Joseph Vollmer

Joseph Vollmer
Born	February 13, 1871 Baden-Baden
Died	October 9, 1955 (aged 84) Brunswick, Germany
Nationality	German
Education	Technikum Mittweida, Sachsen
Spouse(s)	Hedwig Stöhr
Engineering career
Projects	A7V tank

Joseph Vollmer (1871–1955) was a German automobile designer and engineer and a pioneering tank designer. As chief designer for the German War Department's motor vehicle section, he designed the World War I German tanks A7V, K-Wagen, LK I and LK II.

Born the son of a master locksmith, Vollmer grew up with three brothers in Baden-Baden. He attended the Municipal Trade School and after graduating in 1886 went to Cannstatt, to take up an apprenticeship as a mechanic in the Maschinenfabrik Esslingen. In 1894 he completed his engineering studies at the Technikum Mittweida in Sachsen.

Vollmer's career as an engineer and automobile pioneer began at Bergmann's automobile division in Gaggenau, beginning over 100 years of automobile construction in Gaggenau with the "Orient Express" automobile.

In 1887 Vollmer moved to the Kühlstein Wagenbau company of Berlin-Charlottenburg.

From 1901, he worked for AEG, where in 1902 he became head of their NAG subsidiary. All vehicles produced by AEG-NAG until 1906 were produced under Vollmer's direction and were designed by him, including the world's first truck, the DURCH tractor-trailer of 1903.

In 1905 Vollmer married Hedwig Stöhr, with whom he had two daughters; they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1955.

Vollmer left NAG in 1906 and together with his friend Ernst Neuberg founded the Deutsche Automobil-Construktionsgesellschaft (DAC).

During World War I, Vollmer acquired the rank of Captain, and as chief designer for the German War Department's motor vehicle section, he designed the World War I German tanks A7V, K-Wagen, LK I and LK II

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