The Swedish scientist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel became famous throughout the world primarily thanks to the prize that he bequeathed to be established with his money for outstanding achievements in some areas. Meanwhile, there are things for which he can be reproached or even serious charges can be brought against him. What are we talking about?

Nobel invented weapons of mass destruction

As the son of engineer and inventor Emmanuel Nobel, Alfred was interested in technology from childhood, in particular the production of explosives. This was also facilitated by the fact that his father achieved success in the production of explosives. While traveling in France in his youth, Alfred Nobel met Ascanio Sobrero, who discovered nitroglycerin in 1847. Although Sobrero himself was against the use of nitroglycerin in the production of explosives, since he considered this substance difficult to control, Nobel adopted the idea.

On September 3, 1864, a laboratory where nitroglycerin was produced exploded at the Nobel factory in Heleneborg near Stockholm. The accident claimed the life of Alfred's younger brother, Emil. The brothers' father, Emmanuel, was paralyzed after this incident, and spent the last eight years of his life bedridden.

Despite this, Alfred continued to develop explosives. In 1867, he received a patent for dynamite, which included nitroglycerin. In 1875 he invented the so-called explosive jelly, which was superior in power to dynamite, and in 1887 he invented ballistite, which became the predecessor of cordite. After this, Nobel began to be called the “millionaire on blood,” “the merchant of explosive death,” and the “dynamite king.” He himself was a pacifist by conviction and believed that the growth of armaments would force people to restrain their warlike instincts.

He came up with the prototype of the electric chair

One of Nobel's inventions was the “silent suicide machine.” They say that Alfred himself, in his declining years, began to think about suicide, because he realized that he was essentially lonely and unhappy: he had neither a family nor children, and his health left much to be desired. True, the plan never came to fruition. But thanks to this machine, the idea arose of inventing the electric chair, with the help of which long years executed criminals in the USA.

He was not flexible in business

Although Nobel was very responsible person and treated his employees well; his colleagues and companions did not like him. Thus, he was unable to found enterprises in the USA because of his uncompromising attitude: it seemed to him that American businessmen were only interested in money, and in the ideas of benefiting humanity, which he himself preached.

He wasn't a nice person

To some extent, Nobel professed misanthropic views. Relatives and colleagues said he was impossible to deal with and his unsociability was shocking. He called his contemporaries “a pack of two-legged monkeys,” did not believe in progress and was wary of innovations (despite the fact that he himself made so many inventions!)

In addition, he considered the democratic model of government to be ineffective. He was even considered a socialist, although he was not one.

Nobel actively opposed the granting of voting rights to women. Once, during a dinner party, one democrat began to convince him: “After all, Alfred, there is very little difference between a man and a woman.” He raised his glass and proclaimed: “Gentlemen, long live the little difference!”

Nobel's will became the subject of great controversy

“Alfred Nobel can still be forgiven for the invention of dynamite. But only the unconditional enemy of humanity could come up with a “Nobel Prize,” the laureate once joked Nobel Prize Bernard Show.

The famous will was signed by Nobel on November 27, 1895 at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris. According to the document, most of the testator's fortune - about 31 million Swedish crowns - was used to establish a fund from which prizes were to be paid for achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace activities, which had great importance for all humanity, regardless of what nationality the applicants were. At the same time, the millionaire’s relatives received nothing. They tried to challenge the will, but to no avail.

Peace fighters were also dissatisfied with the will. They stated that “it is unethical to reward the strengthening of brotherhood between nations with money earned from explosives.” Swedish nationalists believed that since Nobel was a Swede, the prize should only go to Swedish scientists. Religious fanatics screamed that nothing good could be expected from a person who “sold his soul to the devil.” And representatives scientific world expressed doubts that the prize winners would be selected fairly.

The Nobel Prize in Mathematics was never awarded

Nobel's will mentions physics, chemistry, medicine and even peacekeeping activities, but what about the “queen of sciences” - mathematics? Why did Alfred never remember her?

There have been proposals to this effect different versions. Thus, they claimed that one of Nobel’s lovers preferred him to famous mathematician Mittag-Lefler, and in this way he decided to take revenge on the “competitor”. According to another, the reason was the unhappy love of 17-year-old Alfred for the Danish Anna Desry, who was carried away by the handsome Franz Lemarge, who embarrassed the young man by once at a reception asking him to solve a certain problem. math problem by writing it on a napkin. Although Nobel's knowledge of mathematics was excellent, he became so excited that he could not even read the terms of the problem and left the reception. This influenced the entire future life and career of the young man.

According to the third version, Nobel considered mathematics just an auxiliary tool for research, and not a full-fledged science. One way or another, mathematicians, no matter what brilliant discoveries they make, cannot be awarded the Nobel Prize.

