Translated by pupils of Heinrich-Göbel-Realschule, Martin Wittkugel, Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium and pupils of Geschwister-Scholl-Realschule, Springe.

Inventor of the first functional incandescent lamp



Heinrich Göbel in Springe

1818
On April 20th Heinrich Göbel was born to gardener and chocolate producer Johann Heinrich Christian Göbel from Zorge (Harz Mountains) and his wife Eleonore Hüper from Springe.

1824
He attended the local boys’ school

1832
His schooltime ended on April 29th. Heinrich got one of the worst reports of his age-group but the comment:"He seems to have an inventive mind. The unsatisfactory marks appear to be due mostly to a lengthy illness." In Springe he learned watch-making skills.

1837
Heinrich was the owner of a shop for mechanics and optics. According to his statement under oath (Januar 23, 1893) he assisted Prof. Moeninghausen with the implementing of physics experiments from which the electric light was produced. Attempts with incandescent lamps and arcs were carried out. In addition instruments for school needs were built.

1844
He married Sophie Lübke (née Rodewig) from Springe.

1846
First attempts to make an incandescent lamp with the help of electricity were without result. On June 8th his son Carl was born.

1848
On july 30th his daughter Marie Sophie was born. After Göbel had sold his possessions he emigrated with his family on a commercial sailing ship the "J.W.ANDREWS" to America, leaving port in Bremen on November 13th. 151 German immigrants were on board.

Henry Goebel in New York

1849
January 31st. Arriving of the "J:W:Andrews" in New York City. HENRY GOEBEL, as he is called from that moment on, moves into an apartment on Monroe-Street 391 and runs a horology and optician store.

1853
The installation of an lighting arc lamp on the roof of his house (supplied by a self-constructed primary battery) is prohibited according to a courts decision. Continuing of his experiments from 1846.

1854
By using a filament made out of carbonides bamboo and a bottle of Eau-de-Cologne, which was a vacuum, he succeeds in constructing the first electric light bulb. He refrains applying for a patent.

1859
His lamps, from that time on made out of cylindrical glass tubes, glow up to 400 hours. He does not only light his workshop, apartment and his daughter’s sewing machine with them, but also the display windows of his store and the telescope car. With this vehicle he drives through the streets of New York City at darkness and shows people through his self-constructed, 6 meter long telescope the starry sky for a fee.

1860
New domicile Monroe-Street 271 1-2.

1865
On May 9th Goebel gets the U.S. Patent No. 47.632 "Hemmer for sewing-machines". Invention of the mercury vacuum pump by Herman Sprengel.

1866
Invention of the dynamo by Werner von Siemens. Both are preconditions for the economic electrical lighting.

1872
Expansion of the store with jewellery in Grand-Street 500 1-2.

1877
Changing of domicile to Grand-Street 468. During the following years seven more children are born.

1979
EDISON receives the U.S.-Patent No. 223.898. After a long period of experimenting he is able – together with 40 collegues and at high cost – to manufacture an incandescent bulb with bamboo filament. Burning-Time: 45 hours.

1881
In vain Goebel looks for a sponsor or manufacturer for his incandescent lamp. Together with personnal and relatives he produces an abundance of filaments which he sells to bulb manufacturers. In September he signs a counselling contract wth the American-Light-Company. His financial situation improves increasingly.

1882
Goebel acquires the U.S.-Patent No. 252.658 for the improvement of the Geissler-Pump on January 24th. On October 24th, he acquires the U.S.-Patent No. 266.358 for the functional fitting of the carbon filament and leading-in wires of a bulb.

1885
In May the EDISON ELECTRIC LIGHT COMP. starts sueing competitive manufacturers for producing bulbs without a patent. A series of processes continues until 1894. In each case the short processes end up in an application from the prosecuter with a judicial order and forced the defendant to discontinue the manufacturing of the bulb.

1887
Goebel’s wife Sophie dies in September.

1893
On January 23rd, during the lawsuit against the BEACON VACUUM PUMP AND ELECTRIC COMP. a sensational event occurs, which spreads rapidly among international experts when the defendant with the help of the GOEBEL DEFENSE gives evidence of the GOEBEL INVENTION of 1854 by means of more than 30 affidavits.

Two more defendant companies present the total of over 100 pieces of evidence as well as old Goebel incandescent lamps. In front of experts, called by the court, Goebel reconstructs the tools he used at that time and also his lamps of 1859. There are inconsistent judgements for and against Edison. Edison is only successful in two processes with appeal. This does not mean that the real truth had come forth. The opposing parties do not continue with these processes because of the high costs and also because the Edison copyright would expire in the following year, 1894.

At the end of November Goebel falls ill with pneumonia and dies on December 4th. He finds his last resting place at GREENWOOD CEMENTARY 5th Ave.

1912
NELA-PARK, building No. 308 – today the seat of the GENERAL ELECTRIC LIGHTNING- laying of the foundations. Objects of importance dating back to that time are hermetically sealed in a capsule and enclosed in a wall. Among those objects there is a GOEBEL LAMP, which is thus "saved for future generations".

Th.A.Edisons deserves considerable merit for the development of electric lighting systems, which shall not be underestimated. However, the early invention of a functional incandescent lamp by H. Goebel remains a pioneering act in the field of electrical engineering.

Collected by Friedrich Gisselmann, Springe.

Source Research: Church Register Springe, Passenger List "J.W.ANDREWS", "THE ELECTRICAL ENGINEER"; "THE ELECTRICAL WORLD", New York 1893.