Siemens, (Ernst) Werner von

Siemens, (Ernst) Werner von (1816-1892), the oldest of four brothers, all of whom were distinguished engineers and industrialists. Siemens was born in Lenthe, near Hanover, Germany, and served from 1838 to 1849 as an artillery officer in the Prussian army. In 1847 he helped found the firm of Siemens & Halske for the manufacture of telegraphic equipment; the firm subsequently also manufactured electrical equipment. Werner von Siemens was largely responsible for the laying, in 1848, of the first German telegraph line. His many electrical inventions and discoveries include the electric dynamo and the use of gutta-percha, an elastic, rubber-like substance, for insulating cables.