A rotor machine based on wired wheels formed the basis of the patent application filed by Arthur Scherbius on 23 February 1918. This mechanical cipher device, later marketed under the name Enigma, functioned through a complex configuration of rotors and electrical connections to scramble text, eventually becoming a critical piece of technology in global military intelligence during the twentieth century.
Academic and Technical Foundation
Born in Frankfurt in 1878, Scherbius pursued a rigorous technical education in Germany. He attended the Technical University of Munich before continuing his studies at the Leibniz University Hannover, where he concluded his academic training in March 1903. By the following year, he earned a Doktoringenieur degree upon completing a dissertation focused on an indirect water turbine governor. This foundation in electrical engineering served as the basis for his subsequent professional career across Germany and Switzerland.
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Before his primary work in cryptography, Scherbius contributed to various sectors of electrical engineering. In 1918, he established the firm Scherbius & Ritter. His mechanical and electrical inventions included ceramic heating components, electric pillows, and asynchronous motors. His specific research efforts in the latter field resulted in the Scherbius principle, a technical standard associated with motor efficiency.
Development of the Enigma Machine
Scherbius designed several iterations of his cipher machine. Model A resembled a heavy cash register, weighing 50 kilograms, while subsequent versions like Model B and Model C introduced portability and lamp-based indicators. The machine functioned like a typewriter housed within a wooden container. By utilizing three rotors from a pool of five and incorporating a plug board, the device produced nearly 159 quintillion possible settings. Although initial commercial reception remained lukewarm, the German Navy adopted a modified version in 1926, followed later by the German Army.
Final Years
Scherbius lived in Berlin-Wannsee starting in 1924, overseeing the growth of his firm and the serial production of the Enigma which began in 1925. He held multiple U.S. patents, including numbers 1,556,964, 1,584,660, and 1,657,411. He did not witness the eventual large-scale military application of his invention or the subsequent decryption efforts by Polish, French, and British cryptanalysts. He died in 1929 following a horse carriage accident in Berlin.
Fast facts
- Born: 1878, Frankfurt
- Died: 1929, Berlin
- Education: Leibniz University Hannover, Technical University of Munich
- Primary Invention: Enigma machine
- Firm Founded: Scherbius & Ritter (1918)
- Notable Patent: U.S. Patent 1,556,964
- Citizenship: Germany
Questions readers ask
What does the name Enigma mean?
It is the Greek word for riddle.
Did the German military use the machine immediately?
No, despite early interest, the German Army adopted the device a few years after the Navy, with production beginning in 1925.
Achievements
- Educated at Technical University of Munich and Leibniz University Hannover
- Worked as mathematician, engineer and inventor
