Christopher Polhem
| Christopher Polhem | |
|---|---|
Christopher Polhem, Johan Henrik Scheffel, 1741.
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| Born | December 18, 1661 Tingstäde, Gotland, Sweden |
| Died | 30 August 1751 (aged 89) , Sweden |
| Residence | Sweden |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Fields | Physics, Mechanics |
| Alma mater |
Uppsala University University of Harderwijk |
| Known for |
Göta Canal Various inventions |
Christopher Polhammar (18 December 1661 – 30 August 1751), better known as 
Christopher Polhem , which he took after his ennoblement, was a Swedish scientist, inventor and industrialist. He made significant contributions to the economic and industrial development of Sweden, particularly mining.
Polhem was born on the island of Gotland in the small village of Tingstäde, situated northeast of Visby.
Originally the Polhem family came from Austria to Pomerania, Germany, from where his father, Wolf Christoph Polhammer traded with Visby, where he would eventually settle down to become a skipper. When Polhem was 8, his father died and his mother, Christina Eriksdotter Schening from Vadstena, Östergötland remarried. As a result of conflicts with his stepfather, his private tuition was no longer paid for and Polhem was sent to live with his uncle in Stockholm. In Stockholm he attended a German school until the age of 12 when his uncle died; once again Polhem was left without the possibility of education.
He took a job as a farmhand on Vansta, a property in Södertörn, Stockholm. He quickly rose to the position of supervisor, being responsible for supervision and accounting, for which he was well suited by his affinity for mathematics. He worked at Vansta for ten years, during which period he constructed a workshop where he made tools, repaired and constructed simple machinery to earn money.
Hungering for knowledge within his fields of interest, mathematics and mechanics, he soon realized that he would get no further without learning Latin. Self-studies were attempted, but given up; Polhem realized he needed a tutor. In exchange for constructing a complex clock, he was given Latin lessons by a local vicar.
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