Karl Drais invented his “Laufmaschine”

The inventor of the bicycle, Karl Drais, who was from Karlsruhe, had a life full of genius and… well, political trouble.
Here is the funny-but-true twist on his legacy:

Karl Drais invented his “Laufmaschine” (running machine, the first bike) in 1817 as a serious, practical invention. It was created as an alternative to the horse, because a volcanic eruption on the other side of the world had caused a worldwide climate disaster, killed off crops, and made horse feed incredibly expensive.
The funny part? The roads were so rough and muddy that riding the wooden “running machine” was an uncomfortable, jarring nightmare. People quickly started riding it only on the smooth sidewalks and pavements, causing so many collisions with pedestrians that many German cities outright banned his “bicycle” on public streets!

So, the genius inventor of the world’s most ubiquitous personal transport was effectively run out of town because his invention was a menace on the sidewalk. Some things never change!

Karlsruhe is home to two legendary Karls of transport!
Here is the funny (and rather revolutionary) story about Karl Benz, the inventor of the modern automobile:

Karl Benz invented his three-wheeled Patent-Motorwagen in 1885, which is considered the world’s first practical car. However, he was extremely timid about showing it off in public. The press and the public mostly scoffed at the “stinking monster” and its low speed. Benz was so discouraged that he essentially hid the car in his workshop.
The funny part? The car’s global success was entirely due to his wife, Bertha Benz. In August 1888, without telling her husband, she took their two teenage sons and the improved Model III Motorwagen on a secret road trip! She drove over 100 kilometers (about 60 miles) from Mannheim to Pforzheim.
During the drive, she had to invent car parts on the fly! She used her garter to insulate a short-circuited ignition wire and stopped at a local apothecary in Wiesloch to buy ligroin (a solvent) to refuel, making that apothecary the world’s first gas station!
When she finally sent Karl a telegram that she had successfully completed the world’s first long-distance road trip, he was furious… until the resulting global media sensation proved she was right.

So, the first car was invented by a Karl from Karlsruhe, but the first person to prove its usefulness with a famous road trip was his incredibly gutsy wife, Bertha!
Would you be interested in a fun fact about the Palace in Karlsruhe, which is the center of the famous “fan” layout?

WE&P by: EZorrillaMc&Co