Bertha Benz: The Woman Who Drove the Future

Bertha Benz, born as Cäcilie Bertha Ringer on May 3, 1849, in Pforzheim, Germany, was a remarkable woman who played a decisive role in the development of the automobile. She was not only the business partner and wife of automobile inventor Karl Benz but also an investor and a visionary who believed in the future of the automobile.

Bertha was the third of nine children born to a wealthy carpenter family in Pforzheim. Her parents, Karl Friedrich Ringer and Auguste Friedrich, invested heavily in their children’s education. Despite her fascination with technological innovation and ambition, Bertha could not study at a university as women were not allowed to attend at the time.

In 1869, during an excursion by the Eintracht Club, Bertha met Karl Benz, a passionate inventor interested in developing an engine for a horseless carriage. Despite his financial struggles, Bertha believed in Karl’s potential and decided to invest her personal funds into his projects.

Bertha married Karl Benz on July 20, 1872. Two years before their marriage, she used part of her dowry to invest in Karl’s failing iron construction company. As an unmarried woman, she was able to do so; after she married Benz, according to German law, Bertha lost her legal power to act as an investor.

Bertha Benz was instrumental in the development of the first engine-powered carriage, or automobile. Along with providing financial support, Bertha often provided hands-on help with her husband’s projects. On New Year’s Eve 1879, the Benzs were able to get a two-stroke engine to work for the first time3. In December 1885, Karl Benz’s work on the first horseless carriage was finished.

Bertha Benz is best known for embarking on the world’s first long-distance drive in the Patent-Motorwagen, a car built by her husband, Karl Benz. On August 5, 1888, she drove an internal-combustion-engined automobile over a long distance, field testing the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, inventing brake lining and solving several practical issues during the journey of 105 km (65 miles). This brought the Patent-Motorwagen worldwide attention and got their company its first sales.

Bertha Benz passed away on May 5, 1944, in Ladenburg, Germany. Her contributions to the automotive industry have long been overlooked until the 21st century. Today, she is celebrated as a pioneer who helped shape the future of transportation. Her courage, determination, and innovative spirit continue to inspire many, and her legacy lives on in the thriving automobile industry.