Robert Bosch founded and led one of Germany's most important and successful manufacturing firms, best known for the invention of the spark plug. This official biography delves into Bosch's relations with such esteemed inventors as Thomas Alva Edison and examines issues ranging from Bosch's involvement in industrial policy to his encouragement of German-French relations in economic and political spheres. One of the first corporate heads to be directly concerned with and involved in employee relations and well-being, he instituted the eight-hour workday, was instrumental in providing for the health care of his factory workers, and was known as a great philanthropist. When Bosch contacted journalist Theodor Heuss to write his authorized biography in 1942, he could not have known that Heuss would later become the first president of West Germany. Bosch died later that year, and his biography was published in 1946. What can be found in Robert Bosch: His Life and Achievements is a significant piece of history, recounting Bosch's rise and success as a self-made industrialist. It will play a key role in our continued understanding of the evolution of science, industry, and invention.
