Seite - 8 - in Nikola Tesla and the Graz Tech

8 Nikola Tesla can be counted as one of the most brilliant inventors of our age. He ushered in ground-breaking developments, especially in the field of alter- nating current and high-frequency engineering, wireless information and en- ergy transmission as well as medical technology. Born in Smiljan in today’s Croatia, his life’s journey took him to the USA, where he died in New York. • From 1875 to 1878, Nikola Tesla was a student at the Imperial and Royal College of Technology, which was located in those days at the Joanneum (Raubergasse 10). • In 1937, Nikola Tesla was awarded a honorary doctorate in technical sciences by the former Graz-Leoben College of Technology (and Mining). • In 2006, a plaque was erected at the Joanneum (the former site of the College of Technology) to commemorate Nikola Tesla as a student. • Also, the large high-voltage hall at Graz University of Technology’s Institute of High Voltage Engineering and System Performance was named the Nikola Tesla Laboratory in 2006. • And finally, the Nikola Tesla Medal has been awarded for special invention achievements at Graz University of Technology since 2015. Nikola Tesla was born in 1856. On the occasion of his 150th birthday, an ex- hibition took place at the Institute of High Voltage Engineering and System Performance together with the Universalmuseum Joanneum (previous head of the Institute was Univ.- Prof. Michael Muhr) in 2006. On the occasion of this event an accompanying booklet and the publication ‘Nikola Tesla and the Graz Tech’ was published. Nikola Tesla died in 1943, so 2018 was the 75th anniversary of his death. A translation and a reissue of the 2006 publication was proposed by Gabriele Groß at the Verlag der Technischen Universität Graz – the publishing house of Graz University of Technology. This work was generously supported by Bernhard Reismann, from the University Archive, with Helmut Tezak pro- viding the photographs. Thus again a depiction of the personality of Nikola Tesla and his special relationship to the Graz Tech has thus been presented. Of course, his achieve- ments in the field of science and industry are in the foreground. The situation at the former College of Technology and its surroundings will also be illuminated. Editor’s foreword There are many links to the Graz Tech