An unusual monument was erected on Petrogradskaya Square in St. Petersburg. It is a bronze tree of a bizarre shape, the roots of which go into granite. A large bird sits in the branches. On the edge of the pedestal there is the inscription Alfred Nobel. The biography of this man is filled with the most different events. Let's look at some of them.

Memorable place

Embankment near Vyborg side is directly related to the life and work of Alfred Nobel. Until 1999, a world-famous engineering plant was located here. It was founded in 1862 by Ludwig Nobel. Alfred - a great scientist - is his younger brother. The family stayed in Russia for quite a long time. The father, together with his sons, was engaged in the industrial production of engines, components for mechanisms and machines. They also worked in the oil sector. They established the extraction, processing and transportation of raw materials. The family took an active part in equipping Russian fleet and armies with shells, mines, bombs. Meanwhile, the Nobels were involved not only in commerce. They also devoted a lot of money and effort to charitable causes. They established various scholarships, financed research, and maintained medical, cultural and educational institutions.

Family

The future great scientist spent his childhood in Stockholm. His father was Emmanuel Nobel. By 1842, Alfred was one of 4 children who survived when they arrived in Russia. The need to move was due to the plight of the family. My father was very talented. He understood construction, architecture and many other areas. He tried his best to provide for his family. Last try was the opening of an enterprise for the production of elastic fabrics. However, things did not work out, so the family moved first to Finland, which was part of Russia at that time, and then to St. Petersburg. I actually grew up here Alfred Nobel. Nationality did not prevent him from subsequently achieving outstanding success.

Stay in Russia

At that time the Empire was on the rise. The era of formation and development of industry began in Russia. The family got used to the new place quite quickly. My father began producing lathes and equipment for them. In addition, he was engaged in the production of metal casings for mines invented by him. The family settled in big house. Teachers were hired for the children. All of Emmanuel's sons were hard workers and talented people. From an early age he showed a love for work and Alfred Nobel. Interesting Facts about him early years can be found in different sources. In one of them, for example, it is indicated that the future scientist was fluent in several languages. Among them were Russian, English, German and French. At the age of 17, Alfred headed to the USA, Germany and France. For three years he continued his education.

Alfred Nobel: biography of a scientist

After three years of study abroad, he returned to Russia and got a job at his father’s company, which produced ammunition for the Crimean campaign. At the end of the war in 1856, the manufactory required urgent reorganization. This was done by brothers Robert and Ludwig. The parents and their younger children returned to Sweden. Started in Stockholm new era for family. The parents settled on an estate in the suburbs of Stockholm. Was created here experimental laboratory. The elder Nobel conducted his experiments with detonation there. Alfred soon joined his father in research. Black powder was used as the only explosive at that time. At the same time, the properties of nitroglycerin have already been described. It was first synthesized in 1847 by the Italian chemist Ascaño Sobrero. However, it was impossible to use nitroglycerin as intended. The danger lay in the rapid transition of the substance into an explosive gas from any state.

First achievements

The bulk of the experiments were carried out by Emmanuel Nobel. Alfred first looked for sponsors. In 1861 the philanthropist was found. He gave the researchers 100 thousand francs. It is worth saying, however, that Alfred was not particularly interested in working with explosive compounds. But at the same time, he could not refuse his father’s help. After 2 years, Alfred Bernhard Nobel created the first device that makes it possible to safely work with nitroglycerin. The substance was placed in a separate, sealed container. The detonator was placed in the next compartment - the capsule, which was later cast from metal. The created device almost completely eliminated the possibility of a spontaneous explosion. With its subsequent improvement, black powder began to be replaced with mercury. During one of the experiments, an explosion occurred, which killed 8 people, including Alfred's younger brother, Emil. The father took the death of his son very hard. Some time later, there was a stroke that confined him to bed for almost 7 years. Emmanuel Nobel was never able to get back on his feet and died in 1872 at the age of 71.

Love of books

Alfred Nobel was noted for his love of reading. In his library he included not only scientific works different authors, but also classical works. Nobel was very fond of French and Russian writers. Among them were Hugo, Balzac, Maupassant. Nobel read Turgenev's novels in both Russian and French. It is worth saying that he was not only a chemist, but also a philosopher. Nobel had a doctorate.

Writing

Alfred Nobel also showed interest in him. Dynamite, a substance he patented, was not the goal of all his activities. In general, we can say that commerce was a means of subsistence, and not a favorite pastime. It is quite possible that he would have become a writer. Unfortunately, only one of his works has survived - a play in verse about Beatrice of Chechnya ("Nemesis").

