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| Fig 1: Konrad Zuse www.kerryr.net |
Konrad Zuse (1910-1995) was a German civil engineer and is regarded as the inventor of the modern computer. The first 'computing machine' he developed was known as the Z1. He built the Z1 and a further three machines the Z2, Z3 and Z1 between the years 1936 and 1945.
A further accomplishment was the development of one of the first programming languages 'Plankalkul'.
Zuse was born in Berlin in 1910 and was labelled as a creative student, often paintings or making structures such as cranes. Zuse was torn between studying art or civil engineering, but decided to study the latter. Being a civil engineer, he learned how perform repetitive static calculations that were necessary to build bridges and other structures. These repetitive calculations are what inspired Zuse to develop his machines as he felt these tasks needed to be automated to make engineers and scientists lives easier.
A further accomplishment was the development of one of the first programming languages 'Plankalkul'.
Zuse was born in Berlin in 1910 and was labelled as a creative student, often paintings or making structures such as cranes. Zuse was torn between studying art or civil engineering, but decided to study the latter. Being a civil engineer, he learned how perform repetitive static calculations that were necessary to build bridges and other structures. These repetitive calculations are what inspired Zuse to develop his machines as he felt these tasks needed to be automated to make engineers and scientists lives easier.
He was also completely unaware of other computing developments outside of his home country,therefore he thought of and developed these ideas in isolation.
In order to go about this, he first asked "what mathematical problems should a computing machine solve?" he answered with "to build new specifications from given specifications by a prescription" Zuse set about developing his first computer, the Z1.
Z1
-First mechanical computer designed by Zuse
-Constructed the Z1 in his parents apartment
-Freely Programmable
-Worked via a mechanical calculator by reading instructions punched from a tape
-Contained many parts from a modern computer such as a control unit, memory, micro sequences, floating point arithmetic and input output devices
-Was destroyed in Berlin 1943 during World War II
-All construction plans were also destroyed
You can read more about his life and other inventions here and here.
Author uknown (n.d) Konrad Zuse Internet Archive [online] available at: http://zuse.zib.de/punchedTape [Last accessed 18/11/2014]
Zuse, Horst (n.d.) The Life and Work of Konrad Zuse [online] available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20100430201756/http://www.epemag.com/zuse/default.htm#index
Fig. 1 Konrad Zuse (n.d.) [image online] available at: http://www.kerryr.net/images/pioneers/gallery/zuse_z3_lg.jpg [Last accessed 18/11/2014]
Fig. 2 Z1 Computer (n.d.) [image online] available at: http://www.hnf.de/uploads/tx_templavoila/Z1.jpg [Last asseecced 18/11/2014]
In order to go about this, he first asked "what mathematical problems should a computing machine solve?" he answered with "to build new specifications from given specifications by a prescription" Zuse set about developing his first computer, the Z1.
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| Fig 2. Z1 Computer www.hnf.de |
Z1
-First mechanical computer designed by Zuse
-Constructed the Z1 in his parents apartment
-Freely Programmable
-Worked via a mechanical calculator by reading instructions punched from a tape
-Contained many parts from a modern computer such as a control unit, memory, micro sequences, floating point arithmetic and input output devices
-Was destroyed in Berlin 1943 during World War II
-All construction plans were also destroyed
You can read more about his life and other inventions here and here.
Author uknown (n.d) Konrad Zuse Internet Archive [online] available at: http://zuse.zib.de/punchedTape [Last accessed 18/11/2014]
Zuse, Horst (n.d.) The Life and Work of Konrad Zuse [online] available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20100430201756/http://www.epemag.com/zuse/default.htm#index
Fig. 1 Konrad Zuse (n.d.) [image online] available at: http://www.kerryr.net/images/pioneers/gallery/zuse_z3_lg.jpg [Last accessed 18/11/2014]
Fig. 2 Z1 Computer (n.d.) [image online] available at: http://www.hnf.de/uploads/tx_templavoila/Z1.jpg [Last asseecced 18/11/2014]
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