It must have been a real adventure for the visitors of the Mannheim trade exhibition: they rode up a temporary viewing tower on an open platform without being able to see what was moving it. It was the first time a lift of this kind had been driven by an electric motor. The motor was attached to the underside of the platform and pushed it up the tower via a gear system.

This electric elevator, the first in the world, was developed by Werner von Siemens. After he discovered the dynamo-electric principle in 1866, he concentrated on finding practical applications for this new technology. One of his most famous constructions was the first electric railway, which ran round a Berlin industrial exhibition in 1879 and was very popular with the visitors. What is not so well-known is that the idea of the electric elevator was to some extent a by-product of this. In June 1879 the company founder wrote as follows to his brother Carl: “The train incidentally […] now goes very fast. It runs round the 270-meter circuit in about 50 seconds, which is about 5 meters a second. The royal children were quite scared yesterday […] Perhaps the idea could be extended. The dynamo machine would be very suitable for elevators and for moving turntables at railroad stations.”

The pioneer of electricity was soon to have an opportunity to put this idea into practice. In April 1880, the organizers of the “Mannheim Pfalzgau Trade & Agricultural Exhibition” asked whether Siemens could build an “electric elevator” for their exhibition. Von Siemens accepted the commission and work commenced shortly afterwards. However, as is often the case with pioneering achievements, it took longer than planned. The exhibition thus opened in July without its main attraction. It wasn’t until the end of August 1880 that the elevator could be assembled in Mannheim. Werner von Siemens was relieved and wrote to Carl: “I’ve just heard that the electric elevator is running well! It’s a big draw for the exhibition!” There was enormous interest in the elevator; from September to mid-November over 8,000 people were able to try out the new means of transport and enjoy the view of Mannheim.

As a result there were numerous enquiries about elevators of this kind. Many hotels wanted to provide their guests with the convenience of this new technology, but Siemens also received some curious requests such as for the production of a “Wishing Table.” The fact that all there is in the Corporate Archives is a record of the installation of the electric elevator on the Mönchsberg near Salzburg indicates that the electric elevator business – in spite of the huge interest it at first generated – never became a major area of activity.

Werner von Siemens was strongly motivated by the initial enthusiasm for his first electric elevator to find other areas where electricity could be put to use. He reported the success of the elevator at the exhibition to his brother Wilhelm and announced, “I am now also constructing an electric plow, of which I have high expectations.” But that is another story…

 

September 15, 2010 | Dr. Florian Kiuntke