Konrad Zuse

Inventor of the world’s first programmable computer, laying the groundwork for modern computing despite working in isolation during WWII.

Konrad Zuse (1910–1995) transformed technology by building the Z3, the world’s first programmable computer, in 1941. Working in Nazi Germany with minimal resources, Zuse’s inventions pioneered binary logic and floating-point arithmetic—cornerstones of today’s digital age.

His early machines, like the Z1 (mechanical) and Z3 (electromechanical), were destroyed in wartime bombings, but their concepts survived. Postwar, Zuse founded one of Europe’s earliest computer companies and developed Plankalkül, the first high-level programming language. Unlike contemporaries focused on military applications, Zuse envisioned computers as tools for engineering and art.

Despite limited recognition during his lifetime, Zuse’s work inspired later pioneers. Discover his impact here. His story exemplifies how individual brilliance can reshape global progress.