Work after father's death

All, what Alfred Nobel invented, brought him a lot of income. At the same time, he himself exercised control over technological processes, selected personnel for the enterprise, and corresponded with partners. Nobel showed exceptional responsibility. He monitored accounting operations, advertising campaigns, product sales, and participated in negotiations with suppliers. Alfred Nobel's inventions used in a wide variety of industrial sectors. At the same time, the scientist saw great prospects in the use of explosive compounds for peaceful purposes. Thus, Nobel's dynamite was used in the mountainous region of Sera Nevada to lay railroad tracks.

First foreign enterprise

It was founded in 1865. The main office was in Hamburg. It is worth saying that working with explosive compounds is never without accidents. The new enterprise was no exception. Nobel was forced to constantly address security issues. His greatest desire was to create explosives that would be used exclusively for peaceful purposes.

Trip to America

Nobel went to the USA in 186. Here he wanted to found a new enterprise. However, the business world did not really please the entrepreneur. He was of the opinion that local businessmen were too keen on getting money. Because of this, the pleasure of communicating with them was lost. Actions taken American businessmen, clouded the joy of cooperation and constantly reminded them of their true goals.

Successful experiment

In 1867, safe explosives were finally created. Nobel patented dynamite. It was a powder containing nitroglycerin and a chemically inert substance. The latter was the mineral kieselguhr. These are the fossilized remains of a diatom (sea plant). Dynamite was poured into drilled holes and exploded using a cord connected to a detonator. This allowed a person to be on safe distance from the epicenter. Nobel's invention is used in various fields and today.

Ballistitis

He became the next discovery. After dynamite, explosive jelly was created. It was a mixture of gunpowder and nitroglycerin. Subsequently, Nobel created ballistite - a smokeless explosive. A few years later it was improved by Ael and Dewar. They created cordite based on ballistite. The scientists patented their invention as a novelty. However, this was incorrect, since its basis was ballistite. Nobel tried to challenge the patent in court, but the English government opposed it, and the scientist lost. It is worth saying that he often had to enter into such conflicts.

Public views

Nobel opposed granting voting rights to women. He expressed great doubts about the wisdom and effectiveness of the democratic model. At the same time, Nobel was against despotism. The workers of his enterprises were socially protected many times better than the staff of other owners. Nobel believed that a well-educated, well-fed and healthy person with high moral principles would bring much more benefit to the cause than a grossly exploited mass of illiterate people. He spent a lot of money on creating conditions for normal work. Special attention he paid attention to safety measures. Contemporaries called him a socialist. Although he didn’t consider himself that way.

Good of society

Nobel believed that all his inventions should be used for peaceful purposes. In the second half XIX century The steam engine was created. Its appearance gave a huge impetus to the development of the economy. As a result, railways began to be built everywhere and tunnels were made. All of these works used Nobel's dynamite. The explosive was used to clear canals and deepen the bottom of reservoirs when laying shipping routes. If we talk about the military sphere, Nobel believed that if both sides had the same weapons, then there would be no clashes.

Error in obituary

At the beginning of his career as an industrial magnate, Nobel did not plan to bequeath his capital to charitable causes. However, his views changed in his declining years. Ludwig died in 1888. The newspapers mistakenly reported Alfred's death. At the same time, he was called a merchant of death, a man who made his fortune from blood. These messages greatly shocked Nobel's mother. She fell ill and died a year later. Of course, Alfred himself also could not remain indifferent to the articles. He moved to Italy. There Nobel settled in San Remo, in a secluded villa. On it he equipped a laboratory and conducted experiments on the synthesis of artificial silk and rubber.

Last will

During his years in San Remo, the scientist and entrepreneur began to think about how to manage his fortune. By that time, a reliable enterprise management system was in place, and profit distribution was controlled. Overseeing all this himself is considered the key achievement of this man. In his last will, he indicated that most of his fortune should go to rewards great scientists and people whose activities are aimed at strengthening peace. 31 million Swedish marks - the amount allocated for this Alfred Nobel. Nobel Prize was established in the fields of chemistry, physics, medicine/physiology. A reward was also given to the person who created an outstanding literary work. A fifth should be given to someone who made a significant contribution to the abolition of slavery, the unity of peoples, the promotion of peace and the reduction of the number of armies. Alfred Nobel's will contained his special wish. He pointed out that the reward should be given to a person regardless of his nationality. That is, the main criterion should be achievement, and not belonging to any country.

