Page - 14 - in Nikola Tesla and the Graz Tech

14 At the same time, it also imparts those qualifications which are important for professional use outside the university. The right to confer academic degrees which is reserved for the universities (and recently also universities of applied sciences) emphasises this exceptional status. It seems now entirely appropriate to cultivate an awareness of tradition at Graz University of Technology and show solidarity with people who have con- tributed to this development. This will be illustrated by three persons: • Solidarity with the founder of the Joanneum, Archduke Johann, known as ‘the Habsburg green rebel’ (according to H. Magenschab /4/) since he founded the nucleus of today’s ‘Alma mater Joannea’. • Solidarity with the university employees who once worked here and who established today’s reputation. As a representative of them, Richard Zsigmondy, university assistant and Privatdozent (similar to adjunct professor) who held courses on chemical technology from 1893 to 1898, and who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1925 one year later, in 1926, should be mentioned here /3/. • Solidarity with the young people who studied at this school of higher learn- ing, and among whom Nikola Tesla counted from 1875 to 1878. He is today, justifiably, seen as one of the most brilliant and imaginative inven- tors of our age. On account of his achievements, he was awarded a honorary doctorate in technical sciences from the Technical University in 1937. Nikola Tesla was born at Smiljan, in the Lika border region (in today’s Croatia) on 10 July 1856. At the time of his birth, this region was part of the Austro- Hungarian monarchy. Accordingly, the following formulation is to be found in his later patent applications (in the USA): ‘Be it known that I, NIKOLA TESLA, of Smiljan, Lika, border country of Austria Hungary, have invented…’ (Patent No. 355, 786, dated February, 9, 1886). ‘Be it known that I, NIKOLA TESLA, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, from Smiljan, Lika, border country of Austria-Hungary, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented…’ (Patent No. 455, 069, dated June 30, 1891). Nikola Tesla: Milestones in his life