SI
Revija Life ga je uvrstila med 100 najpomembnejših ljudi v zadnjih 1.000 letih. V svojem življenju je patentiral več kot 700 izumov. Bil je kandidat za Nobelovo nagrado. Po njegovih načrtih so izdelali prvo hidroelektrarno na Niagarskih slapovih. In nekaj časa je živel v Mariboru. Nikola Tesla. Žal se tega v Mariboru premalo zavedamo, zato je prav njemu v spomin namenjen ta zakladek.
Nikola Tesla
Otroštvo in šolanje
Rodil se je 9. ali 10. julija 1856 v vasici Smiljan pri Gospiću v Liki na Hrvaškem. Oče je bil srbski pravoslavni duhovnik, izobraženec, mislec in pisatelj, mati pa je bila neizobražena. Ni znala ne brati ne pisati, je pa imela izreden spomin. V Smiljanu je obiskoval štiriletno osnovno šolo in v Gospiću triletno nižjo realko, v Rakovcu pri Karlovcu pa triletno višjo realko. Maturiral je 24. julija 1873 v skupini samo sedmih dijakov. Naslednje leto je njegov rojstni kraj zajela kolera in napadla tudi njega. Skoraj tri četrtine leta je nihal med življenjem in smrtjo. Eden od razlogov za premostitev bolezenskih težav je bila očetova obljuba, da bo lahko namesto bogoslužja nadaljeval študij tehnike. Jeseni 1875 se je vpisal na Avstrijsko tehniško visoko šolo v Gradcu in začel študirati elektrotehniko. S podporo od doma in s štipendijo Carsko-kraljevske general-komande, s katero so pomagali siromašnim, je lahko študiral v tujini.
V Mariboru
Denarna stiska in dolg enemu od graških oderuhov sta ga privedla do tega, da je jeseni leta 1878 Gradec nenadno zapustil, o čemer pa ni obvestil prav nikogar, niti domačih. Kljub skoraj dvomesečnemu iskanju, ki ga je v Gradcu vodil njegov daljni sorodnik Djuro Banjanin, se je za Nikolo izgubila vsaka sled. V takrat že gospodarsko razgibani Maribor je Tesla prispel v prvi polovici septembra 1878. Žal o njegovem bivanju v mestu obstajajo izredno skopi pisni in ustni podatki.
Tesla je v Mariboru svoj prosti čas, podobno kot leto in pol pred tem v Gradcu, rad preživljal v različnih gostilnah in kavarnah. Pa ne zaradi žensk in pijače, ampak njegovi takratni strasti do igranja kart in biljarda (Karambola), v čemer je briljiral. In seveda v želji po morebitnem dodatnem zaslužku, ki bi mu bil takrat vsekakor dobrodošel, čeprav je bil znan po tem, da je v primeru zmage soigralcem pogosto vračal izgubljeni denar.
Njegov prijatelj iz študentskih let Kosta Kulišić, s katerim sta si delila sobo, je v gostilni blizu železniške postaje zagledal Teslo v kvartopirski družbi dveh gospodov, čemur je sledil pogovor, ki še danes velja za najpomembnejšo informacijo glede Teslove skrivnostne zaposlitve v Mariboru. »Kaj, za boga, je s teboj, Nikola? Vsi te iščemo, še posebej tvoji žalostni starši.«. »Jaz sem se dobro namestil pri nekem inženirju in prejemam mesečno plačo v višini šestdeset forintov, imam pa še obstranske zaslužke,« je citirano glasil odgovor nekdanjega sostanovalca in prijatelja. Ker gre za Teslovo avtentično izjavo, ta vsekakor predstavlja najbolj odločilen in verodostojen podatek o njegovi sicer neuradni, a prvi redni zaposlitvi v življenju. Iz te izjave lahko ugotovimo, da je bila tudi dobro plačana, saj je omenjeni znesek predstavljal nadpovprečno plačo. Večina biografov, ki so pisali o Teslovem bivanju v Mariboru, meni, da je bilo to srečanje v gostilni, ki so jo desetletja pozneje poimenovali Veseli kmet ali po domače »pri Vlahoviču«. Stala je ob stičišču današnje Meljske in Mlinske ulice ter Partizanske ceste, kjer se pravkar nahajate tudi vi.
