Philipp Reys German physicist. Date of Birth: 07.01.1834 Country: Germany

Biography of Philipp Reis

Philipp Reis was a German physicist and inventor who is best known for constructing the first imperfect telephone in 1860. Born in Gelnhausen, Germany, the exact details of Reis' origins remain disputed. After his mother's death when he was an infant, Reis was raised by his paternal grandmother, an educated, intelligent, and religious woman. At the age of six, Reis was sent to the Kassel School, where his abilities caught the attention of his teachers, leading his father to consider sending him to college. However, Reis' father passed away when he was only ten years old. With the help of his guardians, Reis was able to secure a position at the Garnier Institute in Friedrichsdorf, where he developed an interest in foreign languages and soon mastered English and French. At the age of fourteen, Reis enrolled in the Hassel Institute in Frankfurt am Main, where he also learned Latin and Italian. Reis' interest in science continued to grow, and his guardians recommended that he attend the Karlsruhe Polytechnic School. However, one of his guardians, his uncle, wanted him to become a merchant. Against his own wishes, Reis became an apprentice at J.F. Bayerbach's paint company on March 1, 1850. While promising his uncle to pursue the chosen trade, Reis continued his scientific pursuits. Through hard work, Reis earned the respect of Bayerbach and also took private lessons in mathematics and physics, attending lectures on mechanics by Professor R. Bottger at the School of Commerce. When Reis' apprenticeship in the trade ended, he began studying at Dr. Poppe's institute in Frankfurt, where subjects such as history and geography were not taught. As a result, Reis and other students taught each other the basics of these subjects. Reis also began teaching geography during this time, considering it his calling. He also became a member of the Society of Physicists in Frankfurt.
In 1855, Reis completed his military service in Kassel and returned to Frankfurt, where he started teaching mathematics and other sciences, giving private lessons and public lectures. Reis wanted to attend Heidelberg University, but in 1858, his old friend and teacher Gofrad Garnier offered him a position at the Garnier Institute. On September 14, 1859, Reis got married and soon moved to Friedrichsdorf to start his teaching career anew.
Reis believed that electricity could be transmitted at a distance, similar to light, without material conductors, and conducted several experiments to test his theory. The results of his experiments were described by Reis in an article titled "In the Rays of Energy," which he submitted to Professor Poggendorff for inclusion in the renowned journal "Annalen der Physik" in 1859. To his immense disappointment, the manuscript was rejected. The idea of transmitting sound through electricity was born when Reis studied the organs of hearing and contemplated it for several years. In 1860, Reis constructed the first prototype of a telephone capable of transmitting sound over a distance of up to 100 meters. In 1862, Reis wrote to Poggendorff again, requesting that his report on the invented device be published, but this report was also rejected. Professor Poggendorff dismissed the possibility of voice transmission at a distance as an impossible dream, but Reis believed that his articles were rejected simply because he was a mere schoolteacher.
The invention was demonstrated to many people, including Wilhelm von Legat, the inspector of the Royal Prussian Telegraph Corps, but it did not generate much interest. In 1872, the device was presented in the United States by Professor Vanderweyde, where it attracted much greater interest. Among those who saw the first telephone were Thomas Edison, representatives from Bell and Western Union. Reis' device became the starting point for further developments in this field by Bell, Edison, and Berliner. Reis stopped teaching and focused on studying scientific problems, but his health soon became a serious obstacle. Nevertheless, Reis did not abandon his pursuits. His lungs were affected by illness, and he began losing his voice. In the summer of 1873, he had to leave his studies for several weeks. In the fall, Reis' condition slightly improved, and he returned to teaching, but not for long. In September, Reis was supposed to present a new gravitational machine at the German Naturalists' Congress in Wiesbaden, but he could not due to his illness. In December, he fell seriously ill and, after a prolonged and painful illness, passed away in January 1874 at five o'clock in the evening.
Reis wrote, "Looking back on the past years, I must acknowledge that they passed in 'toil and sorrow,' as it says in the Holy Scriptures. But I am grateful to God for his blessings: for my vocation and my family, as well as for the happiness he bestowed upon me, greater than I asked for. God helped me before and will help in the future."
Philipp Reis was buried in Friedrichsdorf Cemetery, and in 1878, after the invention of the telephone, members of the Society of Physicists in Frankfurt erected an obelisk made of red sandstone with his portrait on his grave.