From the beginning of the 19th century till 1815 continental Europe was kept under Napoleon`s thumb. Like before,Germany is split into many different states with up to 38 customs barriers. The power that will unify it in the end is still having hard times. From 1835 on the railway plays an important role in unification. Suppliers develop everywhere, mechanical engineering starts to bloom. Adding to it are unification attempts under as far as possible democratic conditions (Frankfurt Paul's church in 1848). There is no respective success for the moment, but the customs barriers fall bit by bit...

Karl Benz was born in 1844 in Karlsruhe and the small pension his mother receives after his father`s (railwayman) early death makes it possible for him to visit the high school. Besides his studies at the polytechnic (high) school he gets a job as student trainee in a lokomotiv plant, 11 hours a day plus 1 hour lunchbreak. It is donkey work, not really different from that of a normal workman. By the way, he could have met Daimler here, had he only stayed for three more years.

However, Karl Benz stays for two years only and then changes to the Schweizer company in Mannheim which,amongst others, produces railway waggons. After half a year he becomes technical draftsman. Another half a year later he moves to Pforzheim, slowly climbing up the ladder and being carried over executive functions. Here he gets to know his wife Berta about whom we will hear more lateron. Together with her he went back to Mannheim in 1871.

By the way, this is the year in which Germany is unified under the supremacy of Prussia after three hard wars. In Mannheim Benz`s first own company dealing with hydraulic presses starts production right at the end of an impetus after the last war. Independence turns into fiasco. The couple can be happy to save at least the buildings.

After the first company bankruptcy and at the hour of the biggest need Karl Benz turns his attention to the two-stroke engine for stationary use. The new patents of Otto must be avoided. That does not mean however that the engine runs immediately. In different sources it is described in detail how the Benz couple spends New Year's Eve in 1879 with attempts to start the engine and finally is rewarded with constant ignitions which much later even are in time with the church bells. In 1881 the engine is finished and a successful mass production starts. 01/10