Heinz Nixdorf
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Heinz Nixdorf

German computer businessman (1925–1986)

Heinz Nixdorf (9 April 1925 – 17 March 1986) was a German computing pioneer, businessman and founder of Nixdorf Computer AG.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Heinz Nixdorf (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Apr 9, 1925, died Mar 17, 1986.1

About

Nixdorf was born in Paderborn, Germany.

The 27-year-old Nixdorf, at the time a physics student at the Goethe University Frankfurt, founded his first computer company in 1952. As the owner, he led this company to become an international electronics company with revenues of almost four billion Deutsche Mark at its peak. His microcomputers were competitors to IBM mainframes. Nixdorf is remembered as one of the entrepreneurs who, in the 1950s to 1970s, symbolized the German economic miracle. He was also an ambitious athlete and is remembered for his efforts to provide good education to his employees. He succumbed to a heart attack in 1986 at the CeBIT in Hanover. The Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum was named after him.

From Wikipedia’s article on Heinz Nixdorf, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Companies

Early life and education

  • Date not recordedGoethe University Frankfurt3

Early life

Nixdorf was born on 9 April 1925, as the oldest child of five. He went to a Catholic board school where he first showed his talent for mathematics and science. Due to his father's unemployment during the 1920s and 30s, his childhood was defined by poverty. Achieving good grades in school, he was offered a scholarship to become a teacher. Uninterested in pursuing that career, Nixdorf wrote a letter to the Ministry of Education in Berlin. As a result, he was granted permission to attend the Reismann-Gymnasium in Paderborn starting in 1941. In 1942, Nixdorf was drafted by the Wehrmacht and served on the Eastern Front. Nixdorf joined the Nazi Party in 1943. In 1944 he was a member of the 1st Fallschirm-Panzer Division Hermann Göring. Nixdorf completed his education in 1947, receiving the Abitur.

Education

With the aid of a scholarship, Nixdorf studied physics at the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe Universität in Frankfurt am Main in 1947. In addition to his education in physics, he also attended seminars in business economics. In 1951 Nixdorf started working for the development department of Remington Rand Corp. There he gained knowledge of simple adding machines and met Walter Sprick, whose assistant he became. Leaving Remington to work at IBM, Sprick handed some of his work and inventions over to Nixdorf. Based on those concepts, Nixdorf developed the Elektronensaldierer and the Elektronenmultiplizierer.

From Wikipedia’s article on Heinz Nixdorf (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: engineer, entrepreneur.6

Personal life

  • BornApr 9, 1925, Paderborn7
  • DiedMar 17, 1986, Hanover8
  • CitizenshipGermany9

Nixdorf married Renate Ring in 1960. The couple had three sons, one of whom, Martin Nixdorf, is the current chairman of the Heinz-Nixdorf-Stiftung and the Stiftung Westfalen.

From Wikipedia’s article on Heinz Nixdorf (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Awards

  • 1985Konrad Zuse Medal10

Sources

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