Johann Arzberger

Johann Arzberger (10 April 1778, Arzberg, Sechsämterland [de], Bayreuth Princedom/(today's) Upper Franconia^[1] – 28 December 1835, Vienna) was an Austrian technologist.

He worked as a manager of equipment of the Fürstlich Salm'sche Eisenwerke ("Princely Salm's Ironworks") by Hugo Franz Altgraf zu Salm-Reifferscheidt [de] (1776–1836) in Moravia. From 1816 on, he served as a professor of mechanical technology at the Polytechnic Institute in Vienna. He published scientific articles in the field of mechanics in Gilbert's Annalen der Physik as well as in the Annals of the Polytechnic Institute in Vienna.^[2]

Arzberger was a pioneer of urban street lighting — with Johann Joseph von Prechtl (1778-1854), he developed a coal gas production plant for illumination purposes at the institute. In 1818, there were 25 operational public gas lanterns in Vienna. In 1820, he invented an early steam carriage designed for travel on ordinary roads without the need of rails. On weekends and national holidays, he gave lectures free of charge.^[3][4]