Bertha Benz’s grand day out
QUESTION Is it true that after Karl Benz built his first car, he lost interest and his wife drove it on its first long journey? Bertha rINGer BeNZ was born in May 1849 to the ringer family in Pforzheim, Germany. the daughter of a successful carpenter, she received a good education, unusual for a woman at the time.
her keen interest in natural sciences probably contributed to her falling in love with Karl Benz (1844-1929), whom she met during a carriage excursion to the Maulbronn Monastery in 1869. they married in 1872 and had five children: eugen (1873), richard (1874), Clara (1877), thilde (1882) and ellen (1890).
two years before the marriage, Bertha used part of her dowry to invest in Karl’s iron construction company, but after Benz’s partner august ritter proved unreliable, the business failed. Karl and Bertha eventually established Benz & Cie, producing industrial machines and static gas engines.
When the company proved successful, Karl turned his attention to developing the first true automobile. he finished work on his first horseless carriage in December 1885 (receiving German Patent DrP No 37435 the following year).
the single-cylinder, 2.5-horsepower car had three wheels — one in front and two at the back — and could reach a maximum speed of 25 mph.
the first public displays of his invention didn’t go well: in one demonstration the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a wall, terrifying onlookers. Benz became something of a joke and retreated to his workshop to perfect his vehicle.
Bertha realised the automobile quickly needed publicity, particularly as there was competition from Gottlieb Daimler, who had invented the world’s first four-wheeled, high-speed automobile.
So on the morning of august 5, 1888, Bertha and sons eugen and richard took the Benz on a 66-mile trip from Mannheim to Pforzheim to visit her mother.
In addition to having to locate pharmacies along her route to fuel up, she repaired various technical and mechanical problems and invented brake linings — after some longer downhill slopes, she ordered a shoemaker to nail leather on the brake blocks. Bertha Benz and sons finally arrived at nightfall, announcing the achievement to Karl by telegram.
For her return trip, she followed a different 56-mile route, to an avalanche of publicity. Within a decade, Karl’s company, Benz & Cie, became the world’s largest automobile company. In 1936, Benz & Cie merged with Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach’s company to form Daimler-Benz, home to the Mercedes-Benz (Karl remained in an advisory position until his death in 1929).
today, Bertha’s journey is celebrated every two years in Germany with an antique automobile rally. Bertha died in 1944. Karl Benz wrote in his memoirs: ‘Only one person remained with me in the small ship of life when it seemed destined to sink. that was my wife. Bravely and resolutely, she set the new sails of hope.’
Martin Bracher, Canterbury, Kent. QUESTION I enjoyed the answer about amusing book credits. Have any moviemakers done something similar? Paul VerhOeVeN’s robocop (1987) has the credit: ‘the standard copyright notice at the end of the film includes a warning that “this motion picture is protected under the laws of the united States and other countries, and its unauthorized duplication, distribution or exhibition may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution by enforcement droids.”’
everybody’s favourite characters from Marvel’s offbeat sci-fi Guardians Of the Galaxy (2014) were bounty hunters: rocket — a genetically modified raccoon — and his tree-like companion Groot. the pair suffered a number of close calls in the film, leading to the disclaimer that ‘no raccoons or tree creatures were harmed during the making of this film’.
likewise, it is stated at the end of the Jim Carrey comedy Mr Popper’s Penguins (2011): ‘No penguins were harmed in the making of this film,’ though … ‘Jim Carrey, on the other hand was bitten mercilessly. But he had it coming.’
a Serious Man (2009) was ethan and Joel Coen’s offbeat look at Jewish life in suburbia, using a (very) loose retelling of the Biblical story of Job. according to the credits ‘No Jews were harmed in the making of this film.’
Finally, the taking Of Pelham One two three (1974) has the intriguing: ‘Made without any help whatsoever from the New York transit authority.’
Jenny Payne, Abingdon, oxon. QUESTION What benefits does a royal charter confer on a company? rOYal charters date from the 13th century. their purpose was to create public or private corporations (including towns and cities), and define their privileges and purpose. today, grants are reserved for eminent, financially stable professional institutions, learned societies, or charities with a solid record of achievement.
a royal charter is not necessary for an institution to incorporate or operate, and it is mainly a recognition of ‘pre-eminence, stability and permanence’ in representing the organisation’s field of activity.
a royal charter is not useful for private companies, as it surrenders a degree of control over its internal affairs to the Privy Council, a formal body of advisers to the Monarch, comprised of senior politicians.
But this combination of independence and constitutional control is one reason why royal charter status is appropriate for organisations such as the BBC.
M. Timms, Newton Abbot, Devon. QUESTION My mother used to cook conger eel with parsley sauce. Is eel now rare or just out of fashion? Further to earlier answers, down here on the South Coast there is a popular recipe for conger eel.
1. Place the conger in a pan of boiling water along with four 6in nails. 2. Simmer gently for 24 hours. 3. throw away the fish and eat the nails. Paul Humphriss,
Southampton.
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