One of the most important innovations of the 19th century was the sewing machine and Vienna is a major part of this. This is because a tailor who lived in Vienna became the first man to be granted a patent for his sewing machine.
Josef Madersperger, a Viennese tailor, designed his sewing equipment in 1814. It took him 10 years to develop the machine.
He actually created several machines with the very first one sewing only straight lines. His other machines were specially made to create embroidery that can stitch small circles and ovals. The tailor received a bronze medal from the business society of lower Austria in 1841.
Unfortunatley while his sewing machines were well received by the people in Vienna, Madersperger was not satisfied with his machines and as such, he never allowed its mass production. He continued to work on other designs spending all of his money on them until he became poor. The tailor died a poor man.
Josef Madersperger and his family moved to Vienna in 1790 from Kufstein where he was actually born. He started developing his sewing machine in 1807.
