Christian Hülsmeyer's
(Huelsmeyer)
"Milestone Award"
Granted:
on behalf of the
IEEE
of the United States
For his first, technically, recorded:
Radar demonstration,
held in the Court Yard
of the
Dom Hotel
in Cologne
(Köln)
on
17 May 1904
I my perception, highly exceptional in those days, was that a newspaper reporter
gave a rather technical, lively, description of the principle on which Hülsmeyer's demonstration was based, that day;
and
he even noticed the exceptional event he was a witness of
and recognised its likely significance.
In 2004, particularly in the Netherlands, there were two parties commemorating
100 Years
of
Christian Hülsmeyer's
Patented
"Telemobiloskop"
apparatus
of 1904.
Without claiming preference who started first:
Both: Thales/TU-Delft and our Foundation, initiated an endeavour: as to commemorate Hülsmeyer's
radar (like) demonstrations of 1904.
Late Dick Rollema, brought by a chain of coincidence, us together.
Prof. Piet van Genderen, brought me in touch with a similar endeavour taking place in France;
also a cooperation engendered there.
Resulting in a still lasting friendship with Yves Blanchard and his wife Françoise.
Though, all our former endeavours
would never have resulted in any form of
a
Milestone Award;
without the continuous
commitment
of
Prof. Hugh Griffiths!
He was the driving force for, say, 15 years,
and he ultimately made it a success.
In the afternoon, the revealing of two plaques took place about the place* where once Hülsmeyer gave his recorded demonstrations on the bank of the river Rhine; were he once demonstrated his Telemobiloskop apparatus - as he himself quoted it in a broadcast interview of 1954:
...dann habe ich auch noch in Köln, under der Rhein-Brücke die Apparate auf vorbeifahrende Schiffe vorgeführt ...
(In my perception, it is even not sure that where Hülsmeyer was speaking about, coincide with the recorded event held in the "Court Yard of the Dom Hotel", on 17 May 1904; as he likely must have demonstrated his apparatus to a scientist first (Professor Bernbach), as to convince his financial partner Heinrich Mannheim of its concept functionality)
As to put the historical sequence straight: the first one who really dedicated her life for Hülsmeyer's radar invention was:
Hülsmeyer's daughter Anneliese!
She was the one who collected documents, of all sorts, which lays at the basis of my:
Hülsmeyer and the early days of radar inventions, sense and nonsense,
a survey
Albeit, that we also discovered quite some evidence in other archives; which were unknown so far.
In 1981, at the occasion of Hülsmeyer's 100th birthday
this plaque was mounted
at the wall of her house, which also was Hülsmeyer's, since about 1927.
Nowadays, one of Hülsmeyer's grand-daughters lives still in this very house.
The granddaughter Karin noticed: about 2006, when she brought me back from Rathingen to my hotel in Cologne, where I then stayed; because of my archives research in the former Municipal Archives of Cologne:
"A great pity, that my mother (Anneliese) could not join these days"! (she passed away in the year 2000)
Her entire life, after 1945, was in some respect dedicated to receive for her father (Hülsmeyer's) recognition.
I believe, that "what happened on the 19th of October 2019", is even a greater reward: receiving finally 'world-wide' recognition - for her father's endeavours of: 1903 and 1904.
Unveiling of the two bronze plagues
(I suppose one in German- and one in English language)
On the left of it, a granddaughter, who told the audience, about her particular memories of her grandfather Christian Hülsmeyer
Painting a quite 'human' picture.
Just on the far left-hand side, our friend Yves Blanchard from France; of course.
Now going back to early 2005, in the garden of Hülsmeyer's house, were still Karin lives.
From left to right: late Bernd Hülsmeyer; Adri de Keijzer - a significant searcher in our endeavour, once a member of our Foundation Board; Reinhold Liebich, the brother of Helmut Liebich, Reinhold was the one who discovered quite many novelties in the Cologne Municipal Archives and he laid shortly after he started searching, contact with Karin Hecker; me; Karin Hecker; and Reinhard Dellenbusch a "Cousin" of Karin Hecker (who failed on the 19th in Cologne)
Reinhard and I met first at the Autumn Radar Conference, held in Toulouse 2004.
During a drink, the told me: that five weeks before his father has passed away, and that a 'notary document copy' had been found among his father's papers, date in 1904.
Bingo!
This aspect is well dealt with in my:
Hülsmeyer
and the early days of radar inventions, sense and nonsense,
a survey
This document throws a light on what Hülsmeyer expected - after his successful demonstrations during the 9th June 1904, in the harbour of Rotterdam!
* The railway bridge is owned by the "Deutsche Bahn", and this entity doesn't like any manipulations at their constructions. We were told: that a nearby display facility should be found. Though, considering its bronze nature, it should be mounted "thieves proof".
By Arthur O. Bauer