Women

Of course, the personality of this man aroused great interest among his contemporaries. And if about his entrepreneurial and scientific activity was known to everyone, the intimate side was carefully hidden from outsiders. It is not even possible to establish from existing sources whether Alfred Nobel was married. Personal life this person, however, took place. His first love was Anna Desri. She was the daughter of a pharmacist. There is evidence that Nobel even wanted to get married. There are two versions explaining the reasons that the marriage did not take place. According to one of them, Anna fell ill and died. According to another, she started an affair with a certain Lemarge, a mathematician. According to rumors, this is precisely the reason for the absence of achievements in this discipline in the premium set. Another woman for whom the scientist had feelings tender feelings, - Sarah Bernhardt. Nobel saw her at a performance and fell in love. Another woman who captivated Nobel was Sophie Hess. She was only 20. She worked in a flower shop. This novel might not have been known if Hess had not made a claim to the inheritance after Nobel’s death. According to sources, she was in his custody for 19 years. Hess introduced herself to her neighbors as Madame Nobel. However, the relationship was not officially registered. In 1876, Nobel met Bertha Kinski. They could well have gotten engaged, but for unknown reasons this did not happen. It is known that it was Bertha who inspired Nobel to establish the prize. It is worth saying that they supported a good relationship until the very last day of his life. Bertha Kinski was among the first people to receive the Peace Prize. She actively participated in the cause of preserving humanity from the beginning of the Third World War.

In 1874, the Italian Ascanio Sobrero managed to develop an oil with very explosive properties - nitroglycerin. But the oil was difficult to handle and would explode even if carelessly shaken too much, making it dangerous to transport and use. It was only when it was mixed with diatomaceous earth that the explosive became usable and in many ways changed the world, receiving the name “dynamite” from its inventor, Alfred Nobel.

Dynamite has proven to be extremely useful for various construction work, it was used to build everything from roads and mines to railways and ports. Dynamite contributed to worldwide economic development and became a major ingredient and product of Alfred Nobel's international industrial network.

But Nobel was not happy with the use of dynamite in the military field, and in 1895, a year before his death, he decided to bequeath his enormous fortune to a foundation that would award prizes in the fields of chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine, literature and work for the good of peace . These awards are known as Nobel Prizes.

Son of an Inventor

Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born on October 21, 1833 in Stockholm. His father's name was Immanuel Nobel, he was a builder and also engaged in invention, but with with varying success. When Alfred was little, the family had such a hard time that they decided to move to St. Petersburg and build a new one there. better life. Immanuel Nobel went first in 1837, and when money became better, he moved his family there - his wife Andrietta Nobel and sons Robert, Ludwig and Alfred.

Soon after all the Nobels settled in St. Petersburg, another, fourth, son was born in the family - Emil. In total, Immanuel and Andrietta Nobel had eight children, but four of them died in childhood. In St. Petersburg, Immanuel Nobel was also involved in the production of mines and steam engines, and he managed to achieve a fairly good position.

Robert, Ludwig and Alfred received a thorough interdisciplinary education: they studied classic literature and philosophy and, in addition native language, spoke four more fluently. The older brothers decided to focus on mechanics, while Alfred studied chemistry.

Alfred was especially interested in experimental chemistry. At the age of 17, he went abroad for two years on a study trip, during which he met famous chemists and took from them practical lessons. The Nobel brothers also worked in their father's factory, and if anything Alfred seems to have inherited his father's interest in carrying out daring and life-threatening experiments.

Lethal experiments with nitroglycerin

So, nitroglycerin was invented - a mixture of sulfuric acid, nitric acid and glycerin, and although it was still new and undeveloped, Messrs. Nobel was also very familiar with it. However, no one really knew how to use this substance. It was clear that if we put no a large number of nitroglycerin on a workbench and hit it with a hammer, it will explode, or at least the part of it that was hit by the hammer will explode. The problem is that the nitroglycerin explosion was difficult to completely control.

In 1858, the factory of Alfred Nobel's father went bankrupt. Father and mother moved back to Sweden with their youngest son Emil, and Robert Nobel went to Finland. Ludwig Nobel founded his own mechanical workshop, where Alfred Nobel apparently also helped - and at the same time carried out various experiments with nitroglycerin.

The work gained momentum when Alfred Nobel moved to Stockholm. He received his first Swedish patent for a method of producing “Nobel's explosive oil,” as he called nitroglycerin. Together with his father and brother Emil, he began producing the substance on an industrial scale in Heleneborg.

Alfred and Immanuel Nobel wanted to create a safe explosive, but manufacturing process was not safe at all. For the first time, experiments had truly tragic consequences: in 1864, the laboratory blew up, and several people, including Emil Nobel, died. The Nobel gentlemen simply did not realize how much dangerous substance deal and how risky it is to conduct experiments in the city.

Explosion accidents also occurred outside Sweden, and many countries introduced legislation prohibiting the use and transport of Nobel's explosive oil. Stockholm authorities have, for obvious reasons, banned the production of nitroglycerin in the city. Tens of thousands of people actually laid their lives on the experiments that were carried out in Nobel's factories, many died because the product his company supplied was so dangerous.

“The brain is a very generator of impressions.” unstable nature, and anyone who has the impression that he is right only believes that he is right,” noted Alfred Nobel in one of his notebooks.

