Josef Madersperger
Encyclopedia
Josef Madersperger was a tailor. He is one of the inventors of the sewing machine
.
. In 1790 his father and he relocated to Vienna
because his parents' house in Tirol
burned down. In 1807 he began development of the sewing machine, spending all his savings and leisure time. In 1814 he presented his first sewing machine, which imitated a human hand. Madersperger did not commercialize the 1815 granted privilege which expired after 3 years. By 1823 he was registered in the Himmelpfortgasse 14 as "former" middle-class tailor.
After several unsuccessful attempts to improve the sewing machine, in 1839 he built a machine imitating the weaving process using the chain stitch
. Madersperger was out of money, so he could not set up a factory. He donated the prototype to the k.k. polytechnical institute ( the predecessor of the technical university ). In 1841 he received a bronze medal from the lower Austrias business society.
Madersperger died on 2nd of October 1850, staying with his wife for only 3 months in Vienna's almshouse
. He is buried in a common grave at the St. Marx Cemetery
. Vienna's tailors guild erected a crucifix made of cast iron, and continues to maintain the grave.
In his honour, 1933 a memorial was presented to the public in the Resselpark at Karlsplatz
. Streets in Vienna
, Linz
and Innsbruck
got his name. The almshouse was replaced 1955-57 by a community-subsidized tenement building. A memorial tablet reminds about Madersperger. The lodgers call the building Madersperger-Hof.
Sewing machine
A sewing machine is a textile machine used to stitch fabric, cards and other material together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies...
.
Biography
Josef Madersperger was born in 1768 in KufsteinKufstein
Kufstein is a city in Tyrol, Austria, located along the river Inn, in the lower Inn valley, near the border with Bavaria, Germany, and is the site of a post World War II French sector United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration Displaced Persons camp.Kufstein is the second largest city...
. In 1790 his father and he relocated to 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...
because his parents' house in Tirol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
burned down. In 1807 he began development of the sewing machine, spending all his savings and leisure time. In 1814 he presented his first sewing machine, which imitated a human hand. Madersperger did not commercialize the 1815 granted privilege which expired after 3 years. By 1823 he was registered in the Himmelpfortgasse 14 as "former" middle-class tailor.
After several unsuccessful attempts to improve the sewing machine, in 1839 he built a machine imitating the weaving process using the chain stitch
Chain stitch
Chain stitch is a sewing and embroidery technique in which a series of looped stitches form a chain-like pattern. Chain stitch is an ancient craft - examples of surviving Chinese chain stitch embroidery worked in silk thread have been dated to the Warring States period...
. Madersperger was out of money, so he could not set up a factory. He donated the prototype to the k.k. polytechnical institute ( the predecessor of the technical university ). In 1841 he received a bronze medal from the lower Austrias business society.
Madersperger died on 2nd of October 1850, staying with his wife for only 3 months in Vienna's almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
. He is buried in a common grave at the St. Marx Cemetery
St. Marx cemetery
St. Marx Cemetery is a cemetery in the Landstraße district of Vienna, used from 1784 until 1874. It was named after a nearby almshouse.-History:...
. Vienna's tailors guild erected a crucifix made of cast iron, and continues to maintain the grave.
In his honour, 1933 a memorial was presented to the public in the Resselpark at Karlsplatz
Karlsplatz
Karlsplatz is a town square on the border of the first and fourth districts of Vienna. It is one of the most frequented and best connected transportation hubs in Vienna. The Karlskirche is located here....
. Streets in 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...
, Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
and Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
got his name. The almshouse was replaced 1955-57 by a community-subsidized tenement building. A memorial tablet reminds about Madersperger. The lodgers call the building Madersperger-Hof.
External links
- Bezirksmuseum Landstraße - Josef Madersperger, being a Landstraßer against his will
- The Madersperger Memorial in Vienna A Video about 3 unsuccessful inventors of Vienna (the stories about Siegfried Marcus don't claim to be right in a historical sense ).