Robert Gerwig
Encyclopedia
Robert Gerwig was a German
civil engineer
.
Gerwig was born on 2 May 1820 and attended the Großherzogliches Polytechnikum (now known as Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
) where he studied civil engineering, primarily road construction.
In the 1860s, Gerwigs attention and professional skills turned toward rail transport
. He was one of the principal designers of the Black Forest Railway, which avoided steep grades through the use of numerous loops and curved tunnel
s. He applied the principle again for the Gotthard Railway at the double loop of Wassen
. His last rail project was the Höllental Railway, also in Germany's Black Forest
region.
Later in life, Gerwig turned to politics. He was active in the government of Baden
. He also served as the first director (1850-) of the Clockmakers School (Uhrmacherschule) in Furtwangen. In 1852 he began collecting clock
s; his collection formed the basis for 'Study Collection" of the school and eventually became the German Clock Museum (Deutsches Uhrenmuseum). Gerwig died on 6 December 1885.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
.
Gerwig was born on 2 May 1820 and attended the Großherzogliches Polytechnikum (now known as Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is a German academic research and education institution with university status resulting from a merger of the university and the research center of the city of Karlsruhe. The university, also known as Fridericiana, was founded in 1825...
) where he studied civil engineering, primarily road construction.
In the 1860s, Gerwigs attention and professional skills turned toward rail transport
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
. He was one of the principal designers of the Black Forest Railway, which avoided steep grades through the use of numerous loops and curved tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
s. He applied the principle again for the Gotthard Railway at the double loop of Wassen
Wassen
Wassen is a municipality in the canton of Uri in Switzerland.-Geography:Wassen has an area, , of . Of this area, 12.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 18.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.1% is settled and the remainder is non-productive...
. His last rail project was the Höllental Railway, also in Germany's Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
region.
Later in life, Gerwig turned to politics. He was active in the government of Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
. He also served as the first director (1850-) of the Clockmakers School (Uhrmacherschule) in Furtwangen. In 1852 he began collecting clock
Clock
A clock is an instrument used to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece...
s; his collection formed the basis for 'Study Collection" of the school and eventually became the German Clock Museum (Deutsches Uhrenmuseum). Gerwig died on 6 December 1885.