Partizanska cesta z gostilno Veseli kmet
Kosta Kulišić je po vrnitvi v Gradec veselo novico posredoval Teslovim staršem v Liko. Zaskrbljeni oče Milutin je v začetku marca prispel v Maribor. Za uglednega duhovnika je bilo, zaradi govoric o kvartanju, razočaranje nad »problematičnim« sinom kar veliko. Bil je trdno odločen v tem, da sina prepriča, da opusti igre na srečo in se sprva vrne v Liko, nakar bi študij nadaljeval na slovanski fakulteti v Pragi. V mestu je spoznal tudi sinovega delodajalca, ki je bil z njegovim delom zelo zadovoljen. Prepričan v to, da sin le ni tako slab, kot je pričakoval, ga je vneto nagovarjal k vrnitvi in nadaljnjemu študiju. Uporniškemu mladeniču nič od predlaganega ni dišalo, čemur je sledil precej hud spor, razočarani Milutin pa je na koncu moral domov oditi sam.
Mariborske življenjske epizode Tesla pozneje ni rad omenjal. Pravi vzrok naj bi bil najverjetneje zelo boleč spor z očetom, zaradi katerega je po njegovi smrti aprila 1879 občutil krivdo in ga je želel povsem izbrisati iz spomina.
Kaj se je dogajalo s Teslo v prostem času, da so ga aretirali in izgnali, ni znano, dalo pa bi se vse skupaj povezati s Teslovo hazardersko naravo. Možno je, da ga je kdo njegovih soigralcev, ker je izgubil in utrpel denarno škodo, prijavil. Tesla je bil brez dvoma inteligenten in je bil po vsej verjetnosti, če spomnimo, da je imel fotografski spomin, odličen hazarder, o katerem se je v Mariboru najbrž hitro izvedelo. Ker ni bil domačin, zaposlitev pa je bila začasna, ga ni bilo težko prijaviti in najti vzrok za izgon.
Obstaja le en uradni dokument, ki potrjuje Teslovo bivanje v Mariboru. To so zapiski v poslovnem zapisniku mestnih oblasti, imenovanem Geschäfts protokoll 1879, v katerega so vnašali podatke na podlagi policijskih ovadb in aretacij. V njem v zvezi z aretacijo najdemo dva zapisa. Iz prvega je vidna odločitev mestne uprave o tem, »da se dotični Nikolaus Tesla, brez sredstev za preživljanje, dne 8. 3. 1879 deportira iz Maribora v Gospić s ciljem napotitve na delo«, iz drugega pa, da je tja prispel dne 17. 3. 1879. Uradna biografija bolj poudarja, da so ga izgnali, ker ni imel stalnega bivališča.
Njegovo bivališče v Mariboru ni točno znano, je bilo verjetno na tedanji Tegetthoffovi ulici (danes Partizanska ulica), kjer ga je na podlagi prijave aretirala mestna žandarmerija.
Tagetthoff Strasse
Zanimivosti
Tesla je tekoče govoril 8 jezikov: srbo-hrvaški jezik, angleški jezik, češki, nemški, francoski, madžarski, italijanski jezik in latinščino. Znanstveniki tako osebo, ki govori več kot šest jezikov, imenujejo hiperpoliglot.
Imel je fotografski spomin. Svoje izume in iznajdbe je v sebi izdelal do konca in do zadnjih podrobnosti, večinoma brez tehniških risb. Risbe je uporabljal le v izjemnih primerih. V času študija je znal na pamet cele knjige do besede natančno.
Čeprav je bil Tesla ameriški državljan, je njegove stvari po smrti zasegel ameriški urad za tujo lastnino. Nekatere njegove stvari so bile kasneje vrnjene svojcem, nekatere se nahajajo v njegovem muzeju v Beogradu. Nekateri njegovi zapiski in naprave pa so še vedno klasificirani kot zaupno in skriti pred očmi javnosti, zato ostaja neznanka, kaj je Nikola Tesla še izumil pred svojo smrtjo. Morda napravo, ki bi vodila svet v novo obdobje proste energije.
