Presidency of the Council of the European Union

11/18/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/18/2022 04:43

František Křižík: the inventor who illuminated the world and Bohemia with arc lamps

František Křižík was one of the most important Czech inventors, engineers and industrialists. His most famous invention was the self-regulating arc lamp. However, this Czech inventor who lived in the 19th century, was also behind other important achievements. He built a light fountain, perfected electric trams, and his company constructed the first municipal power plant in Bohemia, for the Žižkov district. He is often called the Czech Edison thanks to his world-famous inventions.

Křižík and the railways

Křižík's path was thorny at first. He took various jobs while still studying, and later joined the Markus Kaufmann company, which focused on telegraphs and other signalling equipment. After graduating, he first worked as a railway repairman and clerk for various railway companies. He eventually worked his way up to be head of the telegraph department on the Plzeň - Chomutov line.

His first discoveries came from his time working on the railways. He invented a remote-controlled signal to prevent train collisions, designed block signalling equipment, and improved other railway equipment, significantly reducing the danger of collisions. Inventing became part of his life and also provided him with financial security. It meant that he was able to go to Paris for the World Exhibition in 1878.

His most famous invention: the arc lamp

Křižík was inspired to work on the arc lamp at the Paris World Exhibition in 1878, where he admired the electric light of the Russian inventor Pavel Nikolayevich Yablochkov. This lamp, although already greatly improved compared to the first attempts by Vasily Vladimirovich Petrov and Humphry Davy, only shone for 45 minutes. It was this problem that intrigued Křižík so much that it predetermined his further career in electrical inventions.

In 1880, Křižík introduced electric lighting in the Piette paper mill in Plzeň, and a year later he successfully presented his arc lamp in Paris, where he won a gold medal in competition with 50 similar devices. Only Edison won a higher award with his light bulb. That year was a breakthrough one for the Czech inventor. He sold the patent in Europe and established his own electrical engineering plant in Karlín, Prague which, in addition to arc lamps, also produced chandeliers, electric motors, generators and transformers. This boy from humble circumstances thus became a successful, respected and wealthy man whose equipment was found in many public buildings, railway stations, power plants, city railways, important exhibitions, sugar factories, breweries, machine shops and other enterprises.

The first city power plant and electric tram

In 1889, the "Czech Edison" opened the first public power plant in the country, in the Žižkov district. Žižkov thus became the first area in Bohemia with public electric lighting. After the success of Žižkov, more power plants began appearing around Prague. In 1897, public electricity production began in the Smíchov district, with the Karlin district power plant put into operation in 1895. Later, Křižík began to expand its production to include other equipment related to electrification, such as dynamos and wiring material.

The Prague Jubilee Exhibition held in 1891 at today's Prague Exhibition Grounds was of great importance to Křižík's career. It was there that he presented his first electric tram line from Letná to the Exhibition Grounds, which were illuminated by his arc lamps. At the same time, he built a light fountain at the Exhibition Grounds, which brought him much fame and popularity.

One of his last major projects was the construction of the first electric railway in Austria-Hungary between Tabor and Bechyně in 1903. The first test run took place on 1 June 1903, with regular services starting 20 days later. With only slight exaggeration, it can be said that František Křižík dominated the Czech electricity market. He equipped 130 power plants. In addition to electric locomotives, he also built three electric cars and an electric agricultural thresher. The electrification of cities and municipalities in the Czech lands was accelerated thanks to him.

Later, however, he ran into financial difficulties due to his miscalculation of the development of the use of direct current, while his greatest competitor, Eduard Kolben, promoted alternating current electrification, which eventually prevailed.

František Křižík

František Křižík (1847-1941) retired into seclusion towards the end of his life. The famous inventor died at the age of almost 94. He was buried with the honours of an outstanding Czech personality in the Slavín tomb at the Vyšehrad cemetery. In 1991, when the Jubilee Exhibition was held again after 100 years at the Prague Exhibition Grounds, a new modern light fountain bearing Křižík's name was built on the original site.