Nitroglycerin + diatomaceous earth = true

But despite all this, Alfred Nobel found effective method sell their product, and although the public feared the substance, nitroglycerin was soon being used to blow up everything from railroad tunnels to mines. So only six weeks after the Heleneborg explosion, Alfred Nobel founded Nitroglycerin AB, the world's first nitroglycerin factory, and bought a plot of land with a house from Winterviken to continue his activities there.

In 1963, Alfred Nobel also received a patent for a detonator - a small capsule with a fuse that ignites other explosives, which was needed to make nitroglycerin explode via a cord. This became part of Nobel's greatest discovery, which was already very close.

Context

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The Conversation 11/08/2016 Two years later, in 1865, Nobel moved to Hamburg, Germany. After many difficulties and several more and less serious explosions, he finally invented dynamite. He mixed nitroglycerin with kieselguhr, a porous sedimentary rock composed of sediments diatoms, which he took from the banks of the Elbe River. As a result, he finally got a stable mixture with good explosive properties. He gave the mass an easy-to-use form of bars, which exploded only when the detonator was ignited.

The name dynamite comes from the Greek “dynamis”, which means “strength”: this idea probably appeared in connection with the then name of the electric motor - dynamo.

Dynamite made Alfred Nobel a world famous inventor. He received a patent for it in 1867, but the experiment was not yet over.

Nobel wanted to make dynamite even more powerful and give it water resistance, which was still missing. He mixed nitroglycerin with a small amount of pyroxylin and the result was explosive gelatin that could be used under water. 10 years after the invention of dynamite, he received a patent for his third great invention- ballistite, or Nobel powder, which was a mixture equal parts nitroglycerin and pyroxylin. The advantage of ballistite was its low smoke quality: when it exploded, very little smoke was produced.

While working in the laboratory, Alfred Nobel also developed business skills. He went to different countries and demonstrated his explosive and how to use it. Dynamite, for example, was used on a large scale in the construction of the world's third largest tunnel, the St. Gotthard Tunnel, passing through the Alps in Switzerland.

Lonely director in poor health

Given this state of affairs, Nobel moved his headquarters to Paris and bought a large villa on what was then Avenue de Malakoff (today called Avenue Poincaré). He created one of the first multinational enterprises in Europe with more than 20 subsidiaries and managed this business empire himself.

Alfred Nobel traveled around the world - to Scotland, Vienna and Stockholm - and wrote thousands of business letters. Dynamite was sold especially successfully in the USA, and factories were built in Great Britain, Switzerland and Italy. Even in Asia, one company appeared. Nobel seemed to enjoy making a lot of money. Despite this, he was not greedy and showed generosity towards those around him.

But Nobel’s health was poor: he regularly had angina attacks. It must be hard to handle the grueling administrative affairs of an entire international network of businesses on his own, and despite his efforts to support healthy image Life without tobacco and alcohol, Alfred Nobel often felt tired and sick.

“Alfred Nobel made a pleasant impression... Slightly below average height, with a dark beard, not beautiful, but not ugly facial features, which were enlivened only by the soft gaze of his blue eyes, and his voice sounded either melancholic or mocking.” — his friend Bertha von Suttner said about Alfred Nobel.

In 1889, Alfred Nobel moved to San Remo, where he set up a new laboratory. Italy bought a license for the production of its low-smoke powder, in addition, local climate was beneficial to his health, which improved slightly. He devoted all his time to invention and literature; in his house there was a big library, and his collection of fiction, for example, is preserved in the Nobel Library of the Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Alfred Nobel died in 1896 in his villa in San Remo. He was 63 years old. When Nobel's heirs went to San Remo to receive their share of the inheritance, they encountered a real surprise.

An astonishing testament

When Nobel's valid will was read, the audience was amazed. The will stated that Nobel's capital, which at the time of his death amounted to a dizzying 35 million Swedish kronor, would form the basis of a fund that would annually spend the income from this amount on bonuses to people who had contributed to humanity during the year " greatest benefit" The nationality of the nominee and his gender should not have mattered.

The profit was to be divided into five equal parts, each of which would become a prize in the field of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, as well as literature. The fifth prize was to go to the one who most contributed to the establishment of fraternal relations between people or the reduction of armies, in other words, fought for peace. Prizes in physics and chemistry were to be distributed by the Swedish Royal Academy Sciences, Physiology or Medicine - Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, literary prize- by the Swedish Academy, and the Peace Prize - by a commission of five people elected by the Storting, the Norwegian parliament.

Multimedia

RIA Novosti 10/02/2017 The will became a world sensation. Swedish newspapers described Nobel as famous inventor, who retained an interest in Sweden, despite the fact that he spent his life abroad (although in fact he was rather simply homesick, and was not a nationalist at all). The newspaper Dagens Nyheter stated that Nobel was famous friend world:
“The inventor of dynamite was the most devoted and hopeful supporter of the peaceful movement. He was convinced that the more devastating the instruments of murder were, the sooner the madness of war would become impossible.”