Gostilno Veseli kmet, na mestu katere je danes vhod v avtobusno postajo
Naloga
Nahajate se na mestu, kjer je Nikola Tesla preživljal prosti čas. Tukaj je včasih stala gostilna Veseli kmet, ki je danes ni več. Na tem mestu naredite fotografijo sebe ali vašega osebnega predmeta. Fotografija mora vsebovati vaše GC ime in datum obiska, napisano na papirju ali kjerkolipačže.
GC pravila ne dovoljujejo različnih težjih nalog za vpis virtualnih zakladov, zato vam le opcijsko ponujam naslednjo nalogo:
Nikola Tesla je bil tako pomemben, da je upodobljen kar na nekaj bankovcih. Slikajte sebe ali osebni predmet z bankovcem, na katerem je upodobljen Nikola Tesla. Bankovec mora biti pravi. Če pa takšnega bankovca nimate pri roki, lahko uporabite bankovec s katerokoli drugo valuto, ki pa mora imeti ENAKO vrednost kot katerikoli obstoječi bankovec z likom Nikole Tesle. V tem primeru GC ime in datum obiska na fotografiji nista potrebna.
Opcijska naloga za vpis: Nikola Tesla na starem jugoslovanskem bankovcu za 500 din (izdan leta 1982)
Viri:
https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla
https://marijanzlobec.wordpress.com/2016/04/10/nikola-tesla-je-v-mariboru-prezivel-pol-leta/
https://maribor24.si/lokalno/nikola-tesla-prvo-sluzbo-imel-v-mariboru-ga-iz-mesta-izgnali
EN
Life magazine ranked him among the 100 most important people in the last 1000 years. He has patented over 700 inventions in his life. He was a candidate for the Nobel Prize. According to his plans, the first hydroelectric power plant on Niagara Falls was built. And for a while he lived in Maribor. Nikola Tesla. Unfortunately, we are not aware of this in Maribor, so this cache is dedicated to him.
Nikola Tesla
Childhood and school
He was born on 9 or 10 July 1856 in the village of Smiljan near Gospić in Lika, Croatia. The father was a Serbian Orthodox priest, educator, thinker and writer, and his mother was uneducated. She couldn't read or write but she had a great memory. In Smiljan he attended a four-year elementary school and in Gospić a three-year lower real school, and in Rakovac near Karlovac a three-year junior high school. He graduated on 24 July 1873 in a group of only seven students. The following year, his birthplace captured cholera and attacked him as well. For almost three quarters of the year he fluctuated between life and death. One of the reasons for overcoming his illness was his father's promise that he would be able to continue his studies of technique instead of being a priest. In the fall of 1875 he enrolled at the Austrian Technical College in Graz and began to study electrical engineering. With support from home and a scholarship from the Carsko-kraljevska general-komanda to help the poor, he was able to study abroad.
In Maribor
The financial hardship and debt to one of Graz's clerks led him to leave Graz in the fall of 1878, without informing anyone, not even his family. Despite a nearly two-month search conducted in Graz by his distant relative Djuro Banjanin, every trace was lost for Nikola. In the already economically prosperous Maribor, Tesla arrived in the first half of September 1878. Unfortunately, the written and oral information about his stay in the city is extremely poor.
Like in the past year in Graz Tesla enjoyed his free time in Maribor in various pubs and cafes. Not because of the women and the drink, but his passion for playing cards and billiards (Karambola), in which he was brilliant. And, of course, in his desire for some extra money, which he would appreciate at the time, although he was known for often returning his lost money to teammates when winning.
His student-friend Kosta Kulišić, with whom he shared a room, saw Tesla in a cards-play-company of two gentlemen at a pub near the train station, followed by a conversation that is still regarded as the most important piece of information about Tesla's mysterious job in Maribor today. "What the hell is wrong with you, Nicholas? We are all looking for you, especially your sad parents.". "I got a good job as an engineer and I get a monthly salary of sixty forints, and I still have side earnings.", said Nikola. Since it is Tesla's authentic statement, it is certainly the most credible piece of information about his first full-time employment. From this statement we can conclude that he was also well paid, since the amount represented an above average salary. Most of the biographers who wrote about Tesla's stay in Maribor believe that this meeting was at a tavern, which was called the "Veseli kmet" decades later or by the local name "at Vlahovič". It stood at the intersection of today's Meljska and Mlinska Streets and the Partizanska Road where you are located now.
