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Franz Xaver Gabelsberger | |
|---|---|
 Inventor of a shorthand system | |
| Born | (1789-02-09)9 February 1789 |
| Died | 4 January 1849(1849-01-04) (aged 59) |
Franz Xaver Gabelsberger (9 February 1789,Munich - 4 January 1849, Munich) was a Germanstenographer; the inventor ofGabelsberger shorthand.
His father was a wind instrument manufacturer, originally fromMainburg, who died while Franz was still in school. As a result, he was transferred to a convent school and finished his studies at theAlten Gymnasium in 1807. He was unable to pursue his education further, due to lack of funds and poor health. Instead, he entered the civil service of the newly establishedKingdom of Bavaria.
His superiors were impressed by his skills incalligraphy. Meanwhile, he was contemplating a system that would make writing faster and easier. In 1817, he began to develop his system. As the German bureaucracies expanded, rapid transcription became essential. England and France already had such systems, but they proved difficult to adapt to German. Gabelsberger's method caught on quickly, and he became the first stenographer for theBavarian State Parliament.
He was also promoted to Ministerial Secretary, and his system was certified by theBavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities as being more reliable and legible than previous systems. Later, he was awarded 1,000Gulden per year, half of which was to be used for his shorthand students. His method was officially named and published in 1834. He designed an abbreviationtypeface in 1840.
In 1849, he suffered a stroke while out for a walk, and died shortly after. He was interred in theAlter Südfriedhof. From then until 1902, his system was revised three times. By that time, the number of users was estimated to be four million. Monuments have been dedicated to him in Munich, Vienna, andTraunstein. Streets in numerous German and Austrian cities are named after him. The medal of honor awarded by the German Stenographers' Association bears his likeness.
Media related toFranz Xaver Gabelsberger at Wikimedia Commons
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