However, the authenticity of the will was called into question, and those organizations that were tasked with distributing the bonuses were initially tormented by doubts. The Swedish king was also critical of the awards, especially the fact that they were supposed to be international. After legal disputes and intense protests from Nobel's relatives, a Nobel Committee was created to look after Nobel's condition and organize the distribution of prizes.

An idealist of sorts

Alfred Nobel's life was unusual in many ways. After moving from St. Petersburg, he had to fight for his inventions and his enterprise for ten years. In his old age, already a successful businessman, Alfred Nobel had more than 350 patents. But he lived a secluded life and rarely participated in public events.

In his youth, he faced difficulties due to the fact that he came up with ideas that he could not implement due to lack of resources. Perhaps that's why he decided to give away his millions unknown people who made significant discoveries - as a reward to unsettled, diligent and full of ideas individuals from any part of the world. Moreover, he himself said that the inherited condition is a misfortune that only contributes to the apathy of the human race.

Nobel considered establishing a prize many times, and he was very interested in working for the benefit of peace. Among other things, he had the idea of ​​creating a European peace tribunal. It is clear that he wanted to bequeath his fortune to causes that could support his own passions in life: science, literature, and work for the good of the world.

The moral conflict that the inventor who created so many destructive weapons was an ardent supporter of peace, he himself apparently did not notice.

Alfred Nobel, who dedicated his life to creating increasingly powerful explosives used to cause death and destruction in war, also founded an important peace prize, and this created a contradictory impression. Apparently, Nobel perceived himself primarily as a scientist and believed that the application of inventions was no longer his business. As the newspaper Dagens Nyheter wrote after his death, he believed that he could make war impossible simply by making the weapons terrible enough.

Piecing together Alfred Nobel's entire fortune has proven to be a massive undertaking. Nobel appointed his employee Ragnar Sohlman as executor of the will, and only three and a half years after Nobel's death the king was able to approve the charter and rules of the Nobel Committee. Due to the international nature of the prize, as well as the size of the prize money, it was treated with great respect from the very beginning. The first five Nobel Prizes were awarded on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, December 10, 1901.

Alfred Nobel never married, but he had a long affair with a young Austrian, Sofie Hess, who was 20 years old when they met. He was clearly in love with Sophie Hess and even bought her an apartment in Paris, but she never seemed to live up to his requirements for a potential wife, and when she finally found another life partner, their relationship ended in nothing.

“I am not an expert on people, I can only state facts,” wrote Alfred Nobel in a letter to Sophie Hess.

Nobel was very creative person, many ideas were constantly spinning in his head. “If 300 ideas come to my mind in a year, and at least one of them is applicable, I am already satisfied,” Alfred Nobel once wrote. He wrote down aphorisms and ideas for inventions in small notebooks, and from them one can get an idea of ​​the worldview of the inventor, who often walked around lost in thought:

"Railway protection: an explosive charge for a locomotive to destroy substances placed on the rails."

“A cartridge without a case. Gunpowder ignited by a small glass tube which is broken.”

“A gun with water sprayed into the muzzle to avoid smoke and recoil.”

"Soft glass"

"Production of aluminum."

And: “When we talk about understanding and reason, we thereby mean perception, which in our time is considered the norm for the majority educated people».

InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.

Alfred Nobel is known as the founder of the Nobel Prize. But few people know what Nobel invented and why the prize named after him is considered such a prestigious and important award in the scientific world.

Nobel's main invention

Alfred Nobel was a chemist. He was born in 1833 in Stockholm. His father was involved in the development of military equipment. At that time, this was a fairly popular business, and the Nobel family was wealthy. However, even cooperation with the Russian army during Crimean War(1853) did not save the family business from bankruptcy.

Then Alfred devoted himself to the study of explosives. Nobel found that nitroglycerin, when mixed with substances that can absorb it, is more convenient and safe. This convenience allowed the use of a fire cord and a detonator. Nobel called his invention dynamite and patented it in 1867. Continuing his experiments with nitroglycerin, Nobel invented other explosive mixtures: ballistite and cordite (a mixture with gunpowder).

Peaceful purposes

However, explosives are not the only inventions of the Swedish chemist. In total, the scientist owns 355 patents for such things as measuring devices atmospheric pressure and pressure of liquids and gases, water meter, barometer, refrigeration apparatus, gas burner. In addition, Nobel developed a model of a bicycle with rubber tires and improved steam boilers.

