To this day, the name August Borsig stands for the industrial revolution in Prussia and especially for locomotive construction. The legendary reputation that the major entrepreneur, born in Breslau in 1804, earned in Berlin extended far beyond the borders of Germany. The path of the carpenter's son seems to have been mapped out early on: He was to follow in his father's footsteps and later perhaps even become a master builder for the king. In his heart, however, August Borsig was passionate about fire and iron - his most ardent wish was to learn the blacksmith's trade. Obsessed with the idea of catching up with the technical lead of English and American industry and manufacturing his own locomotives in Prussia, he founded his own mechanical engineering workshop northeast of the Oranienburg Gate, in the so-called Feuerland, at the age of 33. In 1841, the young entrepreneur's first locomotive was launched.