5 inventions you never would have thought are German
Antje Binder db
November 11, 2016
The power drill, thermos and wall plugs: They were all invented in Germany.
Image: imago
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5 German inventions that changed the world
The power drill, thermos and wall plugs: They were all invented in Germany.
Image: DW
Wall plugs
Wall plugs had already been invented, but they weren't very effective - until Swabian inventor Artur Fischer came up with a plug with teeth in 1958, during Germany's building boom. The tiny spikes straighten when the screw is turned tight, wedging it into place. The method is even used to treat bone fractures.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/U. Deck
Thermos flask
In the early 19th century, a German glass blower produced vessels with hollow walls designed to transport liquid gases. He recognized their insulating properties, and using that principle, he created an entirely new flask, the thermos. In 1903, Reinhold Burger had the invention patented.
Image: Imago/Westend61
Spaghetti ice cream
Dario Fontanella invented this ice cream specialty in his Italian family's ice cream parlor in Mannheim. In 1969, the young man experimented with vanilla ice cream, pressing it through a spaetzle maker. Voila, spaghetti ice cream! Topped with strawberry sauce and grated almonds, it's still a favorite in ice cream parlors across Germany today.
Image: Fotolia/unpict
Power drill
Back in 1895 at Fein company, two employees just couldn't be bothered to hand-drill holes: To make things easier and save time, they simply attached a small electric motor to the drill chuck. Emil Fein recognized the potential - and developed the first electric hand drill. The modern version can still be found in most households today.
Image: picture alliance / dpa
Toothpaste
In 1907, Dresden pharmacist Ottomar von Mayenburg experimented with a novel paste containing limestone, essential oils and mint oil, aimed at helping patients who complained of aching teeth. Similar products existed, but "Chlorodont" went down in history as the mother of all toothpastes.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa-Zentralbild/H. Wiedl
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Artur Fischer is regarded as Germany's Gyro Gearloose, the famous inventor in the Donald Duck universe. More than 1,100 patents are in his name, making him one of the world's most productive inventors.
Fischer is not nearly as well-known as some of his inventions, however. Take the flashbulb for photo cameras: legend has it that in 1948, Artur Fischer wanted to take pictures of his newborn daughter, but the tiny attic room was too dark, and using a conventional flash too dangerous. So Fischer developed a new system, a photo flash synchronized with the camera shutter. His invention revolutionized photography.
The inventor wanted to solve everyday problems. Wall plugs to hold screws were probably his most well-known invention - an idea he had during Germany's 1950s building boom. "Drilling problems hadn't yet been solved," Fischer said when asked why he even looked into the matter.
Previously, plugs were smooth, made of wood and shaped like cylinders - they couldn't bear much weight, and pictures constantly fell from the walls.
Fischer invented a plastic plug, in the shape still common today. "A plug that is to hold up in soft and hard material must have teeth," he argued.
Fischer has sold his product successfully, and almost unchanged, since 1958. The firm produces 14 million plugs per day. He also invented a plug to fix bone fractures.
Click through our High Five gallery to discover more unexpected German inventions.