Nobel wanted his main invention - dynamite - to be used only for peaceful purposes, for example, in mining. The scientist bequeathed his fortune to the prize, which is awarded annually to scientists who have made discoveries in natural sciences, as well as those who dedicated themselves to the fight for peace.

Academician, experimental chemist, Doctor of Philosophy, academician, founder of the Nobel Prize, which made him world famous.

Childhood

Alfred Nobel, whose biography is of sincere interest to the modern generation, was born in Stockholm on October 21, 1833. He came from Swedish peasantry southern district Nobelef, which became the derivative of the surname known throughout the world. In addition to him, the family had three more sons.

Father Immanuel Nobel was an entrepreneur who, having gone bankrupt, dared to try his luck in Russia. He moved in 1837 to St. Petersburg, where he opened workshops. After 5 years, when things started to improve, he moved his family to live with him.

The first experiments of a Swedish chemist

Once in Russia, 9-year-old Nobel Alfred quickly mastered the Russian language, in addition to which he was fluent in English, Italian, German and French languages. The boy received his education at home. In 1849, his father sent him on a trip to America and Europe, which lasted two years. Alfred visited Italy, Denmark, Germany, France, America, but the young man spent most of his time in Paris. There he passed practical course physics and chemistry in the laboratory of the famous scientist Jules Pelouz, who studied oil and discovered nitriles.

Meanwhile, the affairs of Immanuel Nobel, a talented self-taught inventor, improved: in the Russian service he became rich and famous, especially during the Crimean War. His factory produced mines used in the defense of Kronstadt in Finland and Revel Harbor in Estonia. The merits of Nobel Sr. were rewarded with an imperial medal, which, as a rule, was not awarded to foreigners.

After the end of the war, orders stopped, the enterprise stood idle, and many workers were left out of work. This forced Immanuel Nobel to return back to Stockholm.

Alfred Nobel's first experiments

Alfred, who was in close contact with the famous Nikolai Zinin, meanwhile began to study the properties of nitroglycerin in earnest. In 1863, the young man returned to Sweden, where he continued his experiments. September 3, 1864 occurred terrible tragedy: during the experiments, the explosion of 100 kilograms of nitroglycerin killed several people, among whom was 20-year-old Emil, Alfred's younger brother. After the incident, Alfred's father became paralyzed, and for the last 8 years he remained bedridden. During this period, Immanuel continued to work actively: he wrote 3 books, for which he himself made illustrations. In 1870, he was excited by the issue of using waste from the wood industry, and Nobel Sr. came up with plywood, inventing a method of gluing using a pair of wooden plates.

Invention of dynamite

On October 14, 1864, the Swedish scientist took out a patent that allowed him to produce an explosive that contained nitroglycerin. Alfred Nobel invented dynamite in 1867; its production subsequently brought the scientist the main wealth. The press of that time wrote that the Swedish chemist made his discovery by accident: it was as if a bottle of nitroglycerin had broken during transportation. The liquid spilled, soaked the soil, resulting in the formation of dynamite. Alfred Nobel did not accept the above version and insisted that he was deliberately searching for a substance that, when mixed with nitroglycerin, would reduce the explosiveness. The desired neutralizer was kieselguhr - rock, also called tripol.

A Swedish chemist set up a laboratory for the production of dynamite in the middle of a lake on a barge, far from populated areas.

Two months after the floating laboratory began operating, Aunt Alfreda introduced him to a merchant from Stockholm, Johan Wilhelm Smith, the owner of a million-dollar fortune. Nobel managed to convince Smith and several other investors to team up and form a venture industrial production nitroglycerin, which began in 1865. Realizing that the Swedish patent would not protect his rights abroad, Nobel patented own rights on and its sale all over the world.

Alfred Nobel's discoveries

In 1876, the world learned about the scientist’s new invention - an “explosive mixture” - a compound of nitroglycerin with collodion, which had a stronger explosive. The following years were rich in discoveries of the combination of nitroglycerin with other substances: ballistite - first smokeless gunpowder, then cordite.

Nobel's interests were not limited to working with explosive substances: the scientist was interested in optics, electrochemistry, medicine, biology, designed safe steam boilers and automatic brakes, tried to make artificial rubber, studied nitrocellulose and There are about 350 patents to which Alfred Nobel claimed rights: dynamite, detonator, smokeless powder, water meter, refrigeration apparatus , barometer, combat rocket design, gas burner,

Characteristics of a scientist

Nobel Alfred was one of the most educated people of his time. The scientist read a large number of books on technology, medicine, philosophy, history, fiction, giving preference to his contemporaries: Hugo, Turgenev, Balzac and Maupassant, and even tried to write himself. The bulk of Alfred Nobel's works (novels, plays, poems) were never published. Only the play about Beatrice Cenci has survived - “Nemisis”, completed at the time of her death. This tragedy in 4 acts was met with hostility by the clergy. Therefore, the entire published edition, released in 1896, was destroyed after the death of Alfred Nobel, with the exception of three copies. The world had the opportunity to get acquainted with this wonderful work in 2005; it was played in memory of the great scientist on the Stockholm stage.

