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The History of the Department
The Paradigm of Mechanical Engineering Evolves
The paradigm of modern mechanical engineering evolves
during the second half of the 19th century and the beginning
of the 20th century. Both engineers and scientists develop
basic mechanisms such as the one of the diesel engine and
the refrigeration engine. Thermodynamics and fluid mechanics
are perfected as scientific disciplines essential to mechanical
engineering. Institutionally, mechanical engineering outgrows
the small inventors’ workshops. It is taught at universities and
industrial enterprises set up research departments.
1877
Renaming of the Munich Polytechnic School to
Technische Hochschule München (Munich Technical
University or THM).
1880
Rudolf Diesel graduates with the best marks since
the university was established and is awarded an
honorary degree. During the first few decades of its
existence students are given a report each semester
like at a conventional school. Diplomas are only
granted for ‘outstanding achievements’ by the
department on application. Only twelve diplomas are
granted to graduates between the establishment of
the school in 1868 and 1900.
1886
Johann Bauschinger publishes his study entitled:
‘On the changes of the elastic limit and of the
strength of iron and steel caused by elongation
and squeezing, by heating and cooling and by
frequently repeated strain.’ He thus describes the
so-called ‘Bauschinger effect’ later named after
him, i.e. the change in the elastic limit of a metal or
an alloy following a deformation which determines
the direction; a workpiece is initially bent in one
direction. If it is then bent in the opposite direction
it shows a reduction in strength. This is caused by
primarily induced dislocations in the material (faults
or impurities).
1894
August Föppl, who succeeds
Johann Bauschinger, begins
to corroborate his theoretical
work in the field of technical
mechanics with practical
experiments.
1897
The ‘Föppl’ is released:
August Föppl publishes the
first part of his ‘Lectures on
Technical Mechanics’. The
standard reference work is printed in numerous edi-
tions and remains the central textbook for mechan-
ical engineering over decades. It is still published
today.
From left to right: The engineer Rudolf Diesel, director of the Maschinen-
fabrik Augsburg, Heinrich von Buz and Moritz Schröter, Professor of the
Munich Technical University, 1897
August Foppl
The Werder traction engine and bend testing machine, acquired by Johann
Bauschinger in 1870, served for over 100 years in the Mechanical Technical
Laboratory, before it went to the Deutsche Museum; photo from 1916.
View of the old Linde testing laboratory before it was handed over to the
university. In the foreground is the oxygen condenser, photo from 1901.