Street Partizanska cesta with the pub "Veseli kmet"
After returning to Graz, Kosta Kulišić sent the happy news to Tesla's parents in Lika. Concerned father Milutin arrived in Maribor in early March. As a distinguished priest he was very disappointed because of the rumours of quartering of his "troubled" son. He was firmly determined to persuade his son to quit gambling and to return to Lika immediately, after which he would continue his studies at college in Prague. In town he also met his son's employer who was very pleased with his work. Father was convinced that the son was not as bad as he expected and he was urging him to return and continue his studies. The rebellious young man did not accept any of his suggestions which followed to a sirous fight and his father Milutin had to go home alone.
Tesla later didn't like to mention his life episode in Maribor. The real cause is likely to be a very painful fight with his father which made him feel guilty after his death in April 1879 and wanted to completely erase from his memory.
What happened to Tesla in his spare time to arrest and expel him is unknown, but it could be related to Tesla's gambling nature. It is possible that some of his teammates reported him because he lost and sustained financial damage. Tesla was undoubtedly intelligent and excellent gambler with a photographic memory, which was probably very in Maribor. Since he was not a native and his employment was temporary, it was not difficult to report him and find a cause for expulsion.
There is only one official document confirming Tesla's stay in Maribor. These are notes in the business record of the city authorities, called the Geschäfts Protocol 1879, in which they entered information on the basis of police reports and arrests. It contains two records in connection with his arrest. The first shows the decision of the city administration to "deport Nikolaus Tesla, without means of subsistence, on 8 March 1879 from Maribor to Gospić with the aim of sending him to work", and from the second that he arrived there on 17 March 1879. The official biography emphasizes that he was expelled because he did not have a permanent residence.
His address Maribor is unknown but it was probably on Tegetthoff Street (now Partizanska Street), where he was arrested on the basis of a report by a city gendarmerie.
Tagetthoff Strasse
Interesting facts
Tesla was speaking 8 languages: Serbo-Croatian, English, Czech, German, French, Hungarian, Italian and Latin. Scientists call a person who speaks more than six languages a hyper polyglot.
He had a photographic memory. He made his inventions in his mind to the very end and to the last detail mostly without technical drawings. He used drawings only in exceptional cases. During his studies he could tell a book renew from his head exactly word by word.
Although Tesla was an American citizen, his belongings were take away after his death by the U.S. Foreign Property Office. Some of his belongings were later returned to relatives, some are in his museum in Belgrade. But some of his notes and devices are still classified as confidential and hidden from the public eye, so it remains unknown what Nikola Tesla invented before his death. Perhaps a device to lead the world into a new era of free energy.
Pub "Veseli kmet" where is the entrance to bus station nowadays
Logging requirements
You are in a place where Nikola Tesla spent his free time. The pub "Veseli kmet" used to stand here but the building does not exist anymore. Take a photo of yourself or your personal item here. The photo must contain your GC name and the date of visit written on the paper or any other material.
The GC rules do not allow various difficult virtual log tasks, so here is only optional task to follow:
Nikola Tesla was so important that his image was printed on several banknotes. Take a picture of yourself or your personal item with a banknote showing Nikola Tesla. The note must be real. However, if you do not have such a banknote, you can use any other currency which must have the SAME value as any existing banknote with the printed image of Nikola Tesla. In this optional task the GC name and date does not need to be on the photo.
Optional task: Nikola Tesla on the old Yugoslavia banknote for 500 din (published 1982)
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla
https://marijanzlobec.wordpress.com/2016/04/10/nikola-tesla-je-v-mariboru-prezivel-pol-leta/
https://maribor24.si/local/nikola-tesla-first-service-imel-v-maribor-ga-from-city-expired
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.