Erfindergalerie des DPMA: Biografie Bölkow

Die Erfindergalerie des Deutschen Patent- und Markenamts

Dipl.-Ing. Dr. E. h. mult.

Ludwig Bölkow

Born: 30 June 1912, Schwerin, Mecklenburg

Died: 25 July 2003, Grünwald near Munich

"The decisive thing is that we shall never in our lives - and this is particularly true for us inventors - lose the capacity to wonder".

He was sometimes called the father of aviation. He himself found that he was best described as "technosopher". The helicopter "BO 105", the airbag and the anti-tank missile "Cobra" are closely associated with his name.

Helicopter "BO 105"

The "BO 105" revolutionised the world of helicopters thanks to its hingeless rotor system with elastic glass fibre reinforced plastic rotor blades. Since 1970, the multipurpose helicopter has been used by the ADAC (German automobile club) as rescue helicopter and by the Bavarian police. Since 1978, the German armed forces have used it as a reconnaissance and anti-tank helicopter. Today, more than 1,400 BO 105 helicopters are operating worldwide.

Designer, engineer and entrepreneur

After taking his degree, Bölkow was an engineer at Messerschmitt AG, from 1939 to 1945. He headed the development of the world's first operational jet-powered fighter that went into series production.
In 1948, he founded his own engineering office for construction and automation in Stuttgart where he developed innovative construction methods, large-sized automated machines and new construction machinery among other things. After sovereignty over its airspace was restored to Germany, Bölkow began to focus again on the design of defence missiles, airplanes and helicopters in 1955.
In 1968, Bölkow merged with Messerschmitt, and one year later they formed the air and space company Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm which was integrated into DASA, in 1989, before merging to form EADS in 1999.
The Bölkow group developed innovations in aeronautics, military systems, satellites and transport systems.
Bölkow was recognised as a visionary in the field of future energy systems as, for example, the solar hydrogen technology. In 1983, the Ludwig Bölkow Foundation was set up at his initiative. It deals with research in the fields of renewable energies, solar hydrogen technology, transport systems and environmental protection.

Patent search

To find out more about Ludwig Bölkow's patents, go to DEPATISnet

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Patent document DE 803791T2

"Bauaufzug-Anordnung"

(PDF - 284 KB)