Adolf Slaby

Adolf Slaby (1849–1913) was a Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Königlich Technische Hochschule Berlin (now Technische Universität Berlin). He pioneered wireless telegraphy and fought for recognition of technical universities. Born in Berlin, he studied mathematics and mechanical engineering at the Gewerbeakademie, earned a doctorate in Jena, and later taught in Potsdam before becoming a professor in 1883.

Slaby established the first electrical engineering chair and laboratory at his university, blending theory with hands-on experimentation. His landmark achievement was breaking Guglielmo Marconi’s wireless telegraphy record in 1897 by transmitting signals 21 km between Rangsdorf and Tempelhofer Feld. He also advised Kaiser Wilhelm II, leveraging royal support to advance his research.

His legacy includes elevating technical education’s status and laying foundations for modern telecommunications. He retired as an emeritus professor in 1912 and was buried in Berlin’s Luisenkirchhof II cemetery.