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Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel (1858-1913) Born: 18 March 1858, Paris
Page 57
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Partner: Martha Flasche Children: Rudolf, Hedy. Eugen Died: September 1913, English Channel Diesel was born in France, to German parents. His father was a bookbinder and Rudolf was his only son. The Diesels had to leave Paris in 1870 so they moved to London. At the same time, Rudolf was sent to Augsburg in Germany, where he studied at the vocational and industrial school, graduating with the best grades the university had ever recorded.
In 1880, he started as a trainee at the Carl von Linde company in Paris, and after just one year was a.director of the company. He married Martha in 1883 and they had three children.
Diesel spent his life climbing the corporate ladder, and was soon a millionaire living a very lavish lifestyle. According to his private accounts, the family enjoyed a very opulent existence. The hired carriage cost 300 Marks a month, there was a butler and the obligatory French governess. While the living was easy, it would appear the countless patent and general engineering challenges took their toll on the engineer, and it is known that he ran into some financial problems off the back of flawed property speculation and poorly judged licence agreements.
In September 1913, at the age of 55, Rudolf Diesel fell from a ship into the English Channel during a crossing to England. Many felt this was suicide, but there was no proof, and the death of Rudolf Diesel remains a mystery to this day