Degen, Jakob#

b. Liedertswil (Switzerland), Feb. 27, 1760, d. Vienna, Aug. 28, 1848. Pioneer of aviation, inventor; in 1810 flew several kilometres from Laxenburg to Voesendorf with his human-powered aircraft, a combination of wings and a balloon; built a working model of a helicopter powered by clockwork movement. His invention in 1821 of counterfeit-proof double printing of bank notes with a rose engine was used by many European central banks.

Literature#