Orffyreus (1680 – 1745 ) : Inventor of Perpetual Motion Machine

Orffyreus was a man of wide-ranging abilities and interests and, at one stage in his career; he earned his living as physician. He was also considered as a great mechanical engineer. He worked for Count Karl, Landgrave of Hesse Cassel as councilor and general engineer.

The word perpetual motion and Councilor Orffyreus are inseparable. He was an eager student of the 'Hidden Mysteries of Nature and Science.' Guided by his intuitive feeling for perpetual motion, habit of using his intelligence to the utmost, a deepened command sense, reliance first and then on the observation and experiments, this remarkable man conceived, invented, and demonstrated a number of perpetual motion machines to renowned man of science at many towns in Germany. His last and the largest machine was demonstrated at the castle of the Weissenstein in 1717. Board of examiners was convinced that his machine was a true form of perpetual motion. Unfortunately for many reasons, his claim as an inventor of perpetual motion machine has been put aside and thrown to the dust bins of history along with all other hoaxes frauds, mysteries and fakers whose lives occupy the achieves of many a dusty shelf in the museums through out the world. History has wrongly convicted a genuine inventor and an innocent man. All of the evidence about his machine faithfully recorded in his time support the conclusion that Orffyreus was a genuine inventor who solved the riddle of the perpetual motion machine about 300 years ago, but his personal character has intensified the doubts, his contemporaries did not realize the full importance and value of the invention. “Orffyreus’ work on his perpetual motion machine could have considerably extended our horizons in physics - and in technology too. But at this particular crossroads, mankind took a wrong turn..” says George Egely, the author of the book “Forbidden Invention” .

Perpetual motion is like a beautiful woman. No matter cautious and careful she may remain most of the time, but she is likely to get into the trouble at any time for no fault of her own only because she is beautiful. Wicked and malicious man would try to possess her using all illegal means. Similarly, perpetual motion is type of invention which itself is source of trouble for its inventor, as it would cause envy, antagonism, and hostility among the people. Perpetual motion machine is likely to mushroom hundreds of opponents who would like to possess secret of its working mechanism by hook or crook.