author
Friedrich Uppenborn
1859–1907
A self-taught German electrical engineer, he wrote clearly about the fast-changing world of late 19th-century power technology. His best-known book, History of the Transformer, helped explain a key invention of the electrical age to a wider technical audience.
1 Audiobook
History of the Transformer
by Friedrich Uppenborn
About the author
Born in Hanover on January 29, 1859, Friedrich Uppenborn became a German electrical engineer at a time when the field was still taking shape. German biographical sources identify him as an Elektrotechniker, and his own published work shows him writing for readers interested in the practical development of electrical systems.
He is especially remembered for History of the Transformer, first published in the 1880s and later translated into English. Contemporary editions describe him as editor of Centralblatt für Elektrotechnik and chief of the electro-technical testing station in Munich, reflecting his role in both technical journalism and applied electrical work.
Uppenborn died in Munich on March 25, 1907. Though not a household name today, he belongs to the generation that documented and shaped the early history of electric power.