Slavoljub PENKALA Curiculum Vitae: Born April 28, 1871. (A DIIIII???) Graduated from Dresden technical school in 1898, and started his doctoral degree in organic chemistry. Married and decided to live in Zagreb, where he started his outstanding career.

His work covers about 70 to 80 inventions in the field of machinery, chemistry, physics and aeronautics. In 1903 he patentted hotwater bottle in Budapest (patent number 29276) and Vienna At the same time he works on the projetcs of mechanical pencil and fountainpen. On January 24, 1906 he patentted the first mechanical pencil in the world, in Budapest, pattent number 36946 and 38353, and England pat. number 3690/1906 and 183242. On May 31, 1907 he patentted the first fountainpen in the world, pat. number 193717 DRP. His patets were registered in more than 35 countries.

The production grows and he moves the location of hos workshop to a new location, from Trg kralja Tomislava 17 to Praška ul. 3, Zagreb. In 1906 he enters cooperation with Edmund Moster into Penkala-Edmund Moster ltd. and in 1911 they open a factory in Branimirova str., Zagreb.

Penkala pencils and pens are exported into more than 70 countries around the world,while the factory from 300 workers in 1911 grows to to 800 in 1912. It can be said that it was one of the largest writing materials factories in the world.

At the same time Slavoljub Penkala works intensly in the field of aeronautics. He registers his patents for helicopter parts in Budapest, number 47149, on December 10, 1909 for airoplain, pat. numbers 50774 and 50775, and on December 27, 1909 for airbag, pat. number 47374. Not only does he register patents, but he also actually makes airoplains and he flyes in 1910, at Črnomerec, Zagreb, thus opening the first airport in Croatia.

But Slavoljub Penkala does not stop here. He also develops his interest in chemistry, inventing famous Radium Vinovica, a medicine for rheumatic diseases, washing powders, chemicals for impregnation of wood and alike. His chemical factory Elevator, was located in Zagreb, Kavurićeva ulica.