle Company).
The company started producing motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s in 1903 and cars in 1904. By 1912 Puch's factory employed 1,100 workers and manufactured 300 cars, 300 motorcycles and 16,000 bicycles per year. He retired in 1912 but remained honorary president of the company.
Up to 1914 Puch developed 21 different types of cars, and also lorries
Lorry
-Transport:* Lorry or truck, a large motor vehicle* Lorry, or a Mine car in USA: an open gondola with a tipping trough* Lorry , a horse-drawn low-loading trolley-In fiction:...
, bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es, military and some other special vehicles, including sedan limousines for the imperial Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
family and vehicles for the Austro-Hungarian Army
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Puch's motorcycles and cars were successful in races and rallies
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
all over Europe carried his name among vehicle producers.
The tradition was continued by the Steyr-Daimler-Puch
Steyr-Daimler-Puch
Steyr-Daimler-Puch was a large manufacturing conglomerate based in Steyr, Austria, which was broken up in stages between 1987 and 2001. The component parts and operations continued to exist under separate ownership and new names.-History:...
company in Graz and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
He successfully obtained patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s for more than 35 invention
Invention
An invention is a novel composition, device, or process. An invention may be derived from a pre-existing model or idea, or it could be independently conceived, in which case it may be a radical breakthrough. In addition, there is cultural invention, which is an innovative set of useful social...
s and improvements.