Contemporaries describe Alfred Nobel as a gloomy man who preferred calm solitude and constant immersion in work to the bustle of the city and cheerful companies. The scientist led a healthy lifestyle and had a negative attitude towards smoking, alcohol and gambling.

Being quite wealthy, Nobel really gravitated towards the Spartan lifestyle. Working on explosive mixtures and substances, he was an opponent of violence and murder, carrying out colossal work in the name of peace on the planet.

Inventions for peace

First created Swedish chemist explosives were used for peaceful purposes: for laying roads and railways, mining, building canals and tunnels (using blasting). For military purposes, Nobel explosives began to be used only in Franco-Prussian war 1870-1871.

The scientist himself dreamed of inventing a substance or machine that had destructive power that made any war impossible. Nobel paid for congresses dedicated to issues of world peace, and he himself took part in them. The scientist was a member of the Paris Society of Civil Engineers, the Swedish Academy of Sciences, the London Royal Society. He had many awards, which he was very indifferent to.

Alfred Nobel: personal life

The great inventor - an attractive man - was never married and had no children. Closed, lonely, distrustful of people, he decided to find himself an assistant secretary and placed an advert in the newspaper. The 33-year-old Countess Bertha Sofia Felicita, an educated, well-mannered, multilingual girl who was without a dowry, responded. She wrote to Nobel and received an answer from him; correspondence ensued, which caused mutual sympathy both sides. Soon there was a meeting between Albert and Bertha; The young people walked and talked a lot, and conversations with Nobel gave Bertha great pleasure.

Soon Albert left on business, and Bertha could not wait for him and returned home, where Count Arthur von Suttner was waiting for her - the sympathy and love of her life, with whom she started a family. Despite the fact that Bertha’s departure was a huge blow for Alfred, their warm and friendly correspondence continued until the end of Nobel’s days.

Alfred Nobel and Sophie Hess

And yet there was love in the life of Alfred Nobel. At the age of 43, the scientist fell in love with 20-year-old Sophie Hess, a flower shop saleswoman, moved her from Vienna to Paris, rented an apartment next to his house and allowed her to spend as much as she wanted. Sophie was only interested in money. The beautiful and graceful “Madame Nobel” (as she called herself), unfortunately, was a lazy person without any education. She refused to study with the teachers whom Nobel hired her.

The relationship between the scientist and Sophie Hess lasted 15 years, until 1891, when Sophie gave birth to a child from a Hungarian officer. Alfred Nobel parted peacefully with his young girlfriend and even assigned her a very decent allowance. Sophie married the father of her daughter, but constantly pestered Alfred with requests for an increase in support; after his death, she began to insist on this, threatening to publish his intimate letters if he refused. The executors, who did not want their client’s name to be splashed around in newspapers, made concessions: they bought Nobel’s letters and telegrams from Sophie and increased her annuity.

From childhood, Nobel Alfred was characterized by poor health and was constantly ill; V last years he was tormented by heart pain. Doctors prescribed nitroglycerin to the scientist - this circumstance (a kind of irony of fate) amused Alfred, who devoted his life to working with this substance. Alfred Nobel died on December 10, 1896 at his villa in San Remo from a cerebral hemorrhage. The grave of the great scientist is located in the Stockholm cemetery.

Alfred Nobel and his prize

When Nobel invented dynamite, he saw its use in aiding development. human progress, not murderous wars. But the persecution that began over such a dangerous discovery pushed Nobel to the idea that he needed to leave behind another, more significant trace. Thus, the Swedish inventor decided to establish a personal prize after his death, writing a will in 1895, according to which the bulk of his acquired fortune - 31 million crowns - goes to a specially created fund. The income from investments should be distributed each year in the form of bonuses to the people who brought the greatest benefit to humanity during the previous year. The interest is divided into 5 parts and is intended for the scientist who made important discovery in the field of chemistry, physics, literature, medicine and physiology, and also contributed significant contribution in maintaining peace on the planet.

Alfred Nobel's special wish was that the nationality of candidates not be taken into account.

The first Alfred Nobel Prize was awarded in 1901 to the physicist Roentgen Conrad for the discovery of the rays that bear his name. The Nobel Prizes, which are the most authoritative and honorable international awards, have had a huge impact on the development of world science and literature.

also in scientific history Alfred Nobel, whose will amazed many scientists with its generosity, went down as the discoverer of "Nobelium" - chemical element, named after him. The Stockholm Institute of Physics and Technology and Dnepropetrovsk University are named after the outstanding scientist.