3 Facts About Computer Pioneer Konrad Zuse

Konrad Zuse is widely regarded as one of the creators of the modern computer. In 1942 he released the Z3 which was the first digital computer. After the war, he founded his own computer company and made significant contributions to both computing and software.

There are though three interesting facts about Zuse which highlight his ingenuity and influence.

• In 1938 he completed his first computing machine, the Z1. At the time of its construction he had no money. So in true Jobs and Wozniak fashion he built it in his parents' living room.
• Zuse created the first computer game, a simulation of Chess. This was based on the first programming language, Plankalkül, which Zuse created in 1945.
• In 1950 Zuse founded his own computer company and built one of the first transistor-based computers. This company was taken over by Siemens in 1969, today Siemens turns over more than €50bn annually.

Zuse was a genius and an innovator, he made huge contributions to the academic, technical and business worlds. He can be regarded as the Jobs and Wozniak of his era. Or maybe Jobs and Wozniak should be regarded as the Zuse of theirs.

For more on the history of Konrad Zuse watch this video on the great man.

Video on Konrad Zuse from the Computer History Archive

Useful Sources
https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Zuse/