The International Rasmus Malling-Hansen Society

Die internationale Rasmus Malling-Hansen Society

Det internationale Rasmus Malling-Hansen Selskab

Established in May 2006 in honour of one of Europes greatest inventors and reformers:

Hans Rasmus Malling Johan Hansen

Born 1835 in Lolland, Denmark Died 1890, in Copenhagen, Denmark

Inventor of the worlds first commercially sold typewriter in 1865: The Writing Ball

Inventor of the worlds fastest writing machine ever: The Takygraf in 1872

Inventor of the worlds first dry copying technique named Xerografi in 1872

Farsighted reformer of the methods used to educate the deaf-mutes

Discoverer of the incredible phenomenon of "Periods in the Growth of Children and the Heat of the Sun"

Besides that:

- a leading Volapükist

- a devoted father of 7 daughters

- a top ranking free mason

- and - for 25 years - principal and priest at the Royal Institute for the Deaf-mutes in Copenhagen.

Christmas and New Year’s Message December 2021 from our President, Jørgen Malling Christensen.

: The president of the Malling-Hansen Society, is constantly on the lookout for new research objects, and this autumn he has visited the museums in Svendborg and Vejle, both of which own a writing ball of 1878 model. Svendborg's writing ball has serial number 107.

: The writing ball in Vejle has serial number 123, and here the keyboard is photogaphed directly from above. Both of these writing balls have 54 keys on the keyboard, and both came with a portable mahygany box. Both photographs were taken by Jørgen Malling Christensen.

: We on the board of The Malling-Hansen Society are constantly on the lookout for new information and new documents regarding Rasmus Malling-Hansen. There is obviously a lot that is still undiscovered, and sometimes some really rare grains of gold appear. Such a rarity was recently found by our president, Jørgen Malling Christensen, at one of his recently deceased relatives. As perhaps not everyone knows, Jørgen is a descendant of Malling-Hansen's youngest brother, Johan Frederik, and we were all very elated when it turned out that his cousin had a picture of the three young brothers Hansen among a large number of other old photographs. and documents, which his ancestors had collected over the years. The picture shows Johan Frederik Hansen, 1839-1918, on the left, in the middle Rasmus Malling-Hansen, 1835-1890 and on the right Thomas Jørgen Hansen, 1837-1919. The photo is not dated; but our estimate is that it is from ca. 1861. As such, it is among the earliest known photo of Rasmus Malling-Hansen. The earliest one is from 1860, and shows Malling-Hansen wearing a student hat and without beard growth. The picture of the three brothers has been digitally processed.

New Malling-Hansen Biography, written by Jørgen Malling Christensen.

: Rasmus Malling-Hansen, 1835-1890, priest, principal, educational innovator, humanist, inventor and scientific researcher.

: The ancestor of Jørgen Malling Christensen, Malling-Hansens's brother Johan Frederik Emanuel Hansen, 1839 – 1918.

We have the great pleasure of publishing this very up-to-date and comprehensive biography written about Denmark's great son, headmaster, priest, pedagogical innovator, inventor and scientific researcher, Rasmus Malling-Hansen.

Malling-Hansen's activities spread over many areas, and different periods in his life were characterized by research and innovation in several different areas. He was Denmark's foremost authority in the teaching of deaf-mute children, and eventually gained support for all his goals regarding the organization and use of methods in teaching.

His invention of the world's very first series-produced typewriter was original and innovative, and in scientific research he initiated research in completely new areas, and it looked methodical, that it formed a model for many later researchers. In all the areas in which Malling-Hansen became involved, he was an innovator, and one who saw new opportunities and explored issues that had hitherto been unexplored.

The author, Jørgen Malling-Christensen, president of the International Rasmus Malling Society, is the one who has "dug" deepest in all available archives, and his biography contains information that has never before been known or published. He writes extensively about all aspects of Malling-Hansen's life, and helps to bring his unique personality to life for us.

Many good biographies have been written about Malling-Hansen over the years, but the one we present here must be said to be the most up-to-date and correct in terms of all the details concerning Malling-Hansen's life and work. Jørgen Malling Christensen deserves great credit for his tireless research work concerning Rasmus Malling-Hansen, who is in fact one of his ancestors, more specifically his great-grandfather's brother.

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