inventor - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 2016 - 80 Euro Cent

Born on June 29, 1793 in Bohemia, Josef Ressel studied at the University of Vienna from 1812 technical subjects such as mechanics and hydraulics. When the Polytechnic Institute, the later Technical University of Vienna, opened in 1815, he lacked the money for further study. A friend helped him on a scholarship, and so he was able to earn a degree at the Forest Academy in Mariabrunn. From 1817 he worked as a forester - in Carniola, in Ljubljana and finally in Trieste, where he worked as a marine forestry director the forests of k. k. Kriegsmarine administered. This work satisfied him little, and so he dealt incidentally with inventions of various kinds. He developed, for example, a process for the extraction of dyes, new methods of woodworking, a pneumatic tube system between Vienna and Trieste and a new ball bearing - a total of ten patents, so-called privileges.   A special concern for him, however, was always the development of a drive screw for steamboats, which should replace the previously used paddle wheels or sailing ships. In 1827 he obtained a privilege for his propeller, before he had already begun with the construction of a ship, the "Civetta", to test the screw. After some difficulties, it finally came in 1829 for the first test drive, which succeeded in principle, but a pipe of the steam engine burst, and the authorities prohibited further test drives. Although the ship's prop had worked well, the result of the test of Ressel's opponents was presented differently. Ressel then lost his financier and had to try to market his invention itself - in his good faith he left his plans of a French company, which then made profits without involving him in it. The propeller soon became international, but Ressel was not granted any recognition. When the British government declared a price of 20,000 pounds for the "true inventor" of the propeller, Ressel sent in his documents, but received no answer. Allegedly, his shipment had been lost, and the prize was split among four British applicants.