Post by Emanuele Minieri

"The navigational difficulties which Dr. Hermann Anschütz-Kaempfe had to solve around 1900 in trying to realize his plan to “reach the North Pole with a submarine” led him to the field of gyro technology and gave the world its first gyro compass suitable for on-board use. His persistent fight for recognition of the patent rights and his never-ending attempts to improve the construction of the gyro compass brought him together with Albert Einstein as early as 1915. Called upon by the court, Einstein provided the expert opinion in patent disputes. This connection developed into an intensive and very fruitful cooperation – and a friendship which grew to include the families as well. Their letters and other documents indicate an involvement of Einstein’s of which nothing was known previously. Indeed, they show that Einstein had a not inconsiderable influence on the construction of the Kiel gyro compass and thus contributed to the success of Raytheon Marine GmbH, Kiel (formerly Anschütz & Co. GmbH, Kiel), which is still a leading manufacturer world-wide of gyro compasses and navigation systems today." If today you own an Anschutz gyrocompass you are owning